Difference Between Hiking and Trekking

Hiking and Trekking

When you hear somebody traveling huge distances just by walking and observing nature, you may hear him being too proud of his hiking adventure, or is it trekking? Well, if you walk toward the woods that are just situated near your house, then you might be on for a hike. But if ever you plan on travelling around the Himalayan mountain ranges, then that would be a great trek. See the difference?

Hiking and trekking are the same in the sense that both activities involve physical movement (primarily by walking) towards a certain location. However, it really differs in many aspects. Foremost, hiking is a leisure activity that is done by traversing well-made trails and man-made roads. Trekking, on the other hand, is done to challenge one’s physical ability, endurance, and even his mental or psychological capacity.

These two activities also differ in intensity. Although some may argue that hiking is just as tiresome as that of trekking, it is still usually done in a moderately paced intensity. Trekking has a greater intensity because it does not only require the participant to traverse through established roadways and trails but also through underdeveloped terrain. Because of this, trekkers usually use more equipment such as the compass, map, and other important gear. They usually wear boots as opposed to hikers who usually use ordinary rubber shoes. Due to the intensity of the trekking activity, participants are also required to be oriented with the basic survival tactics and first-aid techniques.

When differentiating hiking and trekking in terms of distance, the difference may be narrowed a bit as both activities can either be a long journey or just a short trip. But trekking is usually the former. Moreover, trekking usually involves the use of pack animals and porters. These people may carry the equipment necessary to build small camps. They may even be tasked to prepare the meals so that trekkers will have a lighter burden and just concentrate on reaching their destination.

Summary:

1.Hiking is more of a leisure activity while trekking is more challenging.
2.Trekking requires its participants to bring better camping gear and also a survival kit for emergency purposes.
3.Trekking involves traversing through a more challenging pathway of varied terrain types unlike in hiking wherein the trail is usually pre-charted.
4.The trekking destination is usually much more rewarding as one can enjoy the views of rarely charted regions and virgin areas. Hikers are usually limited to the nature immediately viewable near the hiking trail.

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