MATE EXPECTATIONS

That I’ve been taking holidays that put my body and mind at the centre might have something to do with the fact that I’m departing 2018 feeling calmer and more content with myself than I ever have before. But beyond my cardiovascular and sympathetic nervous systems, I suspect something else is going on, too. Because, in the words of a cheesy postcard, it isn’t just about the memories, it’s who you make them with. Combining insights from biology, anthropology and psychology, researchers from the University of Oxford have posited that coordinated group movement – the kind that might take place on a group kayaking trip, for example – can trigger changes in brain chemistry. Not only can this boost your physical performance, but it can enhance the social bond, too. But I don’t need science to tell me what I realised months ago, bent-double laughing on a hill somewhere north of Sheffield: that when you get close to nature, you get closer to your mates. Perhaps a jaw-dropping backdrop demands big talk over small; maybe conversation flows easier on a kayak; maybe you need a bit of mud to make a bond stick. Sometimes, something is just really, really funny. But it’s reassuring to know that you’re only ever a train fare, a text and a new waterproof away from a belly laugh on a hill with your favourite humans. What are you waiting for? Grab your Berghaus, and get outside.