You could literally throw a stone from my house to the local shop, yet just a few years ago I was unable to walk this distance due to having hidradenitis suppurativa (HS). At the time I had multiple, painful HS lesions in the groin and inner thighs, which made walking, even small distances, excruciatingly painful and unbearable at times. On bad days, I could barely manage to climb the stairs at home. The physical pain was bad enough but it was the emotional side that affected me most: I was losing the ability to walk, something that most of us take for granted, and this scared me.

Since then, I have had many surgeries, and have been receiving medical therapy, both of which have led to a profound improvement in my quality of life. Once my health improved I started walking and now cannot seem to stop (like Forrest Gump). I now can and do walk miles every day and although it may appear to be a minor thing to most people, it is something that gives me great pleasure. When the chance of going on a hiking holiday presented itself, I grasped the opportunity. Over the coming week I will be hiking with a group in Tegernsee in southern Germany and will report back on my travels.