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Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

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Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#41

Post by amichal »

45. Been at a desk job since 18. Did 400 miles of the AT then starting at 8 miles a day and working up to 16 (with a very heavy pack). I quit the thru bike but returned for visits and did a couple 20+ mile days a few months later. Years pass and got down to where a anything more than a couple miles hurt. Moved to a city with a strong outdoor walking and biking culture a few months ago and on day 1 the 4 flights of stairs to our flat killed me. I now think nothing of walking 10-15km or biking 30 in just an average day moving about.

Gradual increases seems to be the key

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#43

Post by alphabettsy »

In my early 30s. I get pretty tired about 2 miles in and catch a second wind and I’m usually ready for another 8-10 miles before calling it a day. That’s with an overnight pack including sleeping equipment. I find the tiredness and second wind happens regardless of the load. Even with no pack I have to push through and I’m fine.

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#44

Post by woutr_be »

tlyleung wrote: post #37

Hong Kong has a lot of beautiful trails. I’m in my mid 30s and decided to hike the MacLehose Trail with a few friends to round out the year in Dec 2020. It’s a 100km trail that runs from the East to the West of Hong Kong and it passes through mountains, lakes, sandy beaches and even a few WW2 tunnels. We split the trail into 4 separate days, so around 25km a day. Some parts were tough, but the experience as a whole w…

One of my favourite trails in HK is MacLehose section 1 and 2 in Sai Kung, basically around the reservoir and through the beaches, absolutely gorgeous hike. I think it’s about 20 km and took me a good 5 hours last time.

HK as a whole is great for hiking, lots of different trails, that can get quite challenging due to the terrain. I usually do Quarry Bay to Parkview on Saturday mornings, great little 2 hour hike with lots of stairs to climb.

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#45

Post by ozim »

cmmeur01 wrote: post #31
tekla wrote: post #23

In my 30's. I do roughly 30-40km a day with around 20kg pack. If you want to get better, load water or any weight into a bag and walk around hilly areas.

How long does this take? Honestly sounds like bullshit.

I think he can do 30-40km a day on his day off not that he is doing it every day :)

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#47

Post by ioseph »

I'm 33 and just let week had the rude awakening that I now need to warm up to things.

Attempted a 3 day 60km walk with lots of elevation changes, on the second day my ITB became so inflamed I couldn't bend my knee, and had to abort the walk.

Prior to this I've done up to 30km days no sweat (carrying up 20kgs). So I'm feeling pretty depressed. It's not helped that there's so much conflicting advice when it come to physio.

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#48

Post by dahart »

cmmeur01 wrote: post #31
tekla wrote: post #23

In my 30's. I do roughly 30-40km a day with around 20kg pack. If you want to get better, load water or any weight into a bag and walk around hilly areas.

How long does this take? Honestly sounds like bullshit.

> Honestly sounds like bullshit.

Why’s that? There are lots of people who do extreme amounts of activity. Parent’s description is on par for backpacking.

Please consider your phrasing. Nothing wrong with asking the question, but best avoid coming off as though you’re accusing people of lying. https://news.ycombinator.com/newsguidelines.html

Re: Ask HN: Are you hiking? How old are you and how many kilometers can you Hike?

#50

Post by politelemon »

The simplest way to start is to look for a hiking trail that's near, accessible to you and do what's called a circular hikeb or circular walk, or day hikes. It lets you start and finish at an accessible location so you can go home.

These can be short but scenic and popular. The difference in view can be a huge assist in your hiking ability.

It will also give you an idea of how much endurance you have and whether you'll enjoy more. You could even do the same trail many times! Being out on a trail also lets you stop and rest. So you see, it's quite different from walking in a city.

Please, even if it's a short hike, remember to carry some water with you, a tiny snack, and wear hiking shoes if you can.

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