Last week, alongside friends at hiked.up and in partnership with Salomon Running, our second pin was dropped, and another excuse to get people together, off our phones and out of the city for the day was on.

Our aim with pin drops is to create experiences and spaces within cities for connection through nature and creativity, deeply inspired by exploration.

We met at the pin in Covent Garden, got kitted out in the new Salomon Gravel shoe, and then headed south to an undisclosed location near Godstone, a bit of a roadtrip for a gravel run, sauna, lake dip and some yoga all at the backdrop of an old quarry, Divers Cove.

One thing we’ve been thinking about with the Pin Drops and Gravitate more broadly is the role of craft and creation within outdoor culture. At a time where we seem to consume more of our lives through our screens, making something with your hands starts to feel like its own kind of subculture, slower, more intentional, and a bit more considered.

James made us a set of custom chopping boards for the pitta workshop, off the back of carving a teaspoon for the Yorkshire Tea hike back in February. Small things, but they bring a different kind of connection to the day. He told us "the best part about creating with wood is that the beauty is already there - all I have to do is flow with the natural grain, shape it, sand it, oil it and turn it into something that will be used and admire for a long time. Using something handmade always stands apart. I know the things I make are created from quality materials, with intention and a love for the act of creating"

That's a wrap for now, big love to everyone who came down to our first London Pin Drop with hiked.up & Salomon. Yoga was led by Natalia Kiousi-Adami and the food curated by Tate Millar. With custom chopping boards provided by James Stockton at Full Circle Collective. 

Next pin is on the 11th of April so stay tuned.