View Full Version : Hiking pace- to each his (or her) own
I know this may sound a little naive, maybe even stupid, but I'll ask it just the same. (This mostly applies to thru-hikes or long section hikes.) What pace and rythym do you usually hike at? I know the variables are many, such as terrain, weather, physical considerations, etc. But do you, for example, begin your day, make it a point to take a break after 2 hours, then stop for lunch for an hour, or what? Or is it hike until you have to rest, then stop? I know from taking enough long road trips I need to stop and stretch regularly. My DD and I took an around-the-country road trip last fall of over 8000 miles and we made it a point to stop after 2 hours for a rest stop (10 minute minimum) and 30 minutes for lunch unless we had a specific point we needed to be at. So maybe you can see where I'm going with this.
2mph, and I stop to smell the roses. I'll break for 2-minutes or so every hour. Usually I'll stop for an hour for lunch, then maybe 20 minutes when I'm 3 miles away from my destination.
(this was the pace for my 72-mi hike in Vermont last month... just read you meant long section hikes)
I don't have a rest stop schedule, per se, but I usually stop at the top of a steep climb, especially if it has a view, and drink some water or sports drink. I rarely sit for any length of time because I tend to stiffen up. When I'm hiking with others I'll stop with them, for social reasons, and usually regret it when I start up again. Lately I've been finding myself at the back of the group more often, but I don't mind, since I hike solo most of the time. It is nice to have others around once in a while.
garlic08
09-15-2009, 00:41
I like to get up at dawn and start walking with only a few fig newtons for breakfast while packing up. I'll stop for breakfast after the sun is up and it starts getting warm. I like to walk for about two hours between breaks, unless a real interesting place begs for a break or I get to at an important water source. In two hours, I'll usually cover 5 to 6 miles. Then I stop for something to eat, usually 15-30 minutes, depending on weather. I like to hike four or five two-hour periods in a typical day, taking a full 12 hours or more with breaks. My typical hiking day is about 24 miles.
Many Walks
09-15-2009, 10:57
It's really a good question. I believe the answer is simple - do what is comfortable for you. We (wife and I) get up early and hike at a pace averaging about 2 miles an hour. We stop every couple of hours or so for a snack (10-15 mins) usually trying to land at a nice spot. Lunch is cold and is no more than 30 mins. We go 18+ miles a day and get to a campsite in time to set up, get water, clean up, have a hot meal, secure the camp and enjoy the views before turning in. We enjoy the scenery along the way and take lots of pics, but don't really stop for long during the day. We split the gear and chores. Works for us.
bigcranky
09-15-2009, 11:34
I like to stop every hour for a ten minute break. This isn't a rigid rule, so if I'm on a long climb I will wait until the top, for example. The break might go 20 minutes every other hour, then I like to take a very long lunch break -- two hours, if I can manage it. So I'll hike 3-4 hours in the morning, take a 2 hour lunch, and hike 3-4 hours in the afternoon. I find I almost always average 2mph once all the breaks are factored in, so that makes a 12-16 mile day pass by pretty easily.
warraghiyagey
09-15-2009, 11:37
I hike where the day takes me. . . aware of my options at the end of the day, just enjoying the moments, which are plentiful. . . . :sun
Blissful
09-15-2009, 13:17
I tend to get too goal oriented and forget the smell the roses part. That's why section hiking is nice for me.
dreamsoftrails
09-15-2009, 15:44
i hike til i need another nip of whiskey or a snack. then i keep moving toward some cool spot that i know of and have chosen to camp at.
Jester2000
09-15-2009, 15:47
I tend to walk pretty fast -- 3 to 4 miles/hour, but I take a lot of breaks, usually 4 or 5 during the course of the day. Sometimes it's to eat or just sit in a nice spot, but even if neither of those is the case I take a 20 minute break every 2 hours or so.
XCskiNYC
09-15-2009, 17:18
My last AT hike was like this:
First day: 5.4 miles (got to trail late afternoon)
Second day 11.4 miles (too much)
Third day: 10.3
Fourth Day: 8.5
Usually on the trail by 0900. Tried to move fast in the morning when the energy was there. Did a kind of slow run whenever the trail would allow it, which was not that often. Tended to move pretty quickly on steep ascents because of being frustrated by their slowing me down.
