About a decade ago, entrepreneur Karla Amador set her sights on completing 52 hikes in a year. She called this project "The 52 Hike Challenge." 10 years later, she's turned it into a national company that encourages thousands of participants to get outside.
About a decade ago, entrepreneur Karla Amador set her sights on completing 52 hikes in a year. She didn't consider herself outdoorsy, so it helped to break down her goal into small, actionable steps, like hiking at least one mile each weekend. She called this project "The 52 Hike Challenge." 10 years later, she's turned it into a national company that encourages thousands of participants to get outside.
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Karla Amador:
I was scared at first, because I was like, "How am I going to do 52 hikes in a year when I was not a hiker?" But then I remember thinking about that and going, "You know, if I take this big idea, and I just focus on one hike for the week, that's all I have to do." Then it took away the pressure of thinking about reaching 52 right away.
Shelby Stanger:
When you think about a wild idea, it can be easy to get overwhelmed. Climbing a mountain or running an ultramarathon feels like a huge endeavor. There's so much training and preparation that has to happen before you set out to actually do the thing.
About a decade ago, entrepreneur Karla Amador set her sights on completing 52 hikes in a year. She wasn't at all outdoorsy, so it helped to break down her goal into small, actionable steps, like hiking at least one mile each weekend. She called this project "The 52 Hike Challenge." 10 years later, she's turned it into a national company that encourages thousands of participants to get outside.
I'm Shelby Stanger, and this is Wild Ideas Worth Living, an REI Co-op Studios production, brought to you by Capital One.
When Karla Amador was a teenager, she was not interested in spending time outside. Even though she grew up near Griffith Park in L.A., she usually preferred to be indoors. At age 18, Karla's reality changed drastically, when she got married and had a child.
Karla Amador:
I was very young when I got married. 12 years later, in 2012, I realized that relationship was over. Being young and not really having a lot of the tools I have now, I was going through, really, the worst time in my life.
So, I'll kind of cut to this really impactful moment, where I'm heartbroken. And I meet this wonderful lady who walks up to me, and she says, "If you could do anything right now, what would you do?" And I remember kind of sitting in a meditation and visualization with her. And I just envisioned myself putting on a backpack and hiking.
And I remember being at this overlook, overseeing Machu Picchu. It was very strange how this all happened. And about a year later, I'm going through the divorce, and I just remembered that vision I had. I was not a hiker at the time. I was not a traveler. But I think deep in my soul, I just had this connection that that was something that I wanted to experience in my life.
So, fast-forward to 2014, I was thinking about goals. I was like, "You know what? I think I'd like to hike once a week for a year." I didn't know what I was getting myself into. I just felt something internally guiding me to do this New Year's resolution. And so, 2014 was the year of hiking for me.
I didn't know anything about gear. I didn't know anything about elevation gain. I literally knew nothing. I feel like I was a baby, a baby hiker.
Shelby Stanger:
Despite the fact that Karla had very little experience in the outdoors, she was determined to see her wild idea through. Her first hike was in Laguna Canyon. It was not an easy trail. At multiple points, Karla questioned if she would make it all the way, but she was invigorated by the physical challenge.
When she arrived at the top, Karla saw the sweeping vistas, and the sparkling blue Pacific Ocean, and she felt like her heart had been cracked open. Karla realized that going after this wild idea was going to change her.
So, that was hike one. But then how did you keep going for 51 more hikes? What was that process like? And did you dread going on any of them? Because you made this commitment. It's one thing to say you're going to go do a wild idea, but it's another thing to actually do it.
Karla Amador:
I would say I'm lucky, because I'm a type-A person. But even being a type-A person, I was scared at first. Because I was like, "How am I going to do 52 hikes in a year when I was not a hiker?" But then I remember being someone who had been in business, you've heard of SMART goals, right?
Shelby Stanger:
A long time ago, but I don't... Okay, yes. Yes.
Karla Amador:
Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relative, and then Timely. So, I remember thinking about that, and going, "You know, if I take this big idea and break it down into smaller steps, and I just focus on one hike for the week, that's all I have to do." Then it took away the pressure of thinking about reaching 52 right away.
And then I also allowed myself like, "Okay, if one week I can't go hiking for whatever reason, I can make up the hikes. And they also don't have to be super long." So, I started kind of removing the big monster that comes in, the fear that comes up. And breaking it down and going like, "Well, how can I do this? What makes sense for me?"
