What is hiking? I think you could ask a random selection of people and get as many answers as there are people asked. For some hiking is a Sunday afternoon walk in the fells, wearing appropriate gear of course. For others it is what serious walkers do, like a trek up mountains or over difficult terrain. Then there are the very serious hikers that spend days traversing some of the most difficult places on earth, to challenge themselves and prove that it can be done. So what is hiking? The answer is that it differs from person to person but generally it is about a walk, over a fair distance, over terrain that is either challenging to that person’s capabilities or somewhere considered beautiful or pleasant to go to. Even the word hiking is interchangeable in different parts of the world. Here in New Zealand we call it tramping, in Nepal it is trekking, in UK hiking. All would agree it is an outdoor activity that anyone of any age or gender can do that does require a certain amount of equipment; which I will cover in more depth in a later post. In New Zealand we are blessed with some of the most beautiful terrain in the world that just lends itself to being travelled upon. For me, what is hiking? I tend to subscribe to the point of view that tramping/hiking is a day or overnight walking activity that takes place on charted or recognised paths and trekking is about a longer time frame over uncharted or wilderness areas. What is your opinion?
hikingwithdavid 