The New Hiker on the Trail
A free A2-level English story for language learners, readable online in English, with an option to listen via the free Storyteller app.
Yara joins a hiking club for the first time, worried she'll slow the group down, and finds a warm welcome instead.
Yara joined a local hiking club for her first outing on Saturday. She didn't know anyone in the group.
She arrived early and stood near her car. She wasn't sure where to go.
Other hikers arrived in small groups. They laughed and talked with each other.
Yara worried she was too slow for the group. She didn't hike much last year.
A woman waved and walked toward her. "You are Yara, right? I'm Alina," she said. "We are happy you found us."
Alina introduced Yara to five other hikers. One was a friendly man named Tomas.
"Don't worry about the pace," Tomas said. "We stop often for water and photos."
The group started up the trail together. Yara walked near the back at first, a little nervous.
After twenty minutes, Alina slowed down and walked beside her. They talked about the trail and the weather.
By the halfway point, Yara felt comfortable. She laughed at one of Tomas's jokes about his old hiking boots.
At the top, the group stopped for lunch and shared their snacks. Yara offered her trail mix to everyone.
"Same time next Saturday?" Alina asked. "We hope you come again."
Yara smiled and nodded. "I'll be there," she said. "Same boots, same trail mix."