I know that the biggest reason why a lot of people don't do the thing they want to do, is because they think about just that end goal. They don't think about all the little baby steps that you have to take in between, to get there. So, for me, I just felt so good being outside. And I want to share, I was in a really bad depression. I had never felt so low in my life.
So, being outside, it always would give me this perspective of, it's going to be okay. And then allowing myself to process whatever I was going through in that week. And I do want to share this, because I think it's important. As a part of that divorce, I was going to a 12 steps program for codependency. I felt a lot of shame, and I felt a lot of... I was not in a good place.
So, being outside made me feel better. I felt really good processing my stuff out there. So, I think because I was going through so many different things in that moment, nature really did help me to heal. And that's why it wasn't that difficult. Once I committed, I was just like, "Being outside is really helping me, and I wonder what else can happen from that?"
Shelby Stanger:
I really appreciate you sharing your vulnerability with us. Did you have any low points in that first year, as far as hiking went?
Karla Amador:
I think it was around hike 20, and we opted to go hike Mount San Gorgonio.
Shelby Stanger:
Sorry. That's a big one.
Karla Amador:
It's a beast.
Shelby Stanger:
How big is it? So the listeners know -
Karla Amador:
Oh, my gosh. It's like 13,000 feet or something. It's like a 20-mile hike. I don't have my stats right, but it's up there. And I had been training these 52 hikes, right? I'd done 20 hikes, I'd done a 10-mile hike. I was feeling good about myself at this point. But I had never pushed myself. I think I had even done Mount Baldy before, but I hadn't pushed myself to do a 20-mile hike.
Shelby Stanger:
Wow.
Karla Amador:
I think about halfway in, I literally was like, "Okay." I remember the first step of the program, because it's kind of funny, because it goes hand in hand, and it's surrender to a greater power, or something. And I'm up there, and I'm just like, "All right. I've never done this before, but I want to get to the summit, and I'll surrender, but please help me get up there, like God, or universe, whatever I'm supposed to surrender to."
But honestly, I was in a lot of pain at this point. I was starting to feel like the altitude is hitting me. I'm tired, my feet hurt. I was new, so I was breaking in new boots on this trail, which is the worst thing you could do.
So, I get to the summit, and then I'm crying all the way down, because I'm like, "My feet hurt. I'm so dumb. Why am I up here? You could be doing something else." It was just the negative dialogue is going. But I made it down.
A couple days later, I'm sitting on the couch, and I had this clarity come through like, "Wow, look at how negative. No wonder your life isn't working. Look at how badly you talk to yourself." That was huge. And I was like, "I'm not going to do that anymore. I really need to start changing that inner voice."
Shelby Stanger:
As Karla continued to hike, her confidence levels grew, and so did her capacity for self-compassion. In October of 2014, just 10 months after she started her journey, Karla completed her 52nd hike. She decided to create her own graduation ceremony to celebrate how far she'd come.
She picked a hike that 10 months ago would've been incredibly intimidating, Mount Whitney. Located in eastern California, Mount Whitney is the highest mountain in the lower 48 States, standing at 14,505 feet.
Hikers often start before sunrise, and the ascent usually takes around eight hours, with an elevation gain of 6,000 feet from the trailhead up to the summit. After thinking it over, Karla acquired the permit, and set out to make it to the top.
Karla Amador:
So, I get the permits, we drive up, and we were going to start really early, around 3:00 or 4:00 in the morning, because it is, I think Mount Whitney is also a 20-plus mile hike, and it's up at 14,000 feet. So, we start up around 4:00 in the morning.
In the beginning, everything was great, right? You're like, "I'm pumped, I'm ready. I've done the training. I've done my 52 hikes." I think somewhere along the lines, you start going up the 99 switchbacks, and you're just like, "Man, I'm starting to get tired."
But one of the things that would always come to me when I was exhausted, was just, "Take that step in front of you. Just one step at a time." That was always a little inner voice. And so, we get to what's called Trail Crest, which I think is about two miles before you hit the summit. I remember telling my partner at the time, "Go ahead and go in front of me, and I'll meet you up at the summit."
And so, he left, and I had this alone time with myself these last two miles. And I really did have a spiritual experience. It was very powerful. So, I remember hiking for about a mile, and all of a sudden I just stop. I felt like I was having a walk with God, the universe, just very clearly. And I hear, "You will never suffer the way you've suffered again." And I felt all this shame and pain lift off of me.
It was so profound, that I hiked the rest of the way crying, in tears, because I knew it was true. And I get to the summit, and my partner at the time is up there, and I'm just drenched in tears. And I'm like, "I'm not crying because this is hard. I'm crying because I feel like I've just been released from years of pain." I mean, I'm just crying up there, like snot and tears. It was very powerful. It was life-changing.
