Toughest hiking in the woild?

[Neil]

2 summers ago when my son and I were hiking out of Crag Camp for a few days I was struck by how tough it was. Then in the Dacks where I do allmost all of my hiking now, more really tough hiking. All I really knew prior to the NE was the good ole Canadian Rockies which seem like nursery school compared to this stuff. A guy who was also staying at the hut said that the Whites were indeed the toughest to hike in the world. That's right, in the whole wide world! I find the Dacks to be about the same. Is this really true or is the hiking even harder somewhere else? Perhaps the gravity is stronger in the Andes.

 

[spencer]

Be careful what kind of discussion you start, here. We don't want this to explode into the stupid NY vs. NH debate we often hear...

b/c you'd both be wrong. Maine is of course the hardest

NONE of us have been to enough places to deem one place as the toughest in the world.

spencer

 

[Puck]

Be careful what kind of discussion you start, here. We don't want this to explode into the stupid NY vs. NH debate we often hear...

b/c you'd both be wrong. Maine is of course the hardest

NONE of us have been to enough places to deem one place as the toughest in the world.

spencer

Yes, however, I can tell you the hiking in NH is tougher then in Nebraska.

 

[lamerunner]

Nebraska,definitely...

 

[Neil]

NONE of us have been to enough places to deem one place as the toughest in the world.

spencer

Actually the guy was quoting someone who had supposedly hiked EVERYWHERE.

And I meant hiking trails not scrambles or bushwhacks.

I hear the hiking is pretty tough on Jupiter....Not to mention NYC.

 

[lamerunner]

I have never hiked in the Adirondacks, but my experience has been the hiking in the NOrtheast is generally more diffcult than most hiking on normal trails in the West. There are of course exceptions but NH trails tend to be steeper, rockier and wetter than those in Colorado or Wyoming. Not much room for switchbacks I guess. Of curse, we don't have altitude issues here...

 

[ADK4Life]

Life can be hard in NH for sure, just spend a day on Huntington. Nothing says misery like an uneven day with ups and downs in the daks though..same goes for maine.

You would have to hike the whole world to make a broad statement like the hardest hiking in the world.

I met a guy on Lafayette that was from Seattle and he was transfered to Boston due to work. He stated New Hampshire was much harder than Rainer and the Northern Cascades for the small numbers regards elevation gain and mileage.

 

[Rugger]

Only comparison I have is a couple of 8-9000 footers in the San Gabriel Mtn's east of LA. They was much easier than anything I've hiked in New England due to the extensive use of switchbacks. the trails were gravelly (spelling?) with no boulders, roots etc. I am going to Scotland this summer, so I will have a more worldy view come this fall!

 

[el-bagr]

3. High Altitude (above 24,000 feet): For this I imagine not drinking any water for five days, then drinking two Big Bear malt liquor 40's and eight Zima's the night before climbing Mount Washington in December with a fresh two feet of snow and no snowshoes on.

Brilliant.

 

[Neil]

For this I imagine not drinking any water for five days, then drinking two Big Bear malt liquor 40's and eight Zima's the night before climbing Mount Washington in December with a fresh two feet of snow and no snowshoes on.

Schlimm,
Now that would make for a great thread. Hey! Did I ever tell you about the time I OD'd on Tequila just before shooting the rapids in North Ontario?

 

[rhihn]

I don’t see how the “toughest” hike can really be quantified, other than by obviously silly comparisons (Mt. Jo in the Adirondacks is easier than Everest, for example). Even the difficulty of doing the same mountain on the same trail can vary wildly, depending upon my physical condition at the time, how psyched up mentally I am, what I had for breakfast, who I’m hiking with, weather conditions, time of day, and a host of other variables. I found much the hiking in Colorado to be “easier” than the Adirondacks in some ways, but the altitude does get to some people. Also, a hike’s particular challenge can also determine how difficult it is. If, for example, a mountain has bushwacking as its primary challenge, and if you're good at bushwacking, it’s an easier mountain than it would be for someone not into bushwacking. If you're good at climbing slides, it’s an easier mountain than it is for someone afraid of heights. Thus, the same hike on the same day for two different hikers could be both difficult and easy. And let’s not forget that a hike doesn’t have to be a mountain to be difficult.

 

[mavs00]

Damn you Dick, there you go, you just HAD to go making sense again.

