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The beginning hiker

Progressive access helps planners to slowly and systematically increase the length and difficulty of hikes

June 20, 2020

 

Whenever we are considering increasing the effort required for a hike, we aim for a comfortable challenge.  In other words, we want to increase the effort meaningfully, but not so much as to make our hiker uncomfortable.  Each hiker (like each one of us) is different...when faced with a challenge, some rise enthusiastically, and others unwillingly.  In this step, we discuss how to account for the factors that beginner hikers are likely to encounter.  In a later step, we discuss how to account for factors that more adventurous hikers are likely to encounter.

 

Calculating Effort

One point for each 1/2 mile segment

For each 1/2 mile segment, add points for:

  • Average slope greater than 1:20
  • Multiple steep sections
  • Uneven surface, with obstacles
  • Narrow trail

Consider adding a point overall when hiking in bad weather

Wet winter day on the Trolley Trail

Walking with Cooper at Marshall Mill House

Key definitions

A wide trail has a 5' tread width to allow a hiker and partner to walk side by side

A stable, even surface includes few muddy patches or rocks/roots projecting up more than 2 inches

A natural surface has not been improved (like a dirt trail) AND maintained (like an old road now with rocks of roots in it).

Build capacity a half mile segment at a time

Beginning to calculate the Effort required

Steps for the Beginner Hiker

1. Can your hiker walk a longer, flat paved trail?

Consider the length of flat, hardened trail completed in the previous step as your baseline effort.We calculate initial effort from the baseline described earlier: was our hiker able to comfortably complete  a half mile (one point)? A mile (two points)?  A mile and a half (three points)? Plan to increase the expected effort  from an established baseline one point at a time.  For hikers who struggle to reach a half-mile, you might consider consider aiming to increase length 1/4 mile at a time until you get up to completing one mile in less than 60 minutes. Before moving on to the next step - more difficult paved trails - aim to establish a new baseline of being able to complete a 1 1/2 mile flat, paved trail in less than 90 minutes.

When have you set a new baseline effort?

When have reached a new milestone, replicate that hike at least 3-5 times over 2 trails, before you consider that your new baseline effortSo you successfully increased your hike from a half mile to a mile... does that mean you can move quickly to one and one-half miles?  No!!  It is always possible that your hiker had alot of energy that particular day, or was in a great mood that particular day. Or maybe there is something about that particular trail that they really like and that is not otherwise captured in the variables outlined below.  So to be sure that you have established a new baseline to build from, you have to repeat that experience successfully at least 3 to 5 times in a row.  For hikers who struggle to achieve that next step, you may consider establishing this baseline on at least 2 different - but comparable rails.

2. Can your hiker walk a paved trail that includes sections with a gentle slope?

Average Running Slope

Maximum Running Slope for a Section

Finally, we recognize that some sections many not fall cleanly within these categories, and so we allow for the possibility of a half point. Consider 2 different half-mile segments with no slope (less than 1:20): one with 2 100' sections with a slope greater than 1:10 would be rated as 1, while one with 3 100' sections with a slope greater than 1:10 would be rated as a 1.5.

Effort Adjustment for each change in running slope, calculated for each 1/2 mile segment

Adjust the estimated effort by the running slope factor for each half-mile section of hikeAn advantage of this system is that GPX data available for sites like Alltrails (or collected easily from hikers), can quickly be used to identify half-mile segments that require a significant increase in effort because of the average and/or maximum slope.  Hikers might consider establishing a baseline on an easy paved  hike of at least a mile in length before moving on to a trail segment with an increased slope.  For example, a hiker who has can comfortably complete a easy easy segment a mile in length may next move on to a more difficult (i.e., 1:12 slope) hike a half mile in length.

Before moving on to the next step - easy, natural trails - aim to establish a new baseline of being able to complete a 1 1/2 mile flat, paved trail that includes at least one 1/2 mile section with a gentle slope (e.g., between 5% and 8.5%) in less than 90 minutes.

3. Can your hiker walk on an easy, natural trail?

Before moving on to more adventurous trails, aim to establish a new baseline of being able to complete a 2 mile, flat natural trail in less than 90 minutes.

4. Experiment with hiking in less than ideal weather

A sample progression

Here is an example of how a hiker with a baseline of 1 (i.e., who can comfortably complete an easy, paved trail segment a half-mile long) might progress through increasingly effortful hikes until they are ready for the next phase: more adventurous hikes that rate 6 or higher.

Effort     Options

Score

1                  Easy 0.5 mile flat, paved segment

2                  Easy 1 mile flat, paved segment

3                   Easy 1.5 mile flat, paved segment

                      OR

Gently sloped, 0.5 mile paved segment

combined with a flat 0.5 mile paved segment

4                   Flat 2 mile paved segment

                      OR

                     Gently sloped, 1 mile paved segment

                     OR

                     Flat 1 mile natural trail through a meadow

                     OR

                     Flay, 1.5 mile paved segment when the weather is not great

AND

                     Practice taking a break at a bench or table halfway through

5                   Flat 2.5 mile paved segment

                      OR

Gently sloped, 1 mile paved segment combined with a flat 0.5 mile paved segment

Get ready to become more adventurous!

By the end of this phase, you are taking 1 to 2 hour hikes on a variety of trails and under a range of weather conditions. This makes it possible for short hikes to become a year round activity. But what if you want to become even more adventurous?

Practice taking breaks

Practice evaluating how your hiker is doing while tracking your progress on a map

Taking a "break" on the Schuylkill

Accessible Trail Adventures

A blog on how to plan accessible trail adventures - walking. hiking, biking, etc - for people of all abilities.

See a summary

Or read more detailed descriptions