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Post by cweston on Aug 1, 2016 12:09:49 GMT -8
I always tend, in my mind, to overestimate my ability to exceed a basic 2 MPH pace. After all, when I walk to work (with a commuter-type backpack), or when I walk for exercise, I average more like 4 MPH over sustained periods.
On the trail, with a pack, I can average (or maybe exceed) 2 MPH over several miles if...
-the trail is reasonably level (no gain or loss of, say, more than 350 ft per mile)
-there are no route finding issues
-there is minimal deadfall to crawl over/under/around
-I am not struggling too much with altitude
-I have been hiking 5 hours or less that day
-the trail surface is reasonably smooth. (Not overly rocky, eroded around tree roots, etc)
If any of these conditions are not present, it will be very difficult to exceed (or even achieve, perhaps) 2 MPH.
If climbing steeply, 1 MPH is probably a more reasonable expectation.
If off trail, forget about it. Off trail travel in open alpine environments where you can see forever is sometimes just as fast as hiking a trail. If bushwhacking in difficult terrain, even 1 MPH can be a pipe dream.
For an on-trail travel day, I usually calculate 2 MPH then add a couple hours when estimating an arrival time.
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Deleted
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 12:22:19 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 12:22:19 GMT -8
Had been thinking about this recently as well. (edit: Which is to say I have been thinking about my average pace in terms of trying to better plan ahead on the timing of a chosen route.)
(edit: I have found my pace fluctuates wildly as well. At the top end:)
Have managed to keep my ground eating 4MPH pace on trail, but only as a dayhiker, with less than 20lbs in my pack, a goal, a often-consulted watch, and good mileposts or landmarks. (edit: Average Pace seems to be the 2 MPH that others are noting, which does take into account photos, etc.)
(edit: Worst case scenario:)
Off trail, 1/2 mile an hour headway can seem like a fleeting fantasy as I pick a route, rework it, reach a canyon out, consult my map of someone else's GPS route (and try to determine where that route could be), abandon hope of figuring it out and try to follow game trail with fresh elk scat in the general direction of where I am going with the intent to get back on route later. (edit: though I still make about 1/2 mile per hour)
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zeke
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Post by zeke on Aug 1, 2016 12:26:08 GMT -8
I use 2 MPH as a measure of how long it will take me to do any particular hike, backpacking. I then add an hour for every 1000' of elevation gain or loss. It gives me a decent estimation. (All of these estimations are for easily navigated trails, not off trail or route finding.) I also know that after about 3 days, my trail legs start to set in and I can make a little better time. Food load lightens some, and thus the pack gets lighter.
Age definitely has something to do with it. I can train on flat ground and hike 3.5 MPH with little detriment. I can climb 100 flights of stairs in 35-40 minutes. It used to be easier, 20 years ago. For lots of things.
A few short years ago, less than 5, I climbed out of the Grand Canyon, 7 miles & 4000', in 5 hours 30 minutes. With a bad knee. Yeah, I was a bad man that day.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 12:27:47 GMT -8
At 350-foot climb per mile, I figure one mile/hour with my breaks for scenery, hydration, pondering of the profound, dilly-dallying and so on. Slower for route-finding, bushwhacking, photography, precarious slopes, meals, and so on. Even slower for steep slopes. I'll use the 2 mile/hour as a guide for steady walking on-trail or clear wildlife route. But I am a man of many distractions.
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Post by cweston on Aug 1, 2016 12:42:35 GMT -8
At 350-foot climb per mile, I figure one mile/hour with my breaks for scenery, hydration, pondering of the profound, dilly-dallying and so on. Yeah, I arbitrarily picked 350 feet per mile, but I think that's a little optimistic. 250 feet per mile seems like something one could just walk through at a 2 MPH pace without too much struggle. I'm not sure about 350 feet per mile.
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Hungry Jack
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 12:46:06 GMT -8
Post by Hungry Jack on Aug 1, 2016 12:46:06 GMT -8
So much depends on terrain. Here in the flat Midwest, on good, unobstructed trail (e.g. Ozark Trail, Manistee River Loop, Pictured Rocks), 3 mph is easy, and 4 mph easy if needed, with a full pack.
In CO, I can maintain 2 mph on class 1 trail on 14er ascents without too much difficulty. I have gone up Bierstadt, Grays, and Evans in 2 hours or less as each trail is about 4 miles up on good trail.
