Ultimate Hiking Thread

[David]

I searched and couldn't find one, so to follow all our other ultimate threads...

My wife wants to hike Mont Blanc so I figure where better to get tips than the Pelican Parts Forum!

We're both mid 50's and in good shape but this would be about 10 days of hiking with some days over 10 miles and elevation climb over 1000 meters. The most serious hiking we've done was around Oregon last year but Oregon was just a few day hikes, not 6 hour hikes day after day.

I'm pretty happy with my current Saloman shoes but tips are always welcome. Not sure what to carry and what to have transported to the next town. What are some must haves and have nots?

We'd also like to do some training and Houston offers no elevation!

Of course I'd love to hear some epic hiking stories! Anyone do the Appalachian Trail?

[IROC]

Originally Posted by David

Of course I'd love to hear some epic hiking stories! Anyone do the Appalachian Trail?

I am just a wimpy day hiker, but I did about 4 miles of the Appalachian Trail a few weeks ago. Sunrise hike on the AT near Roan Mountain, TN (photo not edited - it was truly this beautiful):

[rattlsnak]

Hiking is one thing. Hiking with major elevation changes and lots of miles is quite different. I would recommend walking at least three miles a day 3x4 times a week starting a month prior to your trip to get your body used to it and gradually increasing as time grows closer. We do small trips like that before our big trips and it seems to help quite a bit. We went to Oregon in June and hiked @ 40 miles over 6 days and last year in Utah, we did @ 60 miles in 7 days.

[look 171]

We did some back packing in my youth. This was in the high sierras so elevation gain and rough terrain was unavoidable. Oh yeah, we trained for it and my buddy and I were in great shape from bike racing still the long hikes in thin air kicked my azz. No matter how rough the sleeping situation was, we slept well.

OUr training was to walk between 3-4 miles daily and gradually increase the mileage. 5-10 min walk from our house, we have great hiking trails and hills so we hit those loops often. Loaded our back packs to add to the suffering. Boots were a must. This was a time where boots looked like a lifted 4x4. I had to break in my shoes but that only took a few weeks of wearing them daily. We learned stiff shank shoe kept our feet a lot less tired. As we climb with our toes the stiff shanks helped with fatigue still have the flex in it for comfort.

If you are doing that much walking, talk to someone about getting your boots fitted. I have problem feet, low instep and flat feet, so an insole and heel lift was added to keep from chafing causing blisters. I have a pair of Asolo medium duty (no longer need the heavy boots) hiking boots. They requires little break in period. I have no idea what this section of the boot is called. The top section of the heel. Many light weight or even mid weight boots have this section lower for flexibility or comfort but to me, it only invites small rocks and dirt to enter the shoe. No fun having the hitch hiker in your shoe on a hike.

[recycled sixtie]

Hi David, it has been about twelve years since I completed Wainwrights Coast to Coast in the UK. It was a total of 200 miles but divided it into four different time frames. I have no idea what Mont Blanc hiking is like or what the trails are like but these are my tips from what I did. Hiking poles. Either one or two are very useful for balance. They also take the weight off your feet going down hills and also useful as a probe for depth of water or mud.

Shoes or hiking boots? Hiking boots tend to be heavy but sometimes necessary for depth of water or mud. Goretex / waterproof footwear is a must. If depth of water or mud is not a problem then trail runner shoes are lighter and more comfortable.

You mentioned having your bags shipped to the next overnight stay. I highly recommend that. Having said that a light backpack with essentials of food and first aid would be great. For example special blister bandaids, water and snacks.

The longest days I did were 22 miles. If you can readily hike five or six miles then ten is not too much of a stretch.

Enjoy your trip!

[flatbutt]

Originally Posted by David

I searched and couldn't find one, so to follow all our other ultimate threads...

My wife wants to hike Mont Blanc so I figure where better to get tips than the Pelican Parts Forum!

We're both mid 50's and in good shape but this would be about 10 days of hiking with some days over 10 miles and elevation climb over 1000 meters. The most serious hiking we've done was around Oregon last year but Oregon was just a few day hikes, not 6 hour hikes day after day.