Would be pretty tired by 1300. Took a lunch break between 30 to 60 minutes. Took my shoes off and lounged in flip flops. Found this very rejuvenating, especially to my feet.
Afternoon mileage would be dictated by the day's goal. The same tiredness as the late morning would return but more so. Way more so. Usually very much ready to stop by the time the final goal was reached. That's what a 34 lb pack'll do to ya. Plus cheap-a** Coleman hiking shoes.
Yes, yes, that's the kind of info I'm talking about. I will be close to if not 60 when I attempt my first thru-hike. I hope to lose a lot of this extra weight I'm now carrying to ease the strain on my knees, to not tire so quickly, and just so I'll have a better-than-average chance of completing the 2000 miles. But I definitely will not be a speed hiker. Whereas some of the young bucks might make a 15-mile day in 6 hours, I might take 8-9, but so be it. One, even if I get into decent hiking shape, I just don't want to put that kind of strain on the old bod, and more importantly, I definitely want to stop and smell the roses. Ultimately, I plan to average between 12-13 miles per day and that includes zero days, probably one a week average. If I can rip off some 20+ mile days, so much the better. Again, thanks for the input.
Jester2000
09-16-2009, 10:31
Yes, yes, that's the kind of info I'm talking about. I will be close to if not 60 when I attempt my first thru-hike. I hope to lose a lot of this extra weight I'm now carrying to ease the strain on my knees, to not tire so quickly, and just so I'll have a better-than-average chance of completing the 2000 miles. But I definitely will not be a speed hiker. Whereas some of the young bucks might make a 15-mile day in 6 hours, I might take 8-9, but so be it. One, even if I get into decent hiking shape, I just don't want to put that kind of strain on the old bod, and more importantly, I definitely want to stop and smell the roses. Ultimately, I plan to average between 12-13 miles per day and that includes zero days, probably one a week average. If I can rip off some 20+ mile days, so much the better. Again, thanks for the input.
I think the important thing about 20+ mile days is that you need to let them come on their own. My first big mile day on any hike has almost always been accidental. Do the miles you're comfortable doing at the beginning, and don't try to stick to any kind of arbitrary schedule. Hikers who push it in the beginning, thinking they have to do big mile days, are more likely to get injured (or quit 'cause it's not fun).
Listening to your body is an important thing. In my experience, older hikers seem to be better at doing this.
garlic08
09-16-2009, 11:26
Excellent post and advice, Jester. Definitely listen to your body. Jester's right about older hikers having an advantage in this.
My partner of many miles, Pickle, is now 64, and I have problems keeping up with him the long days. Often he's still going strong at 25+ miles and I'm stumbling. This summer we hiked the PNT and we had a lot of tough climbing days of 7000' vertical or more. A few times after we summitted he'd smile and say, "I couldn't have done this when I was in my twenties." Meaning he wouldn't have known how to pace himself and he'd burn out early in the day, or in the long term on the trip. So there is some hope for the rest of us. Best of luck.
Rain Man
09-16-2009, 11:40
My DD and I took an around-the-country road trip ....
What's a "DD"?
When I'm hiking, the first part of hiking after starting or after any stop is always the worse. After a bit, I get into a groove and feel I can go and go. Therefore, personally, stopping every hour would not be efficient for me.
I try to drink and munch on food (M&MS, nuts, power bar) as I hike, so usually I'm not stopping due to hunger. I will stop for nice views, to lie in the warm sun, to sign a shelter register, for lunch, and if my body tells me it's time (which may or may not be once in the morning and/or in the afternoon).
I try to adjust my pace so that even climbing mountains I don't have to stop to rest. Usually, if I have to stop to catch my breath, then I'm hiking too fast, pushing it too much for me.
I plan on a 2mph pace, adjusted for climbs and stops.
Rain:sunMan
.
