How long does it take to hike?
It is, of course, easier to hike on a smooth and flat trail than to climb a steep mountain, and your hiking speed will reflect this. The overview chart below can give you an indication based on experiential grounds, but it varies depending on your fitness level, the weight of your backpack, and the weather conditions you are hiking in.
In an easy-to-hike landscape with trail markings, you can walk about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) in two hours. Your hiking pace will naturally be affected if there are more elevation changes, if vegetation makes the path difficult to traverse, or if the landscape is hard to navigate. To estimate how long it will take to hike between two different destinations, you must consider a variety of conditions. The following information provides an idea of how long it takes to hike in different types of terrain. Of course, the fastest route is not always the best.
How long does it take to walk 1 km?
- Forest road (tractor road): 4.6 km/h (2.9 mph)
- Easy, flat trail: 4.0 km/h (2.5 mph)
- Gently rolling terrain: 3.3 km/h (2.1 mph)
- Hilly terrain: 2.7 km/h (1.7 mph)
- Steep ascent: 2.0 km/h (1.2 mph)
- Very steep ascent: 1.5 km/h (0.9 mph)
Walking speed, general description.
| Distance, with shorter stops | Forest road (tractor road) | Easy, flat trail | Gently rolling terrain | Hilly terrain | Steep ascent | Very steep ascent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Km | tim, min | tim, min | tim, min | tim, min | tim, min | tim, min |
| 1 | 0,13 | 0,15 | 0,18 | 0,22 | 0,30 | 0,40 |
| 2 | 0,25 | 0,30 | 0,35 | 0,45 | 1,00 | 1,20 |
| 3 | 0,38 | 0,45 | 0,55 | 1,05 | 1,30 | 2,00 |
| 4 | 0,50 | 1,00 | 1,10 | 1,30 | 2,00 | 2,40 |
| 5 | 1,00 | 1,25 | 1,30 | 1,50 | 2,30 | 3,20 |
| 6 | 1,15 | 1,30 | 1,50 | 2,15 | 3,00 | 4,00 |
| 7 | 1,30 | 1,45 | 2,10 | 2,40 | 3,30 | 4,40 |
| 8 | 1,40 | 2,00 | 2,30 | 3,00 | 4,00 | 5,20 |
| 9 | 1,55 | 2,15 | 2,45 | 3,25 | 4,30 | 6,00 |
| 10 | 2,05 | 2,30 | 3,00 | 3,45 | 5,00 | 6,40 |
| 11 | 2,20 | 2,45 | 3,20 | 4,05 | 5,30 | |
| 12 | 2,30 | 3,00 | 3,35 | 4,30 | 6,00 | |
| 13 | 2,45 | 3,15 | 4,00 | 4,50 | 6,30 | |
| 14 | 2,55 | 3,30 | 4,15 | 5,15 | 7,00 | |
| 15 | 3,10 | 3,45 | 4,30 | 5,40 | 7,30 | |
| 16 | 3,20 | 4,00 | 4,50 | 6,00 | ||
| 17 | 3,35 | 4,15 | 5,10 | 6,25 | ||
| 18 | 3,45 | 4,30 | 5,30 | 6,45 | ||
| 19 | 4,00 | 4,45 | 5,45 | 7,05 | ||
| 20 | 4,10 | 5,00 | 6,00 | 7,30 | ||
| 21 | 4,25 | 5,15 | 6,20 | 7,50 | ||
| 22 | 4,35 | 5,30 | 6,35 | 8,15 | ||
| 23 | 4,50 | 5,45 | 7,00 | 8,35 | ||
| 24 | 5,00 | 6,00 | 7,15 | 9,00 | ||
| 25 | 5,15 | 6,15 | 7,30 | 9,25 |
Source: DNT
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