Questions · Hiking

Questions to ask on a hike, one switchback at a time

Conversation starters for a hike with a friend, a partner or a small group: light ones at the trailhead, deeper ones for the long climb, a few at the summit and some for the easy walk back down.

  • 15 questions
  • EN + TL on every card
  • Free in the app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Kumustahan is a bilingual conversation card app: 1,200 questions in English and Filipino across 7 decks, with a short reflection on the back of every card.

Reflect№ 35

What helps you keep going when the next step is not clear?

Ano ang tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy kapag hindi pa clear ang next step?

Tap to flipkumustahan
A note

You do not need the whole map to keep moving carefully. Sometimes enough light for one step is still enough.

Hindi mo kailangan ng buong mapa para gumalaw nang maingat. Minsan sapat na ang konting linaw para sa isang step.

Tap to returnkumustahan

The questions

15 questions to ask on a hike

Every question in English and Filipino/Tagalog, word for word from the Kumustahan decks. Open “Back of the card” for the reflection printed on the other side.

Warming up on the trail

4 questions

Wildlife, landmarks and the routes you remember.

  1. If you could understand one kind of animal, which would you choose?

    Kung maiintindihan mo ang isang klase ng hayop, ano ang pipiliin mo?

    Back of the card

    Imagine the animal gets to ask you something too. What might it ask?

    Isipin na may tanong din sa'yo ang hayop. Ano kaya iyon?

  2. When you enter a new place, what’s one small thing you notice right away?

    Kapag nasa bagong lugar ka, ano yung isang maliit na bagay na una mong napapansin?

    Back of the card

    What you notice first can hint at what makes a place feel interesting, calm, or welcoming to you.

    Minsan clue yung una mong napapansin kung ano ang nakaka-curious, nakakapagpakalma, o nagpapagaan ng pakiramdam mo.

  3. Choose a memory power: remember every name or remember every route you have taken.

    Pumili ng memory power: tandaan lahat ng pangalan o lahat ng daang nadaanan mo.

    Back of the card

    Give your memory power a name. It can sound heroic or completely ordinary.

    Bigyan ng pangalan ang memory power mo. Puwedeng pang-hero o ordinaryo lang.

  4. Imagine a place to stay: tiny with a great view or huge but far from everything. Which do you choose?

    Isipin ang titirhan mo: maliit pero maganda ang view o malaki pero malayo sa lahat. Alin ang pipiliin mo?

    Back of the card

    Put one favorite thing in your new place. What belongs there?

    Maglagay ng isang paborito mong bagay sa bagong titirhan mo. Ano iyon?

The long climb

5 questions

Deeper questions for walking side by side, when breath is short and answers are honest.

  1. What helps you keep going when the next step is not clear?

    Ano ang tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy kapag hindi pa clear ang next step?

    Back of the card

    You do not need the whole map to keep moving carefully. Sometimes enough light for one step is still enough.

    Hindi mo kailangan ng buong mapa para gumalaw nang maingat. Minsan sapat na ang konting linaw para sa isang step.

  2. Where do you need a little more courage this week?

    Saan mo kailangan ng konting dagdag courage this week?

    Back of the card

    Courage does not always look big. Sometimes it is one honest message, one boundary, or one careful next step.

    Hindi laging malaki ang courage. Minsan isang honest message, isang boundary, o isang maingat na next step lang.

  3. Where are you spending energy that you wish you could save?

    Saan napupunta ang energy mo na sana naiipon mo na lang?

    Back of the card

    Energy is limited, even when love or responsibility is real. Noticing the drain is the first step toward caring for it.

    Limited ang energy, kahit totoo ang love o responsibility. Kapag napansin mo kung saan ka nauubos, mas maalagaan mo siya.

  4. When plans change, how do you decide what to keep, drop, or adjust?

    Kapag nagbago ang plans, paano mo dini-decide kung ano ang itutuloy, bibitawan, o ia-adjust?

    Back of the card

    Changed plans show priorities quickly. Sometimes the real answer is comfort, people, responsibility, peace, or simply energy.

    Kapag nagbago ang plans, mabilis lumabas ang priorities. Minsan comfort, tao, responsibility, peace, o energy lang talaga.

