Hiking is an outdoor exercise and consists of walking – for fitness or pleasure-in a natural environment. We choose to hike on hiking trails, especially when we don’t know the terrain or the area we are walking in. Most hiking trails go through scenic landscape. Aside from seeing superb landscapes and visiting sights along the hiking trails, we also benefit from the effects it has on our health: keeps the weight under control, lowers the blood pressure, and improves mental health.
The word hiking is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are some differences in usage. For example, in the UK and US, multi-day hikes with camping are referred to as backpacking. Multi-day hiking in the mountains is referred to as trekking in most areas of the globe (except Europe).
The equipment needed depends on the length of the hike. For a day-hike , all you need is a backpack with water, food, good comfortable shoes for you to be comfortable standing and walking, and a map. Remember to wear good walking shoes and protect your skin from the sun.
Is there a hike or trek on your “life list” that you’ve yet to cross off?
I’ve been hiking for fitness and pleasure for the past 10 years along with camping and practicing survival skills I gathered from BUSHCRAFT & SURVIVAL Skills . And although I’ve done 22 km day-hikes, I have yet to hike on famous hiking routes such as the Inca Trail. While that’s certainly on my “life list,” a dream about to become true is to hike on the island of Ios , Greece (hopefully next summer). There are both easy , short routes and longer, more challenging routes on the island.
» This week on BootsnAll: Articles you’ll read this week include: a lovely piece on how students become teachers during a trip to Paris, information on Paris for indie travelers, an interesting piece on how and why it’s a good idea to give teens the freedom to travel, and ideas for amazing boat rides around the world.
Week 37 of the Indie Travel Challenge is all about hiking/trekking.
Is there a hike or trek on your “life list” that you’ve yet to cross off?
Don’t forget to add your blog posts to the main Indie Travel Challenge page – and be sure to include a picture when you do (we love pictures!).
The Indie Travel Challenge is a year-long blogging project. Every Monday, we’ll post a new prompt, question, or challenge that bloggers can respond to via text, photos, or video. Respond on your own blog, and link back to BootsnAll so we can find and highlight the best submissions.
Check out the Indie Travel Challenge landing page for all information related to the event. You can see the week’s daily prompt, follow the hashtag on Twitter, share your posts, and check out submissions from around the world.
Read more about hiking and trekking:
- 8 Fabulous Mountain Peaks in Eastern Europe for Less Experienced Hikers
- Asia’s Most Incredible Treks
- The Lazy Traveler’s Guide to Trekking
- Hiking the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: An Experience Like No Other
- 8 Tips for Trekking Responsibly
- 8 of the Most Unique Walking Paths in the World
- 10 of the Best Places to Hike in the United States
- 10 Awesome Treks that (Almost) Anyone Can Do
Photo by Cristina Puscas and may not be used without permission (Hiking to Siria Citadel, Romania, 2011)