Shelby Stanger:
Karla signed the log at the summit of Mount Whitney, and started the trek down. On her descent, she thought about how much positivity and how much self-love she had gained from this 52 hike challenge. She came to the conclusion that she needed to share this journey with as many people as she could.
In 2014, Karla Amador set out on a mission to go on 52 hikes in a year. Spending time in nature was healing for her. She learned how to push her own physical limits, and how to take care of her mental health. The project was so powerful, that she decided to share the idea with the world.
It sounds like you really decided to share it with the world in a bigger way after Mount Whitney. But I'm curious, during that year, who did you share this with?
Karla Amador:
So, Instagram was just getting started at the time, and I actually was posting most of my hikes at the time. And I was just like, "I'm working on this 52 hikes thing." But I wasn't really like, "People should do this." It was just like, "I'm doing this thing." And people would sometimes ask, they'd want to get together, and I'd be like, "Let's go for a hike together. I'm working on this project."
So it wasn't a thought at that point, to bring it out into the world to help other people to get outdoors, and do this project for themselves. And like I said, that inner, "If I could heal so deeply," I was kind of like, "Who else could heal?" Or, "Who else could gain something from this?"
And so, I had a logo made. And was like, "Let's put this out there. Let's get more people to do this." And I was like, "Hey, I did this thing. It can help you. Here's the logo you can use. Join the community." And in 2015, we had our first cohort, I would almost call it, of people who really believed in it.
We had some friends that were kind of influencers at the time, and we were like, "Hey, would you help us spread the word?" And they did. But ultimately, people just started getting outside, and I think they just saw it for themselves. They were gaining the physical, mental, spiritual, emotional benefits, through being outside.
And then before we knew it, people were starting to gather using our hashtag, and meeting friends, and then we had created all these... We had a blogger website, and we would post little information on how to be safe. And we created, literally, with the community, people started sharing things like, "Oh, I created a log."
So then we were like, "Can we use it? Can we share it with the community?" And they were like, "Yes." And someone built us a website. It was the weirdest, but also things do come together when you are on the path. And it just kind of really took off like wildfire.
Shelby Stanger:
So, what is the 52 Hike Challenge in 2025?
Karla Amador:
So, in 2025, we are celebrating our 10-year anniversary. And basically, people can come onto our website and basically sign up and commit to a hike a week for a year. When they sign up, they get basically a log to log all of their hikes. They get guidance on how to find hikes. They get access to our communities, which we have Facebook chapters all around the nation. And they can share their journey on there.
We provide a ton of resources, blogs, and videos, and educational monthly meetings. And yes, there is a podcast. We have different programs and coaching. We have a hiking one-on-one course.
So, we're really just trying to help people to commit to this idea, this hike a week for a year, to change your life, mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, whether you're connecting with yourself, your friends, your loved ones, or you're taking your dog outside on a hike.
And we also have an adaptive edition of it, so if you can't hike, you can sit out in nature for 30 minutes, and count that as your hike. So, we really want to make it accessible for people to really make the outdoors a lifestyle.
Shelby Stanger:
The 52 Hike Challenge encourages participants to go on 52 hikes in a calendar year. It doesn't necessarily have to be weekly, but each hike needs to be at least one mile. On their website, you can find resources like logs to keep track of your hikes, information about what to bring with you, so you're prepared for anything. And links to local chapters, if you want to find folks to hike with in your area.
Thousands of people have completed the challenge, and some of them have even come together to travel to some bucket list hiking locations, Karla included. This past year, she brought a group of hikers from the community all the way to Mount Kilimanjaro, in Tanzania.
Karla Amador:
So, 14 of us went from the 52 Hike Challenge community, and pretty much everyone attempted the summit on summit day, and 13 of us made it. And the oldest was 76, I think?
Shelby Stanger:
Amazing.
Karla Amador:
And the youngest was 21. And it was so incredible. We were together in Africa for almost two weeks. It's so cool to see this group come together, and work on a goal. That was one of my big goals in life, was to climb one of the seven summits, and Kilimanjaro was it. I was like, "When else am I going to go to Africa?" And to bring a group up there to experience that with, who are all there because of 52 Hike Challenge was just really, really powerful.
And so, yes, I summited, but we had extreme weather conditions, like three days of pouring rain. Winter conditions on summit day. It was so crazy. Yeah, I'm very thankful I made the summit, but it was really, really, really hard.
