Solo hiking

[DougPaul]

neil, it's all love man, but i gotta disagree. to me, a climb is a climb. whether you walk up in flip flops, or do a 5 pitch trad route, it's all just a different take on getting up a mountain. and if you wanna get really technical, you could say that these typical hikes are class 1-3 climbs.

In general, technical climbers use the word "climb" to refer to a technical climb, "hike" to refer to walking. Many who do not or cannot technical climb do not distinguish between the terms.

In other words, if you use the word "climb" to refer to a hike, I will assume that you are a not a climber...

Doug
who used to technical climb

 

[giggy]

SOLO hiking is best descibed as hiking with a wookie and saying "laugh it up fuzzball" as much as possible.

watch out for boba fett, stormtroopers, and other nasty's like mountain slugs, an mynocks.

 

[jfb]

In general, technical climbers use the word "climb" to refer to a technical climb, "hike" to refer to walking. Many who do not or cannot technical climb do not distinguish between the terms.

In other words, if you use the word "climb" to refer to a hike, I will assume that you are a not a climber...

Doug
who used to technical climb

Absolutely correct. Only those who engage in technical climbing get upset when hikers claim to climb mountains, but using the generally accepted definition of "climb," both groups are correct.

definition

 

[giggy]

Absolutely correct. Only those who engage in technical climbing get upset when hikers claim to climb mountains, but using the generally accepted definition of "climb," both groups are correct.

I do both and it doesn't upset me - its all subjective - if your going up a mt - your climbing. If you walking at level ground it hiking. This is the giggy definition and could give a rats arse what the others are

 

[Neil]

It's OK guys, you can poke fun at me all ya want. I still say we're all a bunch of hikers.

I don't climb into bed, I hike into bed.
I suppose there is a diff. between a social hiker and a social climber.

If I was talking to Reinhold Messner would I say to him, "Dude!, me too I'm a solo climber. I solo'd Marcy, alpine style" ?

Oh, and let's not forget the correct employment of the term scrambling. Slide "climbing" is really only scrambling.

 

[DougPaul]

In general, technical climbers use the word "climb" to refer to a technical climb, "hike" to refer to walking. Many who do not or cannot technical climb do not distinguish between the terms.

In other words, if you use the word "climb" to refer to a hike, I will assume that you are a not a climber...

Absolutely correct. Only those who engage in technical climbing get upset when hikers claim to climb mountains, but using the generally accepted definition of "climb," both groups are correct.

definition

You miss the point:

The meaning of the the word "climb" is context dependent and certain meanings are inappropriate in certain contexts. A dictionary attempts to llist all possible meanings in all possible contexts--all meanings are not necessarily appropriate for all contexts. The net effect is that there is no "generally accepted definintion" across certain contexts (such as hiking vs climbing).

The phrase "hiked to the climb" is meaningful in a techincal climbing context, but confusing in a hiking context.

Doug
who not only used to technical climb
but also worked in language technology

 

[DougPaul]

In general, technical climbers use the word "climb" to refer to a technical climb, "hike" to refer to walking. Many who do not or cannot technical climb do not distinguish between the terms.

Whatever. It's just semantics -- nobody has special privileges to use any word, hikers or climbers.

The basic purpose of language is communication of thoughts and ideas. If the speaker uses words that will be misunderstood by the listeners it will impair the communication and cause confusion.

Words are defined by their usage. (This is what really happens in spite of what your grade-school English teacher tried to tell you...) So it is most effective to use words in their accepted use in the context at hand.

So use any words you want to mean anything you want, but no one will understand you.

BTW, "semantics" just means "meanings".

Doug
who used to work in language technology

 

[jbrown]

Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to officially declare this thread: "Off Topic!"

Wow. Climb, hike, scramble, walk, crawl, slither, whatever! It's all semantics. You'd think the future enjoyment of the pasttime hung on the potential labels for what we do. Really, people.

 

[king tut]

When everyone is done w/ this one, can we move on to the potato/potatoe debate? Perhaps the "To-may-to" -"To-ma-to" debate will be equally as exciting.

 

[marty]

The dictionary defines CLIMB as:
To move upward on or mount, especially by using the hands and feet or the feet alone; ascend: climb a mountain; climbed the stairs.
To grow in an upward direction on or over: ivy climbing the walls.

It defines HIKE as:
To go on an extended walk for pleasure or exercise.
To rise, especially to rise upward out of place: My coat had hiked up in the back.

I will continue to use the two terms interchangeably.

 

[Mike P.]

As someone eluded to it's important to know the audience. If you really think you'll speak to Reinhold M. I'd say I fool around on hills in NH, to American climbers, I'd say hiking although in winter general mountaineering might be appropriate. Climbers don't summit as the goal typically just the climb. They might hit the summit or they may not. Very few solo.

Hikers are climbing Class 1 -3 with most being 1 & 2.

