What is cross country hiking?

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jacki865
jacki865 Posts: 122 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I like to go on a hike every Sunday which usually is between 3-6 miles depending on how I feel. I don't pack much but 2 liters of water when I hike. Usually I hike I state park unpaved trails that go uphill and downhill. Would I consider that cross country hiking?

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  • Nikion901
    Nikion901 Posts: 2,467 Member
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    From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

    Hiking is a form of walking, undertaken with the specific purpose of exploring and enjoying the scenery. It usually takes place on trails in rural or wilderness areas.

    The word 'hiking' is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage.

    In some places, off-trail hiking is called 'cross-country hiking', 'bushwhacking', or 'bush-bashing'.

    In the United Kingdom, hiking is a slightly old-fashioned word, with a flavor more of heartiness and exercise than of enjoying the outdoors; the activity described here would be called 'hillwalking' or simply 'walking'.

    Australians use the term 'bushwalking' for both on- and off-trail hiking.

    New Zealanders use 'tramping' (particularly for overnight and longer trips), 'walking' or 'bushwalking'.

    Hiking in the mountainous regions of Nepal and India is sometimes called 'trekking'.

    Overnight hiking is called 'backpacking' in some parts of the world.

    Hiking a long-distance trail from end to end is referred to as 'thru-hiking' in some places.
  • ElizabethOakes2
    ElizabethOakes2 Posts: 1,038 Member
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    In other words:
    Yes, basically, you are cross-country hiking if you're not on a main road/trail. My usual route circles a lake, and the first two miles in either direction are paved (it's 9 miles around the lake). I don't start counting 'hiking miles' until I'm off the paved trail and away from the jogging strollers and dog walkers.
  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    edited February 2016
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    True cross-country is no road or trail of any kind. Because of this, you must often use a map and compass or other navigation system to not get lost. It's tougher than hiking on trails. If you're on a trail it's not cross-country.
  • jasonjones1968
    jasonjones1968 Posts: 1 Member
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    jacki865 wrote: »
    I like to go on a hike every Sunday which usually is between 3-6 miles depending on how I feel. I don't pack much but 2 liters of water when I hike. Usually I hike I state park unpaved trails that go uphill and downhill. Would I consider that cross country hiking?

    Typically cross country hiking is when you are traveling in an area without trails whereas hiking tends to follow groomed or defined trails that are marked and defined. Hope this helps.
  • GypsyHikerAngela
    GypsyHikerAngela Posts: 9 Member
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    I LOVE hiking. I currently hike 20+ miles a week. I recently moved back to my gorgeous mountain hometown in NC. I am enjoying all the beauty. Feel free to add me.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,049 Member
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    jacki865 wrote: »
    I like to go on a hike every Sunday which usually is between 3-6 miles depending on how I feel. I don't pack much but 2 liters of water when I hike. Usually I hike I state park unpaved trails that go uphill and downhill. Would I consider that cross country hiking?

    Yes, for exercise logging purposes I consider that cross country hiking.
  • Hanibanani2020
    Hanibanani2020 Posts: 523 Member
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    Yes. That’s cross country. Cross country hiking is fun during winter in Aus but during summer it’s a very risky activity.
  • tnh2o
    tnh2o Posts: 159 Member
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    Typically cross country hiking is when you are traveling in an area without trails whereas hiking tends to follow groomed or defined trails that are marked and defined. Hope this helps.

    Around here we would call that bushwhacking.
  • LockdownLoser23
    LockdownLoser23 Posts: 93 Member
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    Unless you are crossing borders - it not cross country! Push yourself - hike across countries ;)
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
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    tnh2o wrote: »
    Typically cross country hiking is when you are traveling in an area without trails whereas hiking tends to follow groomed or defined trails that are marked and defined. Hope this helps.

    Around here we would call that bushwhacking.

    Or 'schwacking for short.
  • heybales
    heybales Posts: 18,842 Member
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    Always curious when these come up - since that is a database descriptor from the MET's database.
    Curious what it was based on, what activity was studied.

    https://sites.google.com/site/compendiumofphysicalactivities/Activity-Categories/walking

    17080 code 6.0 METs hiking, cross country (Taylor Code 040)
    (that appears to be equal effort to walking level 4.25 mph on firm surface for comparison)

    Based on study (Taylor, Jacobs et al. 1978)
    https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=sites&srcid=ZGVmYXVsdGRvbWFpbnxjb21wZW5kaXVtb2ZwaHlzaWNhbGFjdGl2aXRpZXN8Z3g6NGM5MTc2Yjg0NzFkYWNhYg

    Full name:
    Taylor HL, Jacobs DR, Jr, Schucker B, Knudsen J, Leon AS, Debacker G. A questionnaire for the assessment of leisure time physical activities. J Chronic Dis. 1978;31(12):741–755.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/0021-9681(78)90058-9

    It appears as boring as it sounds.
    And from follow up studies validating or seeking to improve it - it really is just a questionnaire - not a measurement study like many others are. Maths was involved, what was known, work out unknown, ect.

    So it was an option on a list selected by people.

    I'm not so curious though to spend money to see what the questionnaire is.

    So the term from '70's, and the people selecting the terms, probably impossible to know what they meant unless there was a slight description in there.

    I've always added cross-country to backpacking when going off trail to link up with other trail or desired location.
    I'm thinking the first groups of people that were testing out where trails would end up and specific route were doing cross-country hiking. Fighting around fallen trees, through thick underbrush, ect.

    Several entries in the database are for it appears hiking trails, and with the additional weight you might carry.



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