Читать книгу The Pacific Crest Trail. Hiking the PCT from Mexico to Canada онлайн

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Hiking 7–8 hours a day

A typical backpacker will hike between four and six hours a day. Even a relatively low-mileage thru’-hiker will need to hike between six and eight hours each day once they have built up their fitness. This takes discipline.

You could do what too many hikers seem to do: start fairly late, walk for seven or eight hours with minimal breaks and collapse into camp, exhausted, about teatime. However there are much better hiking patterns, patterns which will make your hike more enjoyable and easier to achieve.

Most hikers take short breaks. That might be fine for youngsters but for the older hiker a break of between 15 and 30 minutes is long enough to stiffen up yet not really long enough to recover. It also means you are hiking through the hottest part of the day!

Late start from Pioneer Mail Picnic Area for Hans (Section 3)

In the hot conditions that predominate along the PCT, an early start is essential. Once you are fit, try hiking from 7am until 10am or 11am without any substantial break. Then stop for two hours before walking for an hour in the afternoon (not too long if it is hot), then take another long break before doing a two or three hours in the evening, once it has cooled down.