Originally Posted by
Just Bill
This is a subject upon which I have very strong opinions, so forgive me in advance or walk by this post at your preferred speed.
Dogwood-"BTW, if you ever get the opportunity to watch someone like Andrew, Jen, Scott Williams, or even a very seasoned efficient long distance hiker particularly when they don't know you're watching notice how they flow, hike so efficiently, almost float/glide just above the ground, and on focused purpose. My goodness it's magical watching a Skurka in the zone. I've learned much by just watching what I consider efficient hikers."
Pedaling Fool-"just put in the miles"
Lone Wolf (paraphrased)- "Why are you carrying ski poles, ain't no snow"
Malto, I have never had the privilege of watching Swami walk, something I would value more than meeting him. Perhaps though, simply said, he is better at falling than the rest of us. Something simple to say, but quite hard to master.
A simple observation of the trail itself often reveals an insight- nearly all trails dedicated solely for walking take the form of singletrack, roughly 8-12" in width and only lightly tread on the edges. These trails are worn by those used to walking the woods, and wear with near balance beam precision. This image alone should influence any hiker who considers their motion. It is also the shape of any natural path cut by any being, be they two legged or four. When all the pieces are in place, walking flows like a small stream confined by its banks.
Perhaps I give the fella more credit than he deserves, but in Lone Wolf's contrarian stance against hiking poles lies very solid advice. It is a different stride entirely, and not necessarily a good one. It is my belief that you should make every effort you can to learn to walk without them. While an experienced person like Skurka or JPD may choose to add them back in, they have the mileage in first. Matt Kirk and Scott Williamson- no poles. If they made sense, I would also like to imagine that generations of wisdom found in native peoples would have cut simple poles and taken them up if it was the more efficient motion. No matter your eventual preference, much can be gained in practicing without poles, barefoot, and walking on curbs or other balance beams found when strolling around.
This is an in-exhaustible topic for me- so much so that if you like I am happy to send you the several chapters of an unfinished book if you care to read my words. It is my opinion that there is a way to flow in the woods. Speed hiking has never been about being fast for me, but being connected, flowing, and free. Speed is merely a byproduct of that equation, but has nothing to do with the inputs of that formula.
But I will instead share here some quotes from folks who have greatly influenced my opinion and vastly improved my life-
Starting with a fella who spent much time in your beloved Smokies, and in company with travelers White, Red, Yellow and somewhere in between;
How to Walk.-
There is somewhat the same difference between a townsman's and a woodsman's gait as there is between a soldier's and a sailor's. It is chiefly a difference of hip action, looseness of joints, and the manner of planting one's feet. The townsman's stride is an up-and-down knee action, with rather rigid hips, the toes pointing outward, and heels striking first. The carriage is erect, the movement springy and graceful, so long as one is walking over firm, level footing- but beware the banana-peel and the small boy's sliding-place! This is an ill-poised gait, because one's weight falls first upon the heel alone, and at that instant the walker has little command of his balance. It is an exhausting gait as soon as its normally short pace is lengthened by so much as an inch.
A woodsman, on the contrary, walks with a rolling motion, his hips swaying an inch or more to the stepping side, and his pace is correspondingly long. This hip action may be noticed to an exaggerated degree in the stride of a professional pedestrian; but the latter walks with a heel and toe step, wheras an Indian's or sailor's step is more nearly flat footed. In the latter case the center of gravity is covered by the whole foot. The poise is as secure as that of a rope-walker. The toes are pointed straight forward, or even a trifle inward, so that the inside of the heel, the outside of the ball of the foot, and the smaller toes, all do their share of work and assist in balancing. Walking in this manner, one is not so likely, either, to trip over projecting roots, stones, and other traps, as he would be if the feet formed hooks by pointing outward.
(A few paragraphs later) The woodsman walks with a springy knee action. There is "give" at every step, and in going down-hill the knees are bent a good deal, as they are when one carries a heavy burden. It is said of the Indian, "he does not walk, he glides." No Indian glides in boots, but put him in moccasins and the word does express his silent, rythmical, tireless, sure-footed progress, an admirable example of precision of movement and economy of effort. A white man acquires somewhat the same glide after getting used to moccasins, and especially after some experience on snowshoes, which compel him to walk with toes pointed straight ahead or a little inward.
Over-Strain.-
When carrying a pack on your back, do not over-exert yourself. Halt whenever your breathing is very labored or exertion becomes painful. Nobody who understands horses would think of driving them ahead when they show signs of distress, and there is quite as much common sense in treating yourself with the same consideration, if you want to travel far. Rig your pack at the start so it can be flung off whenever you sit down for a moment's rest; it pays. But don't halt more than three to five minutes. Long halts eat up daylight; they stiffen the muscles; and they cause chills and colds. Over-exertion is particularly disastrous in mountain climbing.
Not only in marching but in other labors, go steadily but moderately. Do not chop to the point of exhaustion, nor strain yourself in lifting or carrying. A feat of "showing off" is poor compensation for a lame back.
Horace Kephart
"In walking though a primitive forest, an Indian or white woodsman can wear out a town-bred
athlete, although the latter may be the stronger man. That is because a man who is used to walking in the woods has a knack of walking over uneven and slippery ground, edging though thickets, and worming his way amid fallen timber, with less fret and exertion than one who is accustomed to smooth, unobstructed paths."
Horace Kephart, 1917 edition of Woodcraft
"A controlled pace is not about speed or distance. Instead, it is about an absence of fatigue." Ray Jardine, Trail Life
"One who is unused to long marches may get along pretty well the first day, but on the second morning it will seem as if he could not drag one foot after the other." Horace Kephart
"If the Indian were turned to stone while in the act of stepping, the statue would probably stand balanced on one foot. … his steady balance enables him to put his moving foot down as gently as you would lay an egg on the table."
H.G. Dulog- contemporary of Horace Kephart
What's important isn't what part of the foot you strike but where it strikes. It should land slightly in front of your center of mass or right underneath it. When you have a high stride rate and land with the body centered over the foot, you won't be slamming down hard, even if you connect with the heel.
Scott Jurek- "Eat and Run"
"To run far, fast, or efficiently, you have to run with proper posture. Keep your shoulders back and your arms bent 45 degrees at the elbow. Allow your arms to swing freely, but don't let them cross the imaginary vertical line bisecting your body. This will create openness in the chest, better breathing, and more balance.
Lean forward, but not at the hips. Imagine a rod running through your body from the head to the toes. Keep the rod at a slight forward angle to the ground, with a neutral pelvis. When the entire body participates, you're using gravity to your advantage. Remember, running is controlled falling."
Scott Jurek- "Eat and Run"
SPEED HIKING-
Once in a great while all the aspects of walking come together, and then I have an hour or a day when I simply glide along, seemingly expending no energy. When this happens, distance melts under my feet, and I feel as though I could stride on forever. I can't force such moments and I don't know where they come from, but the more I walk, the more often they happen. Not surprisingly, they occur most often on really long treks. On these days, I've walked for five hours and twelve miles and more without a break, yet with such little effort that I don't realize how long and how far I've traveled until I finally stop. I never feel any effects afterward either, except perhaps, a greater feeling of well-being and contentment.
Chris Townsend, “The Backpackers's Handbook”
Walking Faster aka Speed Walking
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