XCskiNYC
09-16-2009, 23:43
What pace and rythym do you usually hike at?
I did not keep really careful stop/start/break times but from the available data my pace seems to have been about 1.2 to 1.4 MPH.
What's a "DD"?
When I'm hiking, the first part of hiking after starting or after any stop is always the worse. After a bit, I get into a groove and feel I can go and go. Therefore, personally, stopping every hour would not be efficient for me.
I try to drink and munch on food (M&MS, nuts, power bar) as I hike, so usually I'm not stopping due to hunger. I will stop for nice views, to lie in the warm sun, to sign a shelter register, for lunch, and if my body tells me it's time (which may or may not be once in the morning and/or in the afternoon).
I try to adjust my pace so that even climbing mountains I don't have to stop to rest. Usually, if I have to stop to catch my breath, then I'm hiking too fast, pushing it too much for me.
I plan on a 2mph pace, adjusted for climbs and stops.
Rain:sunMan
.
Sorry, that's "Dear Daughter".
I'm really terrible. I start hiking at 6 am and many times won't even stop until 6 pm or later. I walk about 2.5 miles an hour. I'll eat when it's downhill. I'll drink when there is a creek. I'll stop to relieve myself and I'll stop to chat with people, but that's about it. I'm a mean taskmaster to myself.
At first this summer I carried lunch I had to stop, sit down and fix. That was a really good idea. I can do the same amount of miles whether I stop for lunch/rest or not. The thing is, if the mosquitoes are terrorizing me or it's raining, I don't want to stop. So my sit down lunches went out the window after about a month.
IMHO (and this is just me, mind you)
I have found that even on short day hikes, regular rest is absolutely essential for me. By that, I mean I need to at least pause on a somewhat frequent basis, especially on long uphills or if the weather is very warm. This may be nothing more than leaning against a large rock or sitting on a downed log, dropping my pack, and taking in fuel & liquids, probably no more than 15-20 minutes. I also don't like having to fix food if I'm continuing hiking afterwards; I'd much rather eat ready-made stuff and save the cooking for after the day's hike. If I don't take the regular rest, I will be dragging (literally) as the day goes on and that leads me to stumble over rocks and roots and the associated hazards that goes with that.
On average, I typically move about 3mph. I'll usually stop for a few mintues every 3-5 miles or at the scenic points and grab some water or a snack. After a while, everything tends to look the same to me, so I end up cranking out the miles just to get where I'm going.
What's a "DD"?
Dear daughter? I thought for sure he was referring to a designated driver. On a related note, I may have a problem. I'm glad I showed restraint and chose not to post my observation that it must have been a very patient traveling companion indeed to be DD for a cross-country road trip.
Petr
futureatwalker
09-29-2009, 15:03
I think the important thing about 20+ mile days is that you need to let them come on their own. My first big mile day on any hike has almost always been accidental. Do the miles you're comfortable doing at the beginning, and don't try to stick to any kind of arbitrary schedule. Hikers who push it in the beginning, thinking they have to do big mile days, are more likely to get injured (or quit 'cause it's not fun).
Listening to your body is an important thing. In my experience, older hikers seem to be better at doing this.
I definitely agree with this.
I think it's important to identify your goals. If your primary goals are to 1) complete the trail, and 2) enjoy it, you have to avoid injury. For this, you've got to take what your body gives you. With age, you might walk a bit slower, and need a bit more recovery (or you might not). Who cares how fast anyone else walks?
I'm in my 40s, and run a fair bit, and what I've noticed is that I can run nearly as hard as ever, but I need a touch more recovery than a few years ago.
For backpacking, what I seem to do break the day into two hiking sessions, morning and afternoon. In the morning I like to get an early start, but I typically spend the first hour making adjustments in what I'm wearing, how my pack is sitting, etc. I like to stop for lunch - pack off and relaxed. If it's buggy or cold though, it won't last long. In the afternoon I walk a good stretch, and am generally starting to feel tired by 4 or 5. With several weeks on the trail, I'm sure, this tiredness would come later.
Best of luck with your preparation!
