Quixoticgeek
Section Hiker
Just out of curiosity. How far do you walk between breaks? do you walk for x km then sit down and have a drink for 10 mins? or do you walk from Breakfast til lunch? How do you pace yourself?
Julia
Julia
Pacing
- Thread starter Quixoticgeek
- Start date
EM - paul
Thru Hiker
Tend to sit down before i fall down 
seriously though i tend to wait till i need it and it varies with terrain. On a mountain i like to stop regularly for a brew and to take in the views. On lowland walks im less inclined to stop till lunch and then plough on again.
I find the hardest part is finding people to walk with who pace the same as me. I have guys like Rich and Pete who hare off up the hill and Jacko who walks slower than me. I dont like people waiting for me and i dont like waiting for others. I dont like walking on my own though either
Good subject Julia
seriously though i tend to wait till i need it and it varies with terrain. On a mountain i like to stop regularly for a brew and to take in the views. On lowland walks im less inclined to stop till lunch and then plough on again.
I find the hardest part is finding people to walk with who pace the same as me. I have guys like Rich and Pete who hare off up the hill and Jacko who walks slower than me. I dont like people waiting for me and i dont like waiting for others. I dont like walking on my own though either
Good subject Julia
Whatever suits - never really think about. The terrain, weather & time of year dictate. I've been the hare & I've been the tortoise. These days I'm tail end Charlie. The guys I backpack with (rarely day walk although I plan to change that) are pretty relaxed & we are all go at our own pace & take 5 regularly enough to regroup.
Mole
Thru Hiker
It all depends!
On, what the object of the moment (or morning/day etc) is, the terrain, whether alone or who I am with and their requirements.
e.g. At one extreme, if on a trail or something like the TGO, and alone, If just needing the miles covered, I might do 10 miles in 3(to 4) hours without stopping. Then have a break then the same again.
But on the other hand, if exploring, I might just bimble all day long starting and stopping so often I only get 10 miles done all day.
But, more likely I'll just stop when I feel like it. For various reasons.
Backpacking, if the weather is ok, I'll often have a brew and a proper length lunchtime(or go to a cafe/pub if passing somewhere).
Other times (especially if cold/wet) maybe 2 or 3 5-15minute breaks all day.
For an Explorer group for Ten Tors Training, we aim for 4km an hour when moving, and have say 3 short breaks all day. (5km/hr for the older groups).
Teepee
Thru Hiker
No hard and fast rules for me. Quite happy taking lots of breaks, other times I'm happy doing a 4 hour stint flat out and eating on the move. It all depends on the days destination, what's to see and conditions.
On very much colder trips or in hazardous conditions, breaks must be much more organized if in a group. Often a rest place is picked out on the map or by eye and well make our way to that point.
On very much colder trips or in hazardous conditions, breaks must be much more organized if in a group. Often a rest place is picked out on the map or by eye and well make our way to that point.
cathyjc
Thru Hiker
Varies a lot for many of the reasons given by others above.
I'm mostly the 'tortoise' in any group, and with the family I've always played a 'sheepdog' role bringing up the rear - suits me fine.
However, I do tend to 'plan' a short snack/drink/take the pack off break approx. every 1.5 hrs - which usually equates to mid-am, lunch and mid pm. If I/we don't then our progress tends to suffer and become inefficient.
I'm mostly the 'tortoise' in any group, and with the family I've always played a 'sheepdog' role bringing up the rear - suits me fine
. However, I do tend to 'plan' a short snack/drink/take the pack off break approx. every 1.5 hrs - which usually equates to mid-am, lunch and mid pm. If I/we don't then our progress tends to suffer and become inefficient.
Folk tell me I'm a quick walker but I've tried to keep up with some people in the past and given up after a few miles, I tend to have one pace whatever I'm doing, I have to make a conscious effort to slow down if I need to. I think I'm quite quick on ascents, but my stride (gait?) is no different to on the flat, in fact I quite enjoy a big climb.
As for stops, just as and when really, I don't eat much breakfast when I get up so I like to stop for second breakfast after a couple of hours, then do a few more hours until lunch and so on.
As for stops, just as and when really, I don't eat much breakfast when I get up so I like to stop for second breakfast after a couple of hours, then do a few more hours until lunch and so on.
Learned a while back that I break if I try and walk at anyone elses' pace so now I just walk as I feel up to. Stops are most likely to happen at random when I see something I want a good look at.
Quixoticgeek
Section Hiker
Interesting, lots of different answers.
