Blog #6: Hiking Tips: Marked versus Unmarked Trails
Hiking is a great form of exercise, it’s a fantastic excuse to get out into nature. It doesn't cost you anything, besides a solid pair of hiking shoes, and maybe a map. Always bring water, especially for long walks. Depending on the length of the walk, a light snack to a light ready meal would be appropriate.
When you’re going hiking, you really need to pay attention to your environment. Even if you look at a map you might find yourself on an unmarked trail, and sometimes even a marked trail has signs missing. It could go from having a nice walk, to a potentially very dangerous situation.
On a marked trail you will see some indication of where you are meant to go. There might be a discrete yellow arrow indicating where you should go next, or a series of signposts telling you how to proceed. A trail is usually a pathway that can be groomed to help people take a certain journey. A marked trail would have a series of indicators, often at knee height, they may be on rocks, or trees, telling the person which way to go. Sometimes you can find a local map giving you a clear indication of which trails are safe to go on. Sometimes individuals within the local community might be able to give advice as to the better trails to take. An unmarked trail is a local pathway that has become a trail through common usage, but has no grooming or signage to assist the hiker.
An important item to have on any hike is a good walking stick. This tool can help in a lot of situations. It can help if you’re unsure of your balance; it can also be helpful if you find yourself in need of some sort of protection, most likely against dogs.
Trails that are marked as hunting trails can be found in many countries where hunting is permitted. Find out if where you intend to hike has hunting trails and whether or not it is currently hunting season. There should be signs posted to let you know, but it is always safer to ask first. You don’t want to find out the hard way, hearing the crack of a hunting gun, or the sound of a bullet whizzing past!
One of the best walks I’ve ever been on was in Portugal, and it was truly amazing. It was extremely peaceful, almost no foot traffic, and no vehicles allowed at all. It made me feel calm, relaxed and very much in touch with nature.
Happy travels!