I think it all depends on you're comfort level. I saw way too many NOBO young 'uns start off way too fast then pay the price soon afterwards. Pace yourself and before you know it you'll be strong as an ox. My short stubby legs were able to achieve a 2.5-3 mph pace.
Ron Haven had the best advice. He said there were 3 things that would get you off the trail quicker than anything:
1- Carrying too heavy a pack
2- Hiking fast, trying to catch up to a hiker that walked faster than you did
and
3- Failing to take a day or two off every week to rest your legs
Good Luck!
I've hiked a 26 mile day in 8 hours and a 4 mile day in 10 hours. I stop when I feel like and for how long I feel like. Some of my most fun hikes have been the slower ones.
The Weasel
10-01-2009, 19:05
I don't think I'm much different than many, but I'll put it in my own terms as I've kept in my mind:
- I almost always walk at 2.25 mph while moving
- I take 5 min off every hour (any longer and my muscles tighten up and its 10 min or more before they loosen up again)
- I stop to eat every 3 hours (two "lunches" usually PowerBars) with dinner last, soemtimes walking after
- My effective speed is about 1.6 mph from start of the day to when I stop.
TW
shelterbuilder
10-01-2009, 19:40
I can usually manage 2 to 2.5 MPH during an average day. I take too long to get going in the morning though, and always feel like I "have to catch up"!
I'll take a few minutes "when I feel like it" (long climbs, hot days, etc.), but I try to have a real "rest stop" a least every 2 hours. Lunch time is a "pack-off, boots-off, up-in-the-hammock" break of 30 to 45 minutes, and my afternoon rest stop is usually a hammock break, too (sometimes this turns into a short nap, but that's okay).
And here's a trick that you might have heard already - try to get your breathing "in sync" with your steps. I've found that the miles seem to fly by when I do this. On easy, flat terrain, one breath (in or out) for every four steps (left, right, left, right) is good for me. But on the hills (up or down), this changes to one breath for every two steps (left, right). I'm NEVER starved for oxygen, and mentally, this drops me "into the zone" faster than anything else I've tried.
Dear daughter? I thought for sure he was referring to a designated driver. On a related note, I may have a problem. I'm glad I showed restraint and chose not to post my observation that it must have been a very patient traveling companion indeed to be DD for a cross-country road trip.
Petr
Petr,
Unrelated to the topic, but relative to my comments, I have always tried to spend time with my girls (I have 2) as I hear way too many stories about Dads being not much more than an ATM; ie, I wanted to be a Daddy and not just a father. So we conceived the idea of seeing the country together, just she (my oldest) and I. So after many months (make that years) of planning, last September we rented a car and circled the USA; 8,000+ miles in 17 days. We went to the Arch, Denver, th Great Salt Lake, Seattle, San Fran, the Grand Canyon, and many other places. A once-in-a-lifetime trip. EXCEPT, I get to do it again with the younger one in a few years! Lucky me! Memories forever!
Jester2000
10-02-2009, 11:49
And here's a trick that you might have heard already - try to get your breathing "in sync" with your steps. I've found that the miles seem to fly by when I do this. On easy, flat terrain, one breath (in or out) for every four steps (left, right, left, right) is good for me. But on the hills (up or down), this changes to one breath for every two steps (left, right). I'm NEVER starved for oxygen, and mentally, this drops me "into the zone" faster than anything else I've tried.
Syncing my breathing to my walking is one of the things that allows me to move quickly uphill without having to do any recovery at the top. Good point!
No one mentioned the "rest step" for steep uphill?
re. Seattle Mountaineers: Freedom of the Hills.
Basically, you do not transfer weight until fully transferring weight to the front, e.g. you walk much like a bum, that is, having a somewhat flat-footed "foot placement". Not much heel-and-toe.
That, and "synchronizing breath" works for me. Two to four weeks prior, I also walk/"trot" alternately twice around a cinder track at the high school or college, then, go "cross-country" doing the same. That way, I get further before my "second breath" has to kick-in.
