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Understanding Five Different Types of Hiking
When it comes to hiking, most people don’t always have the most ambitious plans. They imagine hiking as a tame sport in which you’re simply crossing up a trail on a slow hill, using a hiking stick to keep your balance. But when you really get into the great outdoors and meet other people who are passionate about outdoor sports, you realize that there’s more to the terrain “out there” than you originally thought.
In fact, there are different disciplines of hiking that may appeal to your adventurous side. Here are five different types of hiking that you may not have considered hiking.
1. Mountaineering. Mountaineering is exactly what it sounds like – climbing, scaling, and hiking up mountains. Essentially, “mountaineering” refers to “hiking on mountains,” but the truth is a little more complicated than that. If you enjoy climbing up large hills in your free time and wanted to up the ante, you may consider doing a little mountaineering – just make sure to be cautious and safe and seek some professional advice.
2. Dog hiking. No, this type of hiking doesn’t refer to climbing up a dog. Instead, you simply add your “best friend” to your hiking experience to make it a totally different adventure for the day. Dogs love coming on adventure trips with their owners, especially if you own a retriever.3. Snow hiking. You guessed it – this means hiking in the snow. Some people who live in cold-weather states like Wisconsin or Minnesota realize that it’s not always easy to go hiking, at least for around six months of the year. The cold gets to you. But if you take it easy, snow hiking can be a great way to get out even in the cold.
4. Canyoneering. Like “mountaineering,” this one isn’t too difficult to figure out. If you’ve ever wanted to hike along the Grand Canyon, you may have the personality of a canyoneer. It doesn’t take much experience canyoneering to realize that this can make for some great views.
5. Desert Hiking. Have you ever wanted to have an adventure like they do in the movies? Desert hiking may be up your alley. Of course, this requires a lot of fortitude and plenty of preparation and experience, but the great views and sense of exploration can be worth it.
Photo Credits: Alex E. Proimos
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Five Tips for Safe Desert Hiking
Desert hiking? Yeah, you heard me. When most people think about hiking, they think about thickly-forrested hills with trails cutting gently up the slopes, or canyoneering through northern Arizona with some spectacular views. But some people don’t have access to a whole lot of country side except…desert. And if you’re a desert hiker, that’s just fine by you.
Of course, desert hiking does come with a few risks. If you want to hike safely in the questionable terrain, here are a few tips that should help you on your way.
1. Plan a hike in advance. Don’t just know where you’re leaving on your hike, know where you’re going, what you’re bringing, who’s coming with you, and how to get to your destination. Without a plan, you’ll be far more susceptible to the potential dangers that come with desert hiking. Is every desert hike very dangerous? No, but being prepared will minimize your chances of something bad happening.
2. Remember water and electrolytes. If you’re going on an extended desert hike, you have to remember that water is crucial. Even if you think you can handle a certain amount of exercise, remember that hot air and the sun can also contribute to dehydration – and you often don’t know it until it’s too late.3. Protect your skin as much as you can. Remember to use light white fabrics that wick away sweat and protect your skin from the sun. White reflects more sunlight back to the sun, while black absorbs it. Dress in a lot of white and bring plenty of sunscreen so that the exposed parts of your skin still have some protection. You don’t only want to avoid sunburn, but you want to avoid your skin baking up and losing a lot of hydration.
4. Don’t go alone. It can be tempting to throw caution to the wind and go of adventuring by yourself, but if you bring a hiking partner, you’ll have a lot better chances of finding where you need to go, and making sure that you’ll stay safe.
5. Tell someone else about your plans. If you’re going to be gone a good while – or even going to be gone at all – make sure that someone relatively close to you knows where you headed and when you headed out.
Photo Credits: heatkernel
