What Makes a Hiking Trail Difficult? Looking Beyond Distance

“It’s only 10 kilometres.”

That can sound reassuring when you’re choosing a hike. But 10 kilometres on a gently rolling path is a different experience from 10 kilometres up a steep mountain pass, across loose rock and down a long descent.

Distance is useful. It just needs company.

To judge whether a hike suits you, look at the climbing, terrain, navigation, conditions and equipment involved. Then compare those demands with your recent experience—and that of everyone coming with you.

The same distance can mean very different hikes

Consider these two imaginary routes:

Under similar weather conditions, Hike B would generally demand more time, effort and skill. The distance alone doesn’t reveal any of that.

This is why a useful trail description should tell you what the walking involves, alongside the number of kilometres.

1. Look at the climbing—and the descending

Total elevation gain is the sum of all the uphill climbing along a route. It is different from the height of the summit or the difference between your starting and finishing elevations.

If you climb 300 metres, descend 200 metres and climb another 250 metres, your total elevation gain is 550 metres. A circular route can finish exactly where it started and still involve substantial climbing.

Check how that ascent is distributed. A gradual climb spread over several kilometres may feel very different from gaining the same height on a short, steep slope. Repeated climbs can also make an apparently gentle route demanding.

Descents deserve attention too. Steep, loose or awkward downhill sections require controlled movement and careful foot placement, especially when you are tired.

Look at the elevation profile as well as the total ascent. Does the biggest climb come early, or is it waiting near the end? On a route that begins downhill, remember that the return journey may involve a sustained climb.

2. Understand the terrain and technical demands

The surface under your feet affects how quickly and comfortably you can move.

An even path allows a fairly consistent rhythm. Loose stones, boulders, roots, mud and soft sand can slow you down and demand more concentration. Scrambling may require using your hands to move over rock.

Read beyond descriptions such as “a little technical”. Ask what that actually means. Are there ladders, chains, exposed steps or sections where you need to climb down facing the rock?

Physical effort and technical difficulty are separate considerations. You may have the endurance for a long walking day but lack experience on steep rock. An experienced scrambler may be comfortable with the terrain but find the distance exhausting.

Exposure matters independently, too. In trail descriptions, it often means being close to a significant drop, where a slip could have serious consequences. A section may require straightforward movements while still being unsuitable for someone uncomfortable with heights.

River crossings are another specific issue to investigate. Their difficulty can change with water levels; a description from a previous trip cannot establish whether a crossing is appropriate on your hiking day.

3. Check how much navigation is required

Following a maintained, well-marked trail and finding your way through an unmarked landscape involve different skills.

Look for information about junctions, trail markers, path visibility and sections where the route becomes unclear. Consider how you would navigate if mist obscured the landmarks.

The Mnweni Circuit illustrates this distinction. Its established reputation does not mean the route is marked throughout. Identifying the correct pass and understanding your position in the landscape are part of the undertaking, alongside the walking itself.

A downloaded GPX track can support navigation, but you need to know how to interpret it, recognise a mistake and respond if your device becomes unavailable. Navigation involves continually relating your surroundings to your map or route information. Mountaineering Scotland’s route-planning guidance explains this process.

If the route requires skills you haven’t developed, choose suitable guidance or build those skills on less committing outings first.

4. Assess the conditions for your actual trip

A trail rating describes a route under certain assumptions. It cannot guarantee the conditions you’ll encounter.

Wet rock may be slippery. Mist can make navigation harder. Strong wind can affect balance, while heat and limited shade can make a familiar distance more demanding. Recent rain can change river crossings, and snow or ice can transform a walking route.

Check the season, forecast, recent trail reports and official notices. For mountain routes, consider conditions at the elevation you will reach, rather than relying only on a forecast for the nearest town.

Daylight also affects your plan. A route that leaves plenty of time for delays on a long summer day may allow much less flexibility in winter.

CapeNature advises hikers to check weather, plan exit options and select routes suited to the whole group’s fitness and experience. These checks belong alongside any difficulty rating. CapeNature hiking guidance.

5. Account for your pack and consecutive days

Think about what you’ll carry when comparing a proposed hike with something you’ve already done.

A daypack and a backpack containing shelter, sleeping equipment, food and water place different demands on you. Extra weight can affect your pace and how you move on uneven ground.

For a multi-day hike, assess each stage individually. Dividing the total distance by the number of days can hide one particularly demanding day.

Also consider the sequence. A long climb on the third morning comes after two days of walking, and perhaps less restful sleep than usual. Your previous experience should ideally include both a comparable load and consecutive walking days.

Practise with the equipment and pack weight you intend to use. What you learn from those outings will be more useful than assuming a distance you once completed will feel the same under different circumstances.

6. Consider how committed you’ll be

Remoteness may not make a path steeper, but it affects the consequences of a problem.

Ask how easily you could shorten the day, turn around or leave the route. A line on a map that appears to offer an escape may cross difficult terrain or land you cannot access.

Check whether mobile reception is expected and what emergency arrangements apply. Knowing that help may take time should influence your preparation and route choice.

On some coastal routes, tides affect when particular sections can be attempted. Elsewhere, long stretches between water sources influence what you must carry. These constraints can make a hike less flexible even when the walking itself seems manageable.

Distinguish between how hard the route is to walk and how much responsibility it places on the group. Both matter when deciding whether it suits you.

7. Treat difficulty ratings as a starting point

Labels such as “easy”, “moderate” and “strenuous” are useful summaries, but check how they were assigned.

A rating may emphasise distance and climbing, account for technical obstacles, or reflect a contributor’s personal experience. Numerical scores from different websites are not necessarily comparable.

For example, Shenandoah National Park uses a calculation based on distance and elevation