On the trail: My day begins with early wake-up, breakfast-in-bed (sleeping bag) followed by breaking camp quickly (an advantage of lightweight backpacking) and walking until I hit "second wind". I get a 10-minute break "reward" perhaps removing my pack but practically every time "hydrating" by alternating either full-strength juice or dilute 4:1 or 5:1 juice to water, "chased" with 100% water, altogether usually 4 ounces.
I then, have more frequent "breaks" during the entire day, either removing my pack or not, and stopping, or not, for snacking my "lunch" and "hydrating". I suit myself.
While walking and while having "breaks" I look around, frequently looking from where I came because it all looks different from the other direction. I "orient" myself often to map and compass, if only so I can tell about where and what I have seen. Some people write notes in their journal, while enroute.
Darkness arrives earlier, and quickly, in the high mountains, and so, by afternoon (before 3PM) I am looking again at my map (from the night before) and looking at my surroundings for a likely place to camp.
I set up camp early to enjoy my surroundings, or, I put it all off until the last moments to bivy and move on quickly.
Day after day is like that, only I never have two days in a row alike.
The terrain changes. The challenges change.
I take pictures.
I take time for more "gourmet" meals.
I had to do a rescue, once, of an athlete. It was up from Moraine Lake, Banff, Alberta, Canada. He was a runner.
He was cramping up, walking. He was near panic. He wanted to run.
I said, "You run up ahead to the next junction in the trail. Either wait for me, or run back, whatever suits you depending on how you feel." and "Don't decide to take a trail without me. I know the terrain. I will decide which trail".
I mention this, because a "runners" "conditioning" is quite different.
I hike slow and take a lot of breaks. The fastest I hike is 2 mph, and the terrain has to be completely flat and free of rock, root, and mud. Anything else and I hike a ton slower. I'm the slowest hiker I've ever met.
If I have a higher mileage day in mind, I hike for 2 hours and then take a 10 minute break, repeat.
I usually eat every 2 hours on the trail.
I have no question in my mind that I will definitely be slow (hey, I'm an old man and will be that much older when I do try my thru-hike;). Whereas some of you young bucks will rip off a 15-mile day in 5-6 hours, it may take me 9-10. But it's just the way I am and I will have to accept it. Should, after being on the trail a month, I find that I too can do 15 in about the same timke, so much the better.
Old Grouse
10-03-2009, 10:22
Keeping to your own pace is much easier, of course, if you have a solo hiker's mentality; you're less likely to feel the need to keep up or catch up with someone. And if you're a hammock hanger, you can stop for the night just about anywhere and set up a comfortable camp.
Roughin' It
10-04-2009, 14:33
i am from salisbury, NC
cowboy nichols
10-04-2009, 19:46
First 56 ain't old!!!!! When I was much younger everything was a contest to go faster ,farther and so on. later I learned that slower was better. Some times I push a little just to keep seeing what I can do but mostly I hike just for fun and really don't care how fast or far I go. Most trails I hike are remote and rarely many people so I can camp (tent) just about anywhere. I have enjoyed the times I was on the AT but there always seem to be to many people .I still plan to end to end but I may be the slowest ever to finish.
warraghiyagey
10-04-2009, 19:48
First 56 ain't old!!!!! When I was much younger everything was a contest to go faster ,farther and so on. later I learned that slower was better. Some times I push a little just to keep seeing what I can do but mostly I hike just for fun and really don't care how fast or far I go. Most trails I hike are remote and rarely many people so I can camp (tent) just about anywhere. I have enjoyed the times I was on the AT but there always seem to be to many people .I still plan to end to end but I may be the slowest ever to finish.
:sun:sun:sun
Can't wait to hear your stories. . . . when ya get up to the northeast let me know and we'll bring ya some magic. . . :)
Cowboy,
I may not seem old to you, but I can remember our first TV; a real nice wood-burning model that we listened to Washington's fireside chats on!:D I know I'm not old compared to some, but I will have to listen to the old bod more than some. But I do hope just to finish, irregardless as to whether or not it takes me one year or 20. Just hope they have that wheelchair ramp up Katahdin finished by then!