 

[CaptainJim]

I did some hiking in Saint Mary Kansas once...

that was tough... miles & miles of boring flatland & nothingness

 

[RGF1]

It really depends on where you hike. I have come to the conclusion that the early trail makers did not believe in switchbacks here in the east. They could have made but just went up in the most direct path. The rocks in the trail are often put there on purpose to prevent erosion, not to make your hike difficult or easier in the case of stone steps. There are easy and difficult place just about every where. I also highly doubt any peak in the east is easier than Rainier, which requires either solid mountaineering and glacier skills or a competent guide. Many of the western trails are made for both hikers and pack animals so they have much gentler footing. And usually do not require hoping over boulders that are just waiting sprain an ankle or break a leg,
One of the first things you do notice in many areas out west is that there are few signs and almost none have mileage form one point to another on hem. Getting up those switchbacks above 12,000 ft seems tough even for the locals for some reason. . Once you decide to climb a peak unless it is a popular peak and easier such as Elbert or LA Plata . Peaks such as the Maroon Bells are extremely dangerous, steep and do not have maintained trails. Rockfall is a constant hazard and exposure is a real concern. . I would consider The Grand Teton, Granite Peak, any of the 7 Elk range 14,000ft peaks The Crestones in Colorado. Many require 4- 6 thousand-ft of elevation gain and a lot of it is off trail and on steep sometimes loose rotten rock. . The trail heads are often at 8 or 9 thousand ft and if you are not used to the altitude you feel it.
It all depends on what you are looking for. I can say that after hiking out west I came back and went up the Daniel Webster trail on Madison. I started cursing all the boulders one has to go over on that trail. While it might not be as steep as western mountains it sure was tiring
But in my own experience the toughest mountains I have climbed are, in no particular order Grand Teton . Granite peak in MT the Maroon Bells, Capitol Peak, Pyramid Peak and Crestone peak. All are out west. One thing about western trails is that they are mellower and have lots of places to camp on them. They also have lots of views from meadows and avalanche paths. They have marmots and pikas there too wish we had them here. I just like them.
Each place has it unique beauty and difficulties.
As for Swamps with alligators and poisonous snakes no thanks I' ll pass on those hazards.

 

[blacklab2020]

A little bit of trail history...

It really depends on where you hike. I have come to the conclusion that the early trail makers did not believe in switchbacks here in the east. They could have made but just went up in the most direct path. The rocks in the trail are often put there on purpose to prevent erosion, not to make your hike difficult or easier in the case of stone steps. There are easy and difficult place just about every where. I also highly doubt any peak in the east is easier than Rainier, which requires either solid mountaineering and glacier skills or a competent guide. Many of the western trails are made for both hikers and pack animals so they have much gentler footing.

I grew up in MD, moved to tucson for several years, and have experience in the rockies. Then I moved back east and found that the Whites and the Daks will kick your butt (especially if you think the elevation matters). This is interesting because I had a similar discussion with my brother.

After working on a trail crew for two summers at philmont scout ranch in new mexico, my brother claims this is completely due to the history of hiking in the area. Like RGF1 has pointed out western trails are made for pack animals, but also for herding cattle and moving other animals. Whereas the trails on the eastern seaboard are more often being developed in the interest of tourism. Whats the fastest way to get the great views or to the top? (similar to the style of climbers trails, that take the shortest way to get to the route.)

It would be interesting to compare what trails in the Daks and Whites existed first and how newer trails compare in grade and steepness...

 

[TJH]

I consider what I have done so far just the beginning stages of my hiking endeavors. As my kids get older and hopefully into hiking, I plan on taking on some peaks out west, and then hopefully Alaska. But I can't possibly see how anything I do from this point on can be harder than the hikes that I did in the Marine Corps infantry at Camp Lejeune, NC where there was no elevation gain.

TJH

 

[hiker13901]

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Adirindacks are tough, Catskills are tough in spots, but one areas that is tough is doing the Finger Lakes trail in Western, New York. Just a lot of hills and no flat ground at all. Up and down, up and down. Pennsylvania hiking is tough because all trails are all rocks and I mean all rocks, no dirt, no leaves.

Lindsey Leiser

 

[Hollywood]

Yes, however, I can tell you the hiking in NH is tougher then in Nebraska.

Generally this is true. But if you were to walk across Nebraska with your pockets full of marbles and a bunch of bananas on your head this might rival a hike in NH.

With any luck there will always be a tougher hike than the last one.

H.

 

[SherpaKroto]

I've been finding lately that the hardest hike is the one that gets me away from my office!!!

An interesting thread - I think Dick got it right.

 

[catskillclimber]

Sounds like Dick is right to me too. That being said though, I find the trails in the daks and catskills to be more difficult than my very limited experience with some 10,000 footers hiking around the Wasatch and Park City Utah. I only hiked one trail in Colorado and found it to be very well groomed and easy. Didn't notice any elevation problems but I hear it doesn't effect some as badly as others. Now the views in the Wasatch however...