Now if you are in the office & say you are a hiker, you may get a lot of me too's. You may find that many of them consider a couple of miles on the local rail trail to be hiking.

While I started solo hiking because I wanted to go & got fed up with people not showing up at the designated meeting place, I will think I accomplished something when I finish the 48 solo. More than finishing them 2x or 3x? I don't think so, just another way of slicing the numbers 130 times up a 4K+ with people, 126 times without. (numbers are guessed at, the 256 is accurate & when I last looked I was doing solo trips about 50% of the time.
Is one number more telling than the other? no, not IMO.

 

[sierra]

Guilty as charged, I sometimes use the term "climb" when referring to hiking but thats only because I spend alot of time out west on the real mountains and climbing is actually what you have to do to get up them.

 

[forestgnome]

Glad to see the pop term "treking" might finally be dying.

I'm climbing Mt. Pierce tomorrow, even though it's not a real mountain.

Happy Trails!

 

[forestgnome]

I spend alot of time out west on the real mountains

"real mountains"??? What a joke. There are thousands of mountains on Earth that drawf those "real mountains". The difference between the White Mountains and the Rockies is about 10,000 ft. The difference between the Rockies and the Himalayas is much more than that.

You can insult the White Mountains all you want, but it doesn't make you cool. Many people here love the White Mountains.

 

[Neil]

Guilty as charged, I sometimes use the term "climb" when referring to hiking but thats only because I spend alot of time out west on the real mountains and climbing is actually what you have to do to get up them.

"real mountains"??? What a joke. There are thousands of mountains on Earth that drawf those "real mountains". The difference between the White Mountains and the Rockies is about 10,000 ft. The difference between the Rockies and the Himalayas is much more than that.

You can insult the White Mountains all you want, but it doesn't make you cool. Many people here love the White Mountains.

I'm always astounded when I see people get all steamed up over what somebody else thinks. Maybe somebody they've never even met and never will.

I participate in these forums because not only do I obtain all sorts of info but it's a great way for me to have fun, make friends and escape stress.

(My typing and spelling skills have improved a little bit too.)

 

[sierra]

forestnome
You have taken exception with a number of my post in the past. Look you have issues that are beyond the scope of this board for sure. I love the Whites, been hiking/climbing in them my whole life, but they are small compared to many, if that bothers you, take it up with God, not me. This board is for exchanging ideas, not for singling out people and ranking on them and or thier opinions. Peace man.

 

[king tut]

Perhaps the anger sharks are swimming.
Goos-fraa-baah
say it w/ me
Goos-fraa-baah
or perhaps you two should do a duet of "I Feel Pretty" from The West Side Story. Very therapeutic.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

Perhaps the anger sharks are swimming.
Goos-fraa-baah
say it w/ me
Goos-fraa-baah
or perhaps you two should do a duet of "I Feel Pretty" from The West Side Story. Very therapeutic.

How about:

We are fam-i-ly
I got all my fellow VFTT'ers with me
We are family
Get up ev'rybody and sing



#1 is solo, #2 & 3 are not.

 

[OldBoneyCheeks]

Question for the masses...

I know that the hiking clubs and organizations mainly do not give awards or specigy anything special for hiking solo, but if you were to tell everyone that "you hiked solo" what would it mean to you?

Obviously it is a solo hike if you set out alone on a remote trail or bushwhack and see no one all day, but what if:

1. Would you consider it a solo hike if you set out alone on a popular trail like the Old Bridal Path and saw other hikers all day long, but other that exchanging pleasantries (or unpleasantries) you kept to yourself?

2. Is it a solo hike if you go to the summit of Mount Washington alone, see an old hiking friend and descend with that person?

3. Is it a solo hike if you go out alone and run into a group of other hikers and finish the day with them, even though you set out alone in the morning?

Just wondering what everyone thinks...I think number one qualifies, but numbers two and three do not...

#1= solo

#2= non solo

#3= not even close.



Hardy...Har...Har...Har

 

[rhihn]

Not hiking solo, referring to it as solo, as in, "I solo'd Phelps yesterday". As if "soloing" it raised it to another level. One could simply say, "I hiked Phelps yesterday". I agree that while yer out there your not reaping any applause.

While we're at it and I'm being a crusty old guy , I also don't like it when people say they "climbed" Marcy or whatever mtn. The vast majority of the peaks we ascend in the NE are hikes, not climbs.

The sentences "I soloed Phelps," "I hiked Phelps," and "I climbed Phelps" are virtually identical to me. Almost interchangeable, except that the first one imparts a little more information (I went alone). True, in some circumstances "solo" can imply that is was a special feat (or at least it's possible to infer that!). One wouldn't usually say, for example, "I soloed down to the park" but rather "I walked down to the park.

As for hiking vs. climbing, was Grace Hudowalski wrong to have signed all of her letters to ADK 46ers "Good Climbing"?