Cairn building is a surprisingly meditative experience that can bring you closer with the earth and community. Making a traditional or creative rock cairn can help you take your mind away from the daily grind and focus on permanence and balance.
Throughout history, different cultures have used cairns in many ways. They may have been used to mark out a route, to indicate food sources, or to warn people of danger. In North America, Native American peoples also used cairns as burial sites, a practice called inukshuk.
The word “cairn” comes from the Gaelic for “heap of stone”. They are usually constructed in the form a hill. They range in size from small rock sculptures to large man-made hills of stone, some of which are comparable to kistvaens and dolmens but built of stone rather than ephemeral earthworks.
Cairns have many uses, especially for hikers. They can guide hikers home after a long day’s hiking, or help them navigate in remote areas.
A well placed cairn Read More Here could save lives and guide a group hikers who get lost or are having difficulty finding the trail. Some people believe that cairns violate Leave No Trace principles and are not a part of nature.