Choosing the Right Hike For You

Everybody goes hiking for different reasons. Some people go for the views they receive at the end of the hike, some guys for the exercise; others go because it gets them out and about. Some people just go because they want a family activity and they have identified that they enjoy nature. The reasons vary from person to person, but there are a few things to bear in mind when selecting a destination.

Defining a hike.

Not only is it a figure of speech (i.e. wow, that’s a hike!) to infer something that is quite some distance away, but it also has its own Merriam-Webster and Oxford dictionary definition. Different people view it in different ways, but it is generally referred to as being a large span of distance that is walk with intention. To many people, it is also used as a figure speech to mean anything that is outside the normal drivable distance. Defining what a true hike means to you as important because you will be able to go from there I decided where you want to go exactly. To quote Merriam Webster, a hike is “to rise up; especially to work upward”. As per Oxford, it is ”a long walk or walking tour”. So now, it’s time to dig into the nitty gritty details of choosing the right style of hike for you.

1) Who is coming with me?

When you establish this, hopefully it is easy to see what you are going to do from there. For instance, you probably wouldn't take your small child or infant hiking for 5 mi uphill. And personally, you and your stern hiking buddy going on a very easy trail would be too boring. As such, you must assess the skill levels and hiking competency of everybody in your hiking group, and it comes down to a few factors; previous hiking experience, level of physical fitness, their willingness to explore, how old they are, and any other underlying health complications.

Normally these things all flow in equilibrium, being with somebody who is older is usually more experienced with hiking and occasionally more physically fit. However, this might not always be the case. Good examples are Jordan Romero, who summited Kilimanjaro at age nine and Everest at age thirteen, or perhaps a couch potato who is willing to explore but not much else (and usually via the discovery channel). That being said, you can start to look at the next item of mention.

2) How much of a challenge do you want to be in for?

This kind of ties in with the other part of this post talking about the Yosemite grading system, but it deserves a mention as well. Are you in your group of people looking for a stroll in the park? Or are you looking to have a challenging hike ahead of you? This factor plays a lot into your physical fitness level, so choose wisely. What might be good for one person may not be for the next person, so it is important to know you and your groupmate’s limitations before you try anything too crazy.

3) How far are you willing to travel?

Unfortunately, a lot of hikes I attempt are dictated strictly on how far away they are. Or, inversely, they're dictated by how long the trail is. If there since we're not an issue, I would be all over the United States hiking right now. Sadly, that is not the case though. Another part of hiking is deciding how far you want to travel to reach the trail, and how far the purported destination is from the trailhead on the trail. Some things you need to plan out an entire day for, others can be done in a quiet afternoon. Either way around, make sure to make your decision responsibly and considering your energy levels. And whatever you do, make sure to bring trail mix and some sort of snack and beverage.

4) Trail Rating.

Next, you must bear in mind the rating of the trail itself. Just as I mentioned earlier, The Yosemite Decimal System was incepted for this reason. It breaks down hiking into 5 sections, as follows:

Class 1: Easy hiking with minimal elevation gain and few obstacles

Class 2: More difficult hiking, some of which may be off-trail, and may require putting your hands down for balance at times.

Class 3: Rock scrambling and/or un-roped climbing.

Class 4: Climbing with a rope and lateral ascension at parts.

Class 5: Technical climbing, mountaineering, ice picking, etc.

So not only do you have it broken down by difficulty and duration necessary for the height, but this YDS breaks it down further into things that you will encounter along the trail. Different difficulties work for different people, but I take it most people reading my blog will stay with a 3 or below, like myself. Class 5 would be something like climbing K2 with ice picks and crampons. Class 4 would be something on par with the Seven Summits and needing to climb them with poles and ropes. And then, if kind of goes downhill from there. Hah! No pun intended. Pick your hike based on the rating you think you can tolerate the best.

5) Do you like your lungs?

If the answer is yes, then stick to altitudes that are lower in hiking, particularly below 8000 feet. If the answer is no, and you feel as though you can handle altitude sickness well, then choose a hike that is above 8000. However, be aware of elevation related sicknesses and physical conditions that can occur in your body. Lake elevation related hypoxia, air bubbles potentially forming above 15000 ft, and so on. You don't need to let it scare you away from a really good hike, but it is something you definitely should be aware of.

6) What scenery are you after?

The last notion that is worth mentioning is that of scenery. There are a lot of great hikes with good scenery, although a lot of them are short. And then inversely, there are a lot of really hard ones. You need to identify what balance is right and make your judgment as such. It would also be a good idea to look at reviews and pictures from other hikers online, as it will give you a better indicator as to what the heck would be like. My blog is one of many places and what you can do just that.

I hope this post provided some insight to how you plan on choosing your next hike. Now get out there, go hiking, and enjoy yourself. You have nothing to lose and everything (and a lot of altitude) to gain!

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