Hiking vs Trekking vs

Mountaineering: What’s The

Difference?

Why You Need To know The

Difference
 Many people tend to use the Click icon to add picture
words hiking, trekking,
and mountaineering as if they
were synonyms. They’re all
similar in that you go out and
walk in nature.

However, there are

important distinctions
between them as well.
 Click icon to add picture

It’s important to know

the difference between
hiking, trekking, and
mountaineering so that
you can choose the
right adventure for you.
 Hiking
The easiest of the three is
hiking. You walk on well-
marked trails of easy to
moderate difficulty,
although this depends on
where you’re hiking.
 These are usually half-
day to one-day tours, like
these hikes in the 
German Alps or these 
hiking trails. The terrain
varies from relatively flat
to steep. Although hiking
is easier than trekking or
mountaineering they can
still be challenging.
Most hiking tours take anywhere from 2 to
8 hours round trip. You usually finish in the
same place that you started. Either from
hiking a loop or returning the same way.
Some hikes have a different start and end
points, so always check before you start.
For hiking tours, you need
minimal equipment compared to
trekking and mountaineering..
Always be sure to bring lots of
water!
 Trekking
Trekking is between
hiking and mountaineering
regarding difficulty.
Although it’s more similar
to hiking. The difference
being that treks are longer
than hikes.
 Treks usually start in
one place and end in a
different one. The
distance can vary
anywhere from ~40
km to several hundred
kilometres away. Some
of the most popular
treks can take a couple
of weeks to complete
The Tour du Mont Blanc, for example,
takes you around the second highest
mountain in Europe. You’ll trek
through France, Italy, and
Switzerland. It’s typically done in 7 to
10 days.
Mountainee
ring
Of the three,
mountaineering is by
far the most
challenging. It’s a
more technical
variation of trekking
that takes you to
higher peaks. Often to
ones that are over
5000 meters above
day trips that require a
lot of previous physical
and technical training.
You need more
equipment than with
hiking or trekking. And
you’ll also need to
know how to use it
properly.
For example, you must know how to
climb on ice with crampons. You also need to
know how to use an ice axe. And how to
safely cross huge cracks on the ice. Not to
mention how to survive snowstorms, and how
to walk on glaciers. And if you slip, how to
rescue yourself with an ice axe.
In addition, in some locations,
you need to be strong enough
to be able to endure long
hours of ascending with low
levels of oxygen.
 Mountaineering is already
proving to be quite an
exciting challenge, even the
preparation for it is a lot of
fun.
Which do you prefer,
hiking, trekking or
mountaineering?