I'm pretty happy with my current Saloman shoes but tips are always welcome. Not sure what to carry and what to have transported to the next town. What are some must haves and have nots?

We'd also like to do some training and Houston offers no elevation!

Of course I'd love to hear some epic hiking stories! Anyone do the Appalachian Trail?

ADKer Flatbutt here. So, are you sleeping rough or trying to get to a motel every night?

10 miles can be very challenging depending on the terrain so IMHO you need to be prepared to be out on the trail more than 6 hours. Beyond food and water you need to have emergency supplies with you. At a minimum you should have a proper first aid kit, small temporary splints, a silvered blanket, a very loud whistle, fire starter, and more that I don't have at the top of my mind just now.

If you're not moteling then you obviously need to be ready to sleep rough.

I'll look up my packing lists in a minute.

[flatbutt]

My packing list won't paste here formatted and is just a jumble of text.

This is me at the top of Mt Marcy. I forget the year. It was a combo of snow shoes and X country skis and crampons.

[David]

This would be an organized tour so hotel/adult hostel, breakfast and dinner covered. Will just be carrying food for lunch, water, warm clothes and first aid. Plus any good items from this thread.

I prefer a Gortex, low top, lightweight hiking shoe but the mention of high tops to keep little rocks out of shoes is noted.

I road ride at a pretty high level so I'm not concerned about my fitness and wife walks a couple miles a day but my big concern is the titanium plates in my wife's ankle from a bicycle wreck 10 years ago. So we will do some training with elevation to make sure my wife has the right shoe and can handle it.

[ckissick]

Use trekking poles! How high up will you get? What's the highest elevation you've ever been while hiking? You need to make sure you can handle the altitude. Some can't, even with acclimatization.

I like light trail shoes. I even hiked to the top of Mount Shasta last year in them. The only time I wear heavy leather boots is when I need crampons or snowshoes, or have a very heavy pack in rugged terrain. The lighter the footwear, the better, for me. The leg fatigue is much less with lighter shoes.

And I don't go for Gore-Tex. I prefer breathable shoes, and Gore-Tex is not as breathable as they would have you believe. Plus, they are not so waterproof if dirty. I'm just not sold on them. But that's just me. However, it's very important to keep your feet dry. Wet feet result in blisters more easily. I can always avoid wet feet with careful stream crossings. If I expect a lot of crossings, I bring water shoes. Then again, in California I can usually be sure of no rain. Not so at Mont Blanc. Despite what I just wrote, some level of waterproofness should be considered. My leather boots are waterproof, so I would wear those in bad weather. Speaking of rain, you need to have rain gear in your day pack. I prefer a poncho, since they breathe so nicely. I sweat a lot inside my Gore-Tex jacket. That's why I'm not a big fan of it. That and the cost. A poncho will also cover the day pack.

Figure out your water needs. Some people need to drink a lot more than others. Either pack a couple of liters, or if there will be a lot of water sources along the way, bring one bottle and a water filtration system. Bring high-calorie snacks, and maybe electrolytes for your water.

As for training, I use an elliptical trainer during the winter when days are short. I live among many tall, steep hills, and the elliptical offers nice training for that. Since you live in the flatlands, you have few other options. I also run for parts of my hikes. It helps with leg strength and cardio. Walking on a flat trail doesn't do much, but running on the same trail can be useful.

[OK-944]

My wife and myself on the last of our 48 4K+ peaks in NH's White Mountains (custom boots by Peter Limmer the IIIrd), with the highest being Mt. Washington at over 6K. Might sound like peanuts to you Colorado folks, but 1000 to 1200 feet of elevation gain per mile (without switchbacks) is fairly common in the Whites, and the weather is not to be messed with - particularly on Mt. Washington (home of "the worst weather in the world!").

[David]

One problem I have is shoe size. I think I’m a true size 12 US but many shoe companies down size their shoes so a size 12 is really an 11.5. So I need a 12.5 in most popular brands but few companies make that and a 13 is too big.

I stand corrected, Salomon sells size 12.5. I currently wear a Salomon size 12 but wear really thin socks so this might be the solution.

