Hiking
Happy trails!
Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the
countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the
eighteenth century.Religious pilgrimages have existed much longer but
they involve walking long distances for a spiritual purpose associated
with specific religions. "Hiking" is the preferred term in Canada and
the United States; the term "walking" is used in these regions for
shorter, particularly urban walks. In the United Kingdom and the
Republic of Ireland, the word "walking" describes all forms of walking,
whether it is a walk in the park or backpacking in the Alps. The word
hiking is also often used in the UK, along with rambling, hillwalking,
and fell walking (a term mostly used for hillwalking in northern
England). The term bushwalking is endemic to Australia, having been
adopted by the Sydney Bush Walkers club in 1927. In New Zealand a long,
vigorous walk or hike is called tramping. It is a popular activity with
numerous hiking organizations worldwide, and studies suggest that all
forms of walking have health benefits.
