For our third date, we spent 12 hours hiking. It was way better than dinner, and we're still together 2 years later.

"I used to find dating quite fun: the flurries of excited texts, first-date nerves, debriefs with friends, and endless dinner reservations. But, by 2024, drawing chairs at restaurants had started feeling stilted - boring, even. I wanted to quit the "speed dating" experience and, to be honest, enjoy my food in peace. I was craving adventure, novelty, and the opportunity to fast-track an evaluation of someone's character."

"Greg had floated the idea of hiking a peak in the Yorkshire Dales National Park: Whernside, Ingleborough, or Pen-y-ghent. They are located in such close proximity that they're often hiked as part of the " Yorkshire Peaks Challenge," he'd explained. The goal was to hike all three - about 25 miles - in under 12 hours. My ears had perked up at "challenge," and I was instantly sold. Forget dinner or just one easy stroll: I wanted to complete all three."

I used to enjoy dating rituals, but by 2024 restaurant dinners began to feel stilted and boring. I wanted novelty and a faster way to evaluate character, so on a third date I proposed a 12-hour hiking challenge. Greg suggested Whernside, Ingleborough, and Pen-y-ghent as part of the Yorkshire Peaks Challenge, roughly 25 miles to be completed in under 12 hours. The idea appealed as a test of compatibility under fatigue and adventure. We left early the following Saturday at 4:30 a.m. for Chapel-le-Dale, and I felt nervous about spending a prolonged period with a stranger while my best friend had my location.

Read at Business Insider