Hiking vs walking
 

When is hiking walking and walking hiking?

Huh?

I consider walking to be on pavement, asphalt, or a well maintained path that is also handicapped accessible. Hiking involves rocks, stones, and nature along your way.

So what did Bill Bryson write about, a "Hike in the woods"?

We go for a walk into town frequently (city streets/sidewalks), but it's never a hike even if we take the 3mi loop.

But, we often go for a walk in the park, or a nature walk, or a walk in the woods.

But I agree with rizzo. The primary distinction for me is difficulty or duration - a well maintained path, or a short trek even over terrain I would call a walk. Anything that involves rocks, stones, climbing over logs, needing to pay attention to shoe tread, and bringing along water/snacks/day pack is a hike.

I have never had a rent walk.

To paraphrase a famous Supreme Court decision: I know it when I do it.

It depends on some (perhaps vague) combination of location, underfoot terrain, distance covered, energy exerted.

Hikers tell me they climb hills while walkers are already over the hill.

Dunno.

So you can either stroll or walk thru Central Park in nyc or hike it if you go uphill or off path? It's a conundrum

And does one stroll thru a pasture or walk thru a pasture or hike thru cow patties?

Since you are going to ask about hiking vs. walking, it's also worthwhile to ask about trekking. I've seen so many posts over on the Asia board, where people want to trek. It usually turns out that what they had in mind was a couple hours of hiking. By my definition, a trek involves overnight stays in homestays or "tea houses."

Or tents. Or under a tarp. I definitely think of treks as being harder and longer than hikes. I remember trying to figure out the logic this company was using.

https://www.mountainguides.is/multi-...rekking-tours/

To take it a step further (no pun intended), when does a walk become a hike and a hike become a scramble?

If you go to the Hindu Kush will it be a short walk, as suggested by Newby?

Inakauaidavidababy, you have asked one of life's unanswerable questions.

For us, a hike is not on flat ground and involves rocks, tree stumps, and switchbacks. A hike also has measurable elevation change. A scramble means I have to use all four limbs to climb over obstacles on the trail. I love to hike and scramble, and DH and DS do that as well as mountain climbing. I have technically climbed mountains but I stick to the ones where I don’t need to rope up or use an ice axe.

I would add that with scrambles there may be no trail. Often there is scree, which I cannot stand. Literally, it makes me sceem.

Xcountry—yes, scree aka one step up, slide three steps back. I swear the first time I climbed the South Sister I was never going to make it to the summit due to scree.

If I put on my hiking shoes, it's a hike. If I put on my walking shoes, it's a walk. Simple.

Mms well at least you made it up. For the first time in my hiking/trekking/scrambling/walking career last year I told our sons to go ahead without me on a climb in Newfoundland as I knew I would get irritated with the endless scree.

I remembered reading this article:

https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-matters...-heart-attacks

.. and told them I am going to be kicking and tossing scree all the way to the top and then two hours after getting to the top I am going to keel over. Headline:

Scree Kills Man

xcountry--I was not going to be that close to the summit and not make it, lol! At least the scree makes it much easier to come down;)

I agree with November-moon.

Hiking boots mean hiking because you wouldn't bother if the terrain weren't rocky and covered with roots or if you didn't need crampons.

Shoes are for walking, except climbing shoes are for rock climbing.

I agree with mmms, to me, if you are "hiking", you must be going up a hill/mtn of some kind. You can't "hike" just by walking along a flat path, although I have seen people use the term hike just to mean taking a walk. I don't think walking has to be a totally flat path, it can have some gradation changes, but you aren't climbing anything. I don't agree that it has to be handicap-accessible, either. I go for a "walk" on a dirt trail through my nearby state park which isn't handicap accessible and is not paved, but I don't call it hiking. And there is plenty of nature along the way given it's a state park, but it still isn't hiking.

I can go hiking here through a forest, over beaver dams, around a bog and call it a hike even though there would be close to zero elevation change. It would definitely not be a walk.

Interesting differences around the world:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hiking

There is a whole science to grading this stuff, which is also different throughout the world.

In the US and Canada, "The Yosemite Decimal System (YDS) is a three-part system used for rating the difficulty of walks, hikes, and climbs"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yosemite_Decimal_System

Yes, scree is about the worst, with talus being next and possibly more dangerous. Another fine point distinction: scree vs. talus.

> A hike also has measurable elevation change.<

This is my opinion of the difference. One walks in a park and hikes in the hills or mountains.

wheelchair accessible hiking trails!

now that redefines things as seen on Chronicle WCVB5 tonight
watch on demand at 25:15 mark

http://www.wcvb.com/nowcast

https://crotchedmountain.org/program...ssible-trails/

redefines the discussion.

Nelson--Very true! I am very cautious on talus, and go slow enough to be careful but do not hang out there for photos and such. I appreciate when there is a trail through it, which is not always the case.

The effort one puts into it;) I wear trail shoes both hiking and walking. Never got in the habit of wearing boots, unless I know it involves rocks or creek crossings (also bloody rocks).

Normally I would define it by nature (hiking) or city (walking)...but a well kept trail in a developed national park is much easier on the joints than climbing up and down and up and down the hills and stairs of Edinburgh. So I’m going to go with “when I fear for my life going downhill and regret my life choices going uphill” as my definition for hiking.

Mms- agree the scree on S Sister is a killer. Thought they would have to bury me up there. But I made it! Only did it once though.
And coming down, I had to learn to jump and slide until my legs felt like jello. It was the fastest way down.
Long, hard day- glad I did it.

All depends on the inflection. "Hey, you, take a hike."
"I'm going for a walk, care to join me?"

I've thought about this every time someone refers to climbing to the overlook at Diamond Head as a "hike". To me, it's a walk because I don't have to be looking down/paying attention to every step I take in fear that I may kill myself. So, you can walk in a natural setting, and it's still a walk, not a hike. You can "hike" in an urban setting, but it's still really a walk. To me, real hiking involves a natural setting, rocks, roots, leaves, and other obstacles. Whether you have elevation gain or loss is just a determination of how hard the hike is, not whether it's a hike vs. a walk.

I'm surprised that no one has commented on my links to wheelchair hiking. I thought it was inspiring.

sf, I agree. When we did Diamond Head ages ago, there was a small group of Japanese ladies in skirt suits and low heeled pumps who made the "hike" just fine while carrying parasols.

NewbE, the same group was walking up Diamond Head when I was there!

LOL!

sunbum--Oh I always love to hear when someone else has done that! I have summited the SS a handful of times, and I remember once we missed the trail going back down. Ended up having to cut over to get to the trail, and omg, that was the scariest thing of my life. It was so steep, and I was so afraid I was going to send all those rocks falling. One cautious step at a time. Terrifying! But then once you get down past that area, the sense of accomplishment is so great and you are back on a high:)

Welllll....hiking is always walking, and walking is sometimes hiking. Just depends on where you're walking. ;-)

sunbum and mms I am impressed. Several people have climbed all three Sisters in one day. That would be a hike.
http://www.shredhood.org/backcountry...ers-in-one-day
The first time it was done was in 1931.

Tomfuller—DS has done two of them in one day, but he is a serious mountain climber. I am not in that league! If you can, I highly recommend doing the SS!

I have a friend who did all three in a weekend. He's the one who led me to SSister Summit. Amazing strength and endurance.

It is a hike if I can't wear flip flops.