Shelby Stanger:
You've talked about being gentle on your journey, and I'm sure that's evolved over the years. What does that mean to you?
Karla Amador:
So, at first, when that woman who came in my life, when I was in that difficult moment in time during my divorce, she said, "You need to be gentle with yourself." I actually had no clue what she was talking about. I really did grow up in a household that was very critical.
I didn't really know how to really encourage myself in life, in a way that was like, it's okay if you make mistakes. And so, I learned that lesson in 2014. And especially with doing the 52 hikes, and just kind of stopping that negative dialogue, and being kinder to myself.
And throughout the years, it's when I make mistakes, it's not holding myself up in this anger, or frustration, or disappointment. But going like, "Okay. You made a mistake. Let's do better. How can we do better next time?" And can I forgive myself for what I didn't do well, or for what I didn't do, or didn't say?
And so, I think, for me, being gentle means just having a lot more grace and compassion and forgiveness for myself and others. And knowing that we're human, and we all make mistakes. At the end of the day, I think we're all really trying the best we can.
Shelby Stanger:
Any hiking tips, if you're just starting out?
Karla Amador:
Okay. First, I would look at my local resources, in terms of, do I have friends that I know hike? And I would actually reach out to those friends and say, "Hey, I would really like to go for a hike. Would you be willing to take me?"
If that's not available, you can go to your local REI, and you could just say, "Hey, I'm new to town. Do you have any recommendations for some easy beginner hikes that you recommend?" I also really love State parks, because they have, a lot of times, docent-led programs. It's a hike that's led by a...
Shelby Stanger:
A volunteer.
Karla Amador:
Yeah. A volunteer. And so then, you don't go on your own, right? You're going with someone, you're not going to get lost. So you can kind of take away the first barrier, which is that fear, that a lot of people face.
Another option is like meetups. You could go on Meetup.com, and see what local hikes are happening. And I would just say, when you're starting out, try to go for an easy hike. So, I would just say, start with a hike that's less than three miles. Go to a local park that's well-marked.
There's so many hikes probably within a one-hour distance to where you live. One of the greatest resources that I love, is AllTrails, because it's really helped me to find hikes, and I can sort by length and distance.
Shelby Stanger:
Yeah, it's really good advice. Smart. How about winter hiking? I mean, you're new to New Mexico, but it snows there. It can get cold.
Karla Amador:
Yes.
Shelby Stanger:
Any tips?
Karla Amador:
I have actually lots of experience now with winter hiking, because I've taken many courses, going back to the educational component of it. But I've taken snow travel courses, and they teach you how to use like ice ax and crampons, and travel in snow, and all of that.
And moving here has been, of course, I'm learning more and more each day. You really learn when you're putting yourself out there. But having good footwear with insulation, I think, is one of the top things. Invest into a good pair of winter hiking snow boots that are waterproof, or at least water-resistant. Invest in a good pair of traction devices. I think that's really important, along with your trekking poles with snow baskets.
And obviously, look at the weather. Always really important. It's not worth your life. If a storm is coming in, don't put yourself in that situation. So, learning that, I just did a newsletter this week, where I'm like, "Mountainforecast.com is awesome." It actually tells you what the weather is going to be at different elevation, and also the wind, if there's precipitation coming in, so that you're really prepared before you go out there.
That's a part of being a responsible hiker, is looking out for yourself. You really want to care for yourself, so you can hike for the rest of your days.
Shelby Stanger:
If you're looking for a way to get outside more next year, you might be interested in taking on the 52 Hike Challenge. You can find the organization on Instagram, at 52 Hike Challenge, or on their website, at 52hikechallenge.com. Karla also has a podcast about adventure, empowerment, and spirituality, called Rise & Wander. You can find it wherever you listen to podcasts.
If you like this episode, we have a lot of great episodes about hiking. Check out our interview with Shanti Hodges, founder of Family Hiking Organization, Hike It Baby. Or, our conversation with Isabel Cautivo, about solo backpacking. And of course, there's our episode with the godfather of ultralight backpacking, Glen Van Peski. We'll link to all of those in our show notes.
Wild Ideas Worth Living is part of the REI Podcast Network. It's hosted by me, Shelby Stanger, produced by Annie Fassler, Sylvia Thomas, and Sam Peers Nitzberg, of Puddle Creative. Our senior producers are Jenny Barber and Hannah Boyd. Our executive producers are Paolo Mottola and Joe Crosby.
As always, we love it when you follow the show. Take time to rate it, and write a review wherever you listen. And remember, some of the best adventures happen when you follow your wildest ideas.