Thanks everyone, plenty for me to think about.
J
Thanks everyone, plenty for me to think about.
J
Hedley Heap
Section Hiker
Don't think, walk.
gixer
Thru Hiker
Most of my hikes i tend to average around 4kmh, so i'm more of a plodder than a sprinter.
I HATE stopping and taking breaks though.
Stopping for a few seconds to catch my breath i'm fine, but stopping for cups of tea and to cook drives me crazy.
Problem i have is, i'm more knackered after a hike when we've taken breaks than i am if i just walked it all.
Just seems kinda counter-intuitive to get your legs, lungs and heart all warmed up then to sit down for 15 mins freezing your balls (or ovaries) off just to have all your leg muscles seize up.
A couple of mins here and here i'm fine, but anything more than 15mins and i'm chomping at the bit.
I HATE stopping and taking breaks though.
Stopping for a few seconds to catch my breath i'm fine, but stopping for cups of tea and to cook drives me crazy.
Problem i have is, i'm more knackered after a hike when we've taken breaks than i am if i just walked it all.
Just seems kinda counter-intuitive to get your legs, lungs and heart all warmed up then to sit down for 15 mins freezing your balls (or ovaries) off just to have all your leg muscles seize up.
A couple of mins here and here i'm fine, but anything more than 15mins and i'm chomping at the bit.
Teepee
Thru Hiker
BlueTrain
Trail Blazer
Good topic even if the answers aren't particularly useful. If you're anything like me, you're already set in your ways. But Colin Fletcher wrote about it, too.
Like others, it depends, mainly on the trail. But I'm one of those that likes to sit for a while, have a snack and a drink and rest for a while. In theory, you see everything when you're on foot. But in practice, when you stop and sit for a while, you realize you see even more, assuming you're out there to see things in the first place.
The trails in places I go vary a great deal. Parts of some trails are like walking on a carpet on a flat floor; other places it's more like wading a creek. One trail passes through a section with very large rocks and you'd never know it was a "trail." Very long grades exhaust me, at least going uphill in the summertime with a pack, although all my energy returns the instant the trail levels out, the same way my energy level perks up at five o'clock in the afternoon.
Like others, it depends, mainly on the trail. But I'm one of those that likes to sit for a while, have a snack and a drink and rest for a while. In theory, you see everything when you're on foot. But in practice, when you stop and sit for a while, you realize you see even more, assuming you're out there to see things in the first place.
The trails in places I go vary a great deal. Parts of some trails are like walking on a carpet on a flat floor; other places it's more like wading a creek. One trail passes through a section with very large rocks and you'd never know it was a "trail." Very long grades exhaust me, at least going uphill in the summertime with a pack, although all my energy returns the instant the trail levels out, the same way my energy level perks up at five o'clock in the afternoon.
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The Bimbler
Backpacker
My pace is determined by a) the weather, b) the view c) how steep it is and d) how long ago I munched any food
The only time I walk for hours on end without break is when I'm going downhill in the rain (and pea soup fog) with a belly full of oats.
The rest of the time I like to think it's less about the destination and more about the journey
The only time I walk for hours on end without break is when I'm going downhill in the rain (and pea soup fog) with a belly full of oats.
The rest of the time I like to think it's less about the destination and more about the journey
ADz
Thru Hiker
Tend to sit down before i fall down
seriously though i tend to wait till i need it and it varies with terrain. On a mountain i like to stop regularly for a brew and to take in the views. On lowland walks im less inclined to stop till lunch and then plough on again.
I find the hardest part is finding people to walk with who pace the same as me. I have guys like Rich and Pete who hare off up the hill and Jacko who walks slower than me. I dont like people waiting for me and i dont like waiting for others. I dont like walking on my own though either
Good subject Julia
I know exactly how you feel.
BlueTrain
Trail Blazer
I might add here that "pacing yourself" is one thing. But when someone else is along for the walk, I sometimes feel like I'm either being dragged or else dragging someone else. But that's not always the case. The most difficult walks with someone else are when there's a lot to see. Imagine walking through a museum that either you aren't interested in or the other person isn't (and you are). In any event you usually have about five seconds to devote to any one thing in particular. And believe me, going through a museum can be a long hike, even if you manage to catch a glimpse of the Mona Lisa.
ADz
Thru Hiker
Tartanferret
Thru Hiker
Just find your own pace.
A mate of mine always says the first mile and the last mile are the hardest and I agree.
A mate of mine always says the first mile and the last mile are the hardest and I agree.