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Have you ever thought about hiking the Appalachian Trail? I sure have! A close hiking friend of mine insisted that I borrow her copy, and I swear I couldn’t put this book down. Obviously I am a fan of most books about hiking, but this one is truly special – Bill Bryson weaves into his humorous story loads of history and science, all while sharing the details of his adventure. Read my full review of A Walk in the Woods here.
Hiking is an activity enjoyed by people all over the world, but did you know that the activity of “hiking” is described differently in English speaking countries? I first heard the term bushwalking from a New Zealander friend of mine, who once told me that he did not grow up hiking, but rather “bushwalking”. Having never heard the word before, I was curious to know what it was, and he just laughed and told me it means hiking, or at least the “hiking” as defined in the American vocabulary. Because I have now met many people from around the world who all share my love of the outdoors, I decided to share this simple guide to hiking terms around the world.
America Hiking: In America, hiking refers to walking along a trail, typically something that is more intense than going for a walk. Day hike: A hike that is completed in one day. Backpacking: Multi-day hikes where the hiker carries her tent, food, and other provisions are considered backpacking trips. Cross-country hiking: A hike where a considerable portion is off-trail, so the hiker is “route-finding” and is not following an established trail.  Hiking, Hillwalking, Walking, Rambling, Tramping, Bushwalking or Trekking? You decide. Thru-hiking: Used to describe hiking the entire length of a trail. A thru-hike is typically done in one continuous backpacking trip, but can also be done in sections, which is called “section-hiking”. Popular North American trails for thru-hikes are the Pacific Crest Trail, Appalachian Trail , and the Continental Divide Trail. United Kingdom Hillwalking/Walking: These are the terms used to describe “hiking” as it referred to in the U.S. Rambling: Another word to describe hillwalking and walking. Australia Bushwalking: In the land down under, bushwalking is used to describe hiking and cross-country hiking. I guess Australians are more adventurous and expect that most hikes will take them on both on-trail and off-trail routes! New Zealand Bushwalking: Same usage as in Australia. Tramping: Used primarily to describe backpacking trips. Walking: Another way of discussing bushwalking. Around the world Trekking: This term is used to describe multi-day backpacking trips. It is frequently used when talking about the Himalayas Happy trails! Time for me to take a hike, or hillwalk, trek, ramble, or bushwalk A few weeks ago I posted the first Hiking Lady survey: The results are in! People sure love to hike Hiking: 50%
Do you want one book that will cover almost everything you’ll ever need to know about hiking, backpacking, snow travel, rock climbing, and technical climbing? Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills is it! While I can’t say I’ve read the sections about technical climbing (I don’t plan on climbing Everest or K2 any time soon!), the first several chapters about picking the right gear for your hikes and backpacking trips, leave no trace principles, and snow travel are excellent for the rest of us. Read my review and let me know if you think it is as good of a reference as I think it is. I’ve received links to this video from numerous friends, and every time I see it I yearn to learn (ha that rhymes!) more about this trail! Apparently it is the El Caminito del Rey (I took Spanish in high school so I can translate that I finally decided to do some research, and this is what I found out:
 El Caminito del Rey, the early days Here’s a map of where it’s located: Hopefully they can fix this up and make it safe so we can all check it out some day! I’d really love to go (once it is fixed up of course!) Has you been? Post a comment below and share your stories! Want to see another wild hike? Check out Walking on the Wildside, a video clip of a guy hiking the HuaShan Plank Path in China.  El Caminito del Rey, Photo by Gabirulo, Flickr  El Caminito del Rey, Photo by Gabirulo, Flickr |
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….”The King’s Little Pathway”) and it is in Málaga, Spain. It lies along a narrow gorge in El Chorro.