Are you an experienced hiker or are you new to hiking? Either way, hiking is very accessible with many routes for you to choose from. When doing your research, you’ll notice there are different trials set by your ability, allowing anyone to take part. The difficulty can be set by many different factors – the length of the hike, the terrain, weather conditions etc. Take these
Camino de Santiago Portugues route, for example, you’ll notice they list out the distance, the route, how long the hike will be and have a list of FAQs.
If you are thinking of going on a Camino de Santiago del Norte or trying something different, below we have put together four tips for choosing the right hike for you.
Decide on the length you are comfortable with
When considering which hiking trip you want to go on, start by deciding the length you feel most comfortable with. Hikes can start from a few miles up to a couple of hundred miles and more. If you are new to hiking, you may want to start with a smaller distance and work your way up.
More experienced hikers can start at larger distances as they have the experience, muscle strength and stamina to be able to go the distances. Plus if you are new to hiking, putting yourself too far in the deep end could put you off hiking altogether.
Abroad or something local
A beautiful part of hiking is that you can travel the world, seeing many different countries. When deciding on what hike to attempt, make a list of local hikes and then bucket list hikes abroad that you would like to attempt.
Hikes abroad can be more expensive as you have the travel costs attached to them. It may be that you attempt a couple of local hikes whilst you save and then go on an abroad one as your summer holiday.
Research the difficulty of the hike
A hike isn’t just a hike, each trial has different difficulties, ideal for different hiking abilities. Research the difficulty of the hikes you are going to attempt before going. It’s good to push yourself but try not to be over-ambitious as going too hard can ruin the hike for you.
If you know a hike is particularly hard, set that as your target and work towards it over the year. That way you can feel even more proud of yourself once you complete it.
Research weather conditions
Depending on if you like hiking in the rain, hiking can be fun in all sorts of weather conditions. That said, if you only enjoy it on a summer’s day, make sure you research the weather condition of the routes beforehand. The weather can have a big impact on how you feel when hiking as well as affect the terrain. It may be that it rained a couple of days before, meaning the ground could be softer or slippy.
Do you have any tips for choosing the right hike? What hikes do you like to go on? When was the last time you went on a hike? Let us know in the comment box below.