  5. Name one small hope that helps you keep going.

    Magbanggit ng isang maliit na hope na tumutulong sa'yo magpatuloy.

    Back of the card

    A small hope can still carry real strength. It may be quiet, but it is not nothing.

    May totoong lakas din ang maliit na hope. Tahimik man siya, hindi ibig sabihin wala siyang bigat.

At the summit

3 questions

Celebrating something hard, and where you feel you can breathe.

  1. After finishing something hard, how do you usually celebrate or recover?

    Kapag natapos mo ang mahirap na bagay, paano ka usually nagse-celebrate o nagre-recover?

    Back of the card

    Finishing something hard deserves a landing. Some people mark it loudly; some just need a quiet exhale.

    Kapag may natapos kang mahirap, kailangan din ng landing. May nagse-celebrate nang malakas; may tahimik na hinga lang.

  2. Where do you feel like you can finally breathe a little?

    Saan mo nararamdaman na parang nakakahinga ka na ulit?

    Back of the card

    The place does not have to be special to anyone else. If your body softens there, it counts.

    Hindi kailangang special sa ibang tao yung lugar. Kung doon ka lumuluwag, counted yun.

  3. What have you done recently that you are pleased about?

    Anong nagawa mo kamakailan ang ikinatuwa mo?

    Back of the card

    If your win had a tiny trophy, what would be written on it?

    Kung may maliit na trophy ang nagawa mo, ano ang nakasulat dito?

Walking back down

3 questions

Easy downhill talk about places, hobbies and where you’re headed next.

  1. Choose a nearby place you would like to explore with a friend.

    Pumili ng malapit na lugar na gusto mong puntahan kasama ang friend.

    Back of the card

    Imagine finding an unexpected favorite corner there.

    Isipin na may makikita kang sulok doon na magiging paborito mo.

  2. If you had one free hour every week, what hobby would you go back to?

    Kung may isang free hour ka every week, anong hobby ang babalikan mo?

    Back of the card

    A hobby you miss can point to a part of you that still wants some space.

    Yung hobby na nami-miss mo minsan tumuturo sa part ng sarili mo na gusto pa rin ng konting space.

  3. Point to one direction you feel drawn toward, even if it is not fully clear yet.

    Magbanggit ng isang direction na feeling mo tinutulak ka, kahit hindi pa fully clear.

    Back of the card

    Clarity sometimes arrives after movement. You can honor the direction without pretending you know the whole path.

    Minsan dumarating ang clarity habang gumagalaw ka na. Puwede mong i-honor ang direction nang hindi nagpapanggap na alam mo ang buong path.

How to use them

Before you ask

A hike is one of the best places for a real conversation, because you’re side by side instead of face to face, and pauses feel natural instead of awkward. The questions only need to match the trail: light at the start, deeper on the climb, quiet at the top.

Uphill is where the honest answers come. When you’re working hard and looking at the path, it’s easier to talk about where you need courage this week or what keeps you moving when you can’t see the way ahead. The trail makes those questions feel less like a big conversation and more like company.

At the summit, celebrate. Ask how you usually celebrate or recover after finishing something hard, then do it: snacks, photos, a few minutes of silence. The walk down is for easy talk and the plans you make for the next hike.

Good for

  • Day hikes with a friend
  • Couples hiking together
  • Small group trail walks
  • Long walks in the park
  • Walking meetings and walking one-on-ones

Tips

  1. Ask the deeper questions on flat or gentle stretches, not on the steepest pitch.
  2. Walk side by side if the trail allows; single file kills conversation.
  3. Leave long silences alone. On a trail, they’re part of the conversation.
  4. Save the summit question for the summit. It gives everyone a goal.
  5. Keep it to two or three people; bigger groups split up anyway.

Decks for this

Hiking

Frequently asked questions

What do you talk about on a hike?

Easy questions about the trail and surroundings at the start, deeper ones about courage and what keeps you going on the climb, a celebration question at the summit, and light plans on the way back.

Why are deep conversations easier on a walk or hike?

Walking side by side takes the pressure off eye contact, pauses feel natural, and the shared effort builds trust. Many people find it easier to say hard things while moving.

Can I use these questions without signal on the trail?

Yes. The free Kumustahan app keeps its cards on your phone, so it works out of range.

Bring a better question to the table.

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