View Full Version : Is a woman or man most likely
to complete an intended thru-hike??
I would guesstimate that 20-25% of starters(of intended thru-hikes) are women.
Somebody estimated that only 10% of those completions are acomplished by women.
Thus, either one(or both) of us is wrong in our estimates, or men are more likely to complete the trek than women.
Almost There
11-11-2005, 12:19
Numbers from last few years say 10-15% of starting thru's are women, and out of all hikers only about 10% of finishers are women. That being said...a higher percentage of women finish than of men.
Wolf - 23000
11-11-2005, 12:32
Lobster,
I'm not sure about the percentage of hikers men vs women but the number I heard from ATC is 17% of the AT thru-hikers who finish are women.
Wolf
It's my observation pound-for-pound, women are stronger hikers than men.
TJ aka Teej
11-11-2005, 12:57
to complete an intended thru-hike??
The most successful demographic is Southbound females.
It's my observation pound-for-pound, women are stronger hikers than men.
I'd have to agree with this based on my PCT experience: While there were far fewer women hikers than men, they were usually fairly strong. On the AT, I didn't hike with any women for any appreciable stretch of time. On the GDT, I met two other thruhikers, both of them women. Both finished.
i have met some really strong lady hikers out there that zoom right past me:cool: neo
Jack Tarlin
11-12-2005, 14:55
The idea of thru-hiking generally appeals to driven, goal-oriented people, and for any number of reasons, I think this describes most women long-distance hikers. I think they're also less likely to thru-hike as a lark, less likely to be wild partiers, less likely to fall in with a group of similarly-minded folks. Women hikers tend to be more serious hikers, and as a result of taking the trip more seriously, in my opinion, are more likely to complete it. The more committed one is to the trip, the better one's chances of finishing it.
Almost There,
"
Numbers from last few years say 10-15% of starting thru's are women, and out of all hikers only about 10% of finishers are women. That being said...a higher percentage of women finish than of men."
That makes no mathematical sense!!! If only 10% finished and 10-15% started, that makes an individual woman less likely to finish than a man. Of course, they would be equally likely to finish if 10% of the starters were women.
Who is more likely to ask innane questions day after day? Questions that do little to aid or contribute to the thru-hiking community? Who is more likely to stir the pot just for the sake of stirring? Women or Lobster?
Lumberjack
11-13-2005, 09:35
Who is more likely to ask innane questions day after day? Questions that do little to aid or contribute to the thru-hiking community? Who is more likely to stir the pot just for the sake of stirring? Women or Lobster?
C. Java
..........
I wonder how left-handed hikers match up against right-handed?
justusryans
11-13-2005, 10:53
women tend to have more stamina then men, men tend to be stronger than women. these are generalities, not absolutes.
Men have more intelligence!!!
Mouse, I don't know about completions, but there is a higher percentage of lefties out there than in the general public. That is probably because we are, as Jack said, "goal oriented, driven people".
Jack Tarlin
11-14-2005, 20:20
Speaking as someone who's mainly left-handed, I'm not sure there's much to the argument about how we're such remarkable folks....
There have been some extraordinary southpaws thru the years, be let's keep things in perspective:
Noted religious figure St. Joan of Arc was left handed.
But then, so is Pat Robertson.
Charlie Chaplin, Steve McQueen, Marilyn Monroe, W.C. Fields, and Robert de Niro are noteworthy leftie entertainers.
But so was Telly Savalas.
Famous humanitarian Albert Schweitzer was a southpaw.
Along with Billy the Kid, John Dillinger, the Boston Strangler, and Jack the Ripper.
Gandhi was left-handed.
But so is Fidel Castro.
Aristotle wrote with his left hand.
As did Friedrich Nietzsche.
Robert Plant and Paul McCartney did their strumming as lefties.
So did ukelele star Tiny Tim.
The father of American liberty, Thomas Jefferson, was reputedly left-handed.
Along with J. Edgar Hoover.
And lastly, artists Durer, Holbein, Raphael, DaVinci, and Michaelangelo all painted with the "Devil's Hand."
Well, yeah, and so does Leroy Neiman.
In short, while in this one respect at least, I veer to the left, one probably shouldn't read too much into this.
Oh, and speaking of veering left, of course Bill Clinton is a southpaw.
But you know what......so was Reagan!
I love it, Jack! Glad to be in such good company.
Ramble~On
11-15-2005, 07:14
You have done your math..but Robert Plant sang he didn't strum.
Since it's your birthday I guess this can't be held against you