What is the difference between hiking and trekking?

The difference between hiking and trekking

What is the difference between hiking and trekking?

Hiking and trekking are outdoor activities that many people like to put together even they’re not exactly the same thing. Yes, there is a major similarity and yes these two activities are both handled outdoor in nature by using your feet, but still, there are differences. Check them out.

Difference between hiking and trekking

Yes, here at Tarasport we like to explore nature and everything it has to give, and hiking and trekking are one way of doing that. Or better be said – two ways. You see, even here we put them together even though they’re separate things. The main reason why people think they’re the same thing is because both of these two activities include:

  1. Walking by foot,
  2. Exploring nature,
  3. Physical exercise,
  4. Somewhere serious physical efforts,
  5. Amazing nature scenery and
  6. Self-equipment for long walking.

 

But what are the differences then?

 

As the biggest differences between hiking and trekking, you could list a couple of things. For example, the four most significant of them are: approachability and locationdistance and time needed for completing the route. If you could say that you’re ever finished with exploring nature and new paths. Right?

Location differences and approachability to them

 

Hiking and trekking difference - Montenegro

Even though hiking can be a very demanding physical activity, knowing that it usually means walking through the well known and established nature routes and hiking trails, it can be considered as somewhere easier type of nature walking. Not by the physical demands which are very high, but because of the fact that these hiking trails and routes can be more or less easier to access by any kind of transportation or specified types of them.

We can all agree that this is a very important fact when it comes to deciding whether you’d like to go on a hiking trip or not. The term safer could be a bit strong, but knowing that you can easily go back or expect help since you’re walking alongside or at least near to the well known and frequent roads, does kind of give you reassurance. Hiking usually takes place in beautiful natural surroundings and environment that takes your breath awayand that environment is most of the time made of astonishing hills.

On the other hand, trekking too consists of demanding routes, but in general, it is more or less considered to be a mountainous type of walking then the any other type. Saying that it’s a great time to mention that Tarasport offers a lot of different trekking and hiking routes through Montenegro and Bosnia that you’ll fall in love to.

Anyway, around the World trekking is considered to be a rougher type of walking at least because you could be walking through not so nice parts of nature, and because in some places it is considered an necessity since those cultures need to find their path to salvation. Of course, this isn’t the case when it comes to Montenegro, Bosnia, and all Tarasport arrangements. So don’t worry!

Distance and time

When it comes to distances you’ll need to conquer during hiking and trekking routes, you may encounter the most logic difference between these two activities. Let’s say that hiking is a longer or shorter walk through the most amazing scenery you could ever encounter, through the well known trails and routes which have a well known starting and ending point, you could say that you know right away how long these trails could take, therefore you could say that the distances you’ll travel are shorter.

But how can you tell? You can tell because of the fact that trekking usually can take days of walking and literally trekking your way through nature, with fewer well-established roads and paths, with no definite finish line. You can go on a trekking route that you explore by your own, creating it all by yourself, even sleeping in nature could be part of it if you’re gone for days and weeks. So you could definitely say that it is a longer walk, and more dangerous one if you ever decide to go by yourself.

Difference between trekking and hiking - Durmitor mountain

Of course here, at Tarasport you’ll always have a professional by your side. And speaking about unknown, how much of the unknown is there really? We guess you’ll have to try and find by yourself.

Once we established that distance is a key difference between hiking and trekking, we can only add a time dimension to it by saying that of course you’ll need less time for hiking on the well-known trails that somebody already encountered and conquered, maybe even say mastered, than for undefined and wilder routes of trekking which could take a number of days and which you don’t want to finish instantaneously.

It’s probably appropriate to say that if you’re going to take less time walking in nature that that could be considered an hiking expedition, while going out walking for days or weeks would be considered trekking.

You can spot the difference even with the equipment you need for hiking and trekking

As we already said, since you can go trekking for number of days and not even be sure what to expect, there are some kits and part of the equipment that you could find useful and necessary if you’re going to the wilder parts of nature and expect to sleep there too.

For example, when it comes to hiking you’ll need: hiking boots (pretty much the same as trekking boots), spare water, hiking pole, compass just in case and day backpack, or if you’re going hiking at night, night backpack (rarely) and sunscreen. While other things are provided by the professional that follows you.

While the trekking equipment usually needs to add a few more things like: camping gear, necessary survival kit and more clothing which is necessary because of the weather changes and colder weather in mountainous environment and medicine kit.

Ok, that pretty much sums it all up, the only thing that remained is for you to decide that you wish to explore nature only by your foot and to book some of the amazing Tarasport hiking and trekking arrangements on Durmitor, Maglić, Zelengora and other mountains in Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. We’re already here, what you’re waiting for?

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