But my 16 mile round trip tour of Longs via the Loft / Keyhole / Boulder Field took 15 hours.
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 12:49:49 GMT -8
Post by johntpenca on Aug 1, 2016 12:49:49 GMT -8
But I am a man of many distractions Still working on this quick quote thingy. To me I pretty much go with what zeke and Travis wrote. 2 mph average. I'm no through hiker and trails here in SoCal and the sierra are generally much steeper than 350'/mile.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Aug 1, 2016 13:08:39 GMT -8
My rule of thumb for speed is as follows:
Uphill or very rough trail, working hard: 1 mph, maybe up to 1.5 Cruising speed: 1.5-2 mph Really flying: Anything above 2.3 mph
I never plan an averaging over 2 mph, and usually aim for more like 1.7. I think about this topic a lot, since I do most of my big hikes in late fall or early spring, when daylight is precious and I feel like I'm running out of time almost from the start.
In daily life, few people walk as fast as I do. On my weekend hill repeat jaunts on pavement, I do 11 miles at 4.2 mph, including 2000 feet of elevation gain. Carrying 50 pounds slows me down to about 3.6 mph.
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 13:22:36 GMT -8
Post by johntpenca on Aug 1, 2016 13:22:36 GMT -8
I never plan an averaging over 2 mph, and usually aim for more like 1.7. My estimate is based on average, including downhills. As others have said terrain is the determining factor. As is acclimation.
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Deleted
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 13:28:34 GMT -8
Post by Deleted on Aug 1, 2016 13:28:34 GMT -8
At 350-foot climb per mile, I figure one mile/hour with my breaks for scenery, hydration, pondering of the profound, dilly-dallying and so on. Yeah, I arbitrarily picked 350 feet per mile, but I think that's a little optimistic. 250 feet per mile seems like something one could just walk through at a 2 MPH pace without too much struggle. I'm not sure about 350 feet per mile. 350 feet is close enough. I've just gotten to where I think less in terms of how fast I walk and more in terms of how much time I spend doing other things between walking. The 2 mph pace is accurate enough for the actual walking part — if I'm really intent upon getting somewhere. But, if I had a hiking partner, I'd probably drive them up the wall with some of my distractions. Then, for who knows what reason, I may just get up and go. If I'm on high ground and trying to get somewhere shielded from lightning, then I'm picking them up and putting them down a bit faster. If I really need to be at a rare water source by evening, then I may be a little more calculating. So I'll budget my break times accordingly.
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rebeccad
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 13:34:21 GMT -8
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Post by rebeccad on Aug 1, 2016 13:34:21 GMT -8
Funny, this came up on our recent trip, too. The spouse was wondering why we can do 3+ training at home, even with a pack, but speed drops to well below 2 when we're on the trail. I had to point out all the reasons: elevation, photography, rough trails (any time I have to start stair-stepping up or down rocks and roots, my pace slows way down), climb rate, etc. Given that we almost never shoot for more than 6 or 7 miles in a day, I don't know why he cares, except that it probably feels like some kind of slowing with age. Shh...I haven't told him yet that he's past 60!
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VAN
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 16:32:59 GMT -8
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Post by VAN on Aug 1, 2016 16:32:59 GMT -8
I consistently walk on the treadmill at 4 mph, including uphill. But, I don't think I've ever averaged more than 2 mph hiking. Most likely here in Florida it is because so much of our hiking is done in sand or even soft sand.
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2 MPH
Aug 1, 2016 19:14:45 GMT -8
Post by johntpenca on Aug 1, 2016 19:14:45 GMT -8
My technique for down hills is to run them. Works for me but probably why my ankles now suck.
edit: don't actually run down hill but move pretty fast to avoid stair stepping and scree sliding.
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tigger
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Aug 1, 2016 19:16:02 GMT -8
Post by tigger on Aug 1, 2016 19:16:02 GMT -8
I average .5 - 1 mile per hour on most of the terrain I cover. There are a few spots where I can speed up to 2-3 mph. Those are the places where I hit a trail on the way out. My "training" usually consists of yard work.
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Aug 1, 2016 19:16:26 GMT -8
I consistently walk on the treadmill at 4 mph, including uphill. But, I don't think I've ever averaged more than 2 mph hiking. Most likely here in Florida it is because so much of our hiking is done in sand or even soft sand. Sand hiking is brutally slow endeavor. Soft sand is as bad as the steepest hill.
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