I was just looking at these, they look hideous but look very functional: https://www.salomon.com/en-us/shop/product/elixir-gore-tex-li4508.html#color=76966

[Alan A]

Unlike the guy two above I have a bad ankle.
I like something crazy supportive, am a big fan of goretex and care less about weight than being able to take off the boot at the end of the day. Full shank, goretex and leather all day long for long hikes.

I have a set of Lowa boots for day hiking, but wouldn’t want to walk more than 8-10 miles in them.

Same with socks - I used to like wool, but I’ve switched to synthetic and won’t go back.

So why say this?

Boots. No matter what make sure your boots work for you. If your feet aren’t ok, nor are you.

[look 171]

Dave, flex those shoes with you hand or try to bend it to see how much support it has. For most flat trails are fine with those light duty shoes but anymore then that, especially with uneven trails, you foot, ankle will get tired after few short miles. Amid weight syn. sock will do you good. Its not for everyone, but give it a try. For more then 4-5 miles, I like a full shank shoe.

[look 171]

If someone is taking care of my bags and gear but having only needed to carry lunch and a light back pack, I would buy something like this

https://www.backcountry.com/oboz-sawtooth-x-mid-waterproof-boot-womens?skid=OBZG04Q-CHA-S100

The one thing I discovered about humping in the steep high country is not just walking or having strong legs, its all lungs. Its like riding a miss and out event on the track. No need for pure sprinting but lots of get up and go until your lungs explodes.

[Superman]

I usually like a little ankle support in the back country. Lots of rocks back there to step on. But otherwise those shoes look great and I agree with Charlie about keeping weight down, including and especially on the feet.

Break them fully in first, and still pack moleskin and scissors.

Buildings have stairs. Which can be used for training. Hiking up a grade is a completely different animal from flat ground. In terms of cardio and muscle burn.

Budget more than six hours for ten miles, I say. But I suppose it depends. I am old. I once saw three young people run to the top of Mr. Adams (more than 12,00 feet).

[Superman]

Originally Posted by look 171

If someone is taking care of my bags and gear but having only needed to carry lunch and a light back pack, I would buy something like this

https://www.backcountry.com/oboz-sawtooth-x-mid-waterproof-boot-womens?skid=OBZG04Q-CHA-S100

The one thing I discovered about humping in the steep high country is not just walking or having strong legs, its all lungs. Its like riding a miss and out event on the track. No need for pure sprinting but lots of get up and go until your lungs explodes.

This shoe is MUCH more like the one I use, and though I care very much about weight, I wouldn't wear less shoe than this. Personally. Today's hiking boots are also remarkably light.

[look 171]

Originally Posted by Superman

This shoe is MUCH more like the one I use, and though I care very much about weight, I wouldn't wear less shoe than this. Personally. Today's hiking boots are also remarkably light.

Yep, I also like a little traction from my sole too. Many of the light weights have little threads to keep weight down. Rubber isn't light, but all one need is a little slip and there goes the trip on a good day but breaking something on the way down will seal the deal. The mid sole shank would be the bust selling point for me.

Dave, think of it this way, riding light weight road wheels and tires on the trail is a no go, it will work but for how long. The weight given up is lost on performance from lack of grip or similar to riding with tennis shoe instead of road shoe and pedals on a 50 mile ride.

[David]

Looking at the route for tour of mount blanc it’s 170km, 10,080m up and 10,080m down in 12 days with one rest day. This is getting real!

[look 171]

Dang, that's a lot of up miles. Can you do it on the bike instead? It may be easier. Coming down is just as bad or worst going up for your knee, foot or body. Just knowing myself and my body, I will for sure get a lighter mid weight boot for some much needed support.

Hey, I just noticed your cars. They are similar to mine. An 88 930 with about 460 at the wheels on pump gas and a 2009 Cayman S with some suspension mods. Not to mention the bike. Great minds think alike

[David]

I would LOVE to do it on a bike but that’s a complete no go for the wife. Read back to post about titanium plates in wife’s ankle. Hiking is a good joint activity for us and we hike every time we travel just not at this level.