Creating a Welcoming Space for Everybody to Connect with Nature: A Conversation with Chub Rub Hiking Club

Meet Janelle (she/her) and Jahnine (they/them), creators of Chub Rub Hiking Club, a hiking group based in Southern Ontario that focuses on accessible and inclusive hikes. We chatted with Janelle and Jahnine about their club’s activities, and why they believe making nature more inclusive is essential.

What are your favourite trail activities?

Janelle: I’m an aspiring forager and photographer, so I’m always stopping to look at growing things. It works out because I get to catch my breath, but I love nerding out on the plants and trees during our hikes.

Jahnine: I hike for my mental health more than my physical health. I love looking for the history in the forest through ancient rock formations, century-old trees and anything that shows signs of life older than humans. I try to use my rest breaks to practice mindfulness and connect to the forest spiritually.

Please describe your organization, Chub Rub Hiking Club. What is your mandate?

Our mission is to make hiking accessible for EVERYbody. We founded Chub Rub Hiking Club with the goal of creating a welcoming space for individuals of all sizes, colours, backgrounds and abilities to come together and connect with nature, free from judgement and criticism, and at a pace we can all enjoy! Our programs are for anyone, but especially for anyone who’s been intimidated by hiking, someone who doesn’t know where to start or someone who’s looking for a group of friendly hiking buddies to stay safe and have some company.

We plan and facilitate hikes with consideration to diverse physical abilities and inclusivity in both the trail selection and hike pacing. Our club is a social meet-up group, not a business, and we don’t charge membership fees or have prices attached to our events. We try to remove barriers to hiking, including helping organize ridesharing. Eventually, we would like to expand this to see club members sharing or donating lightly used gear, and a “pay it forward” program where a hiker can offer to pay admission or parking fees for another hiker to further reduce barriers to participation.

How would you describe the impact of access to trails and nature on yourselves, and the participants in your programs?

We started the club after years of hiking together. We both have experienced the profound benefits in our own bodies and mental health, and we wanted to share this with others. Our meetups are more of a social gathering than a serious hiking club, and since we don’t worry so much about pace or speed, we are able to get to know each other, laugh, connect and take in the beautiful scenery that Ontario has to offer.

What role does nature play in your lives?

Nature plays a huge role in maintaining our mental health, and we see a huge difference when we get outside. We both enjoy other outdoor activities, including camping, gardening, kayaking/canoeing and swimming.

How does being outside help to grow community?

Getting people outside and involved in the same activity or same goal immediately makes people start to make connections – be it through conversation during a hike or helping each other navigate a trickier part of the trail. It’s always amazing to see group members look out for one another along the trails or recognize each other when they come to the next hike.

What inspired you to start this group?

We both loved hiking and met up one day during the COVID-19 lockdowns for, quite literally, a mental health walk to chat and catch up. Walking outside at our own pace and chatting about our aching knees and physical limitations made us realize how much we wanted a space for people to approach hiking without fear of being left behind. We wanted to shift emphasis from distance, speed and exercise to enjoyment and connection. The name Chub Rub is pretty straightforward: you know you’re having a good hike when your thigh chub starts rubbing!

How do you feel the trail and outdoor sectors are doing in regards to being welcoming, inclusive spaces? Where do you see room for improvement?

We have definitely noticed a change in who is using trails in the last few years, but if we are being honest, there is still a lack of diversity. The “hiking influencers” on social media all tend to look the same, and as people of colour, we often don’t see ourselves reflected or represented. We rarely see plus-sized hikers or hikers with physical limitations, and we know there are trails out there that everyone can do safely. When we tell people we run a hiking club, we sometimes get sideways glances. Our hikes tend to draw a diverse crowd: queer people, plus-sized people, people of all ages and people of colour – and we absolutely love it. Knowing that we are creating a safe space for individuals and contributing to getting people outside and moving is really what it is all about.

Find out more about Chub Rub Hiking Club’s upcoming hikes and activities, including a planned trek on a section of the Trans Canada Trail, on Instagram @chubrubhikingclub, sign up for their newsletter, or check out their link.tree.