What would you consider a moderate length day walk or hike?

[thedogmademessagain]

I'm curious what people in general would think is a moderate/medium length day hike or walk? I'm just asking because when I told the physiotherapist what I thought a medium length day hike was, I got a funny look. Not sure if that means I was under or over estimating moderate.

I've just reread your post and seen the word 'day' - if you're taking a full day you could go for miles and miles!!

But if I said I was going on a medium walk, that could mean anything from 3 - 6 miles.

I've some 20 miles in a day. In fact I’ve done 21 when I walked the west highland way. Did plenty of 20 miles in a day walks when we were upping our mileage in preparation.

The kind where it's really isolated, rugged and I'd be foolish not to carry safety gear and a locator beacon.

Moderate, 3-5 hours with one break, distance determined by terrain.

My sister did that one. It's pretty flat in good parts, I think? No idea. We sometimes drive quite far so, by the time we arrive, considering we still have to get home, we wouldn't have more than 7 hours hiking time maximum.

Actually I do know one guy that used to do 20+ in a day, but I'm not sure he was human or machine.

Well done accomplishing those distances!

I would say this too but I routinely walk/run quite a lot of miles in an average week now. If you’d asked me a few years ago, a 4-5-mile walk would have felt very long. But now I will run for 6 miles and then maybe have another 3-4 miles of walking the dog, school runs, etc on top on a normal day. So I think it probably does heavily depend on normal lifestyle.

Time is key as others have said. Ive a coastal walk i do, it's undulating rather than hilly. 10 miles but can get a reasonable pace and time to stop for a brew in 4 hours.

Yes the terrain makes a massive difference. My 58 year old other half has just done a Hadrian’s wall walk , Carlisle to Newcastle about 20/22 miles a day for three days.

Coastal walks can be surprisingly up and down, often quite steeply, albeit for short inclines.

But even in publications, it depends very much on the audience, eg something like a book of 'nice family walks' would define moderate differently to Trail magazine, which is aimed at the serious hiker.

Moderate? Four miles. I don’t know y’all thinking ten miles is moderate. Yes if walking is your thing, but for your average Jane/Joe ten miles is more than most could manage. I googled it and a ‘moderate walk’ came up as 30 minutes, a long walk would be an hour.
I was once conned into walking across country to a pub ‘just 20 minutes away’. It was well over 40. My hosts were runners so for them the three miles or so was nothing. For me that was verging on a long walk!

For someone who isn't fit then I'd agree that they might find walking 10 miles difficult. For people that are exercising weekly and daily though it wouldn't be something unacheivable. If you are talking about hiking rather than walking, id assume you were fit and healthy.

I don't often go walking or hiking, probably twice a year in the lakes but am fine doing a 6-10 mile walk up there for a few days as I do other exercise to keep fit. I find different muscles ache and the people I go hiking with are used to doing long days claiming wainwrights etc so moderate it for me

8-12 miles?

I run between 5-8 miles a day, so my expectations are hugely different to someone who only goes outside at weekends. It's all so individual. A whole day walk for me would be around 10 miles simply because I like to potter along when I'm walking because I don't get chance when I'm running. But in winter, when the days are shorter and the weather is worse and pottering opportunities are limited, I'd most likely peg a day at 7 miles.

4 miles I'd say. I can manage that, but any further i'd class would as a long walk. Not the fittest person around!

Agree with 8-10 miles. But again I am a regular walker doing that kind of distance on the coast path (and longer on flatter terrain) so it doesn’t seem ridiculous to me. I do find steep sections strenuous though, and also have v low ferritin (15 at last count).

The people saying 4 miles presumably aren’t talking about a ‘day walk or hike’ as in the OPs question though - even if it’s the most they’d ever walk in a day it wouldn’t be taking that long.

I’m really sorry but on what planet is an hour considered a long walk? 🫣

We walk everywhere so think nothing of walking 3 miles into town for example. We also do a lot of coastal walking and a good day on the SW Coast path would be something like 10-12 miles.

8-10 miles is moderate for me on undulating walks.

That used to be a long walk for me though so it’s all relative. My long walks are currently 20-22 miles off road on undulating trails.

90% we walk up our local hill. 40% of the first 1.5 miles is a 25% gradient upwards, where there's a nice coffee (I need a rest then!). After that we'd probably walk three miles on rocky terrain, then a couple of miles down hill.

If it's on the flat, I guess around 4 miles, some sort of break then, and another 4 miles back.

So ... 6.5-8 miles for me depending on terrain. I don't know why you need physio, so that could have an impact on what's right for you.

6 miles.
8 miles is more effort

Ooh, I don't know - from what you've said, I reckon you could (if it doesn't involve too much scrambling type terrain).

I'm probably not as fit as you are at the moment, as I don't exercise as regularly, but can crack out a very occasional 20+ miler in the Welsh mountains if I pace myself and wear trail running shoes instead of heavy walking boots. I'm fucked the next day though and it would definitely have to be in perfect weather conditions.

To answer your original question, I'd say maximum of 10 miles for a day hike that's moderate. Would need to include cake and a pub, too 😁

I'd say moderate walk - about 1.5 to 2 hrs walking on flat ground. A hike I'd consider more challenging terrain.

American website? One aimed at people with limited fitness and mobility?

Oh, you mean you don’t do a quick ultramarathon before breakfast each day?

Is now a good time to bring up my very tall clever and beautiful children, or shall I save that for after I’ve discussed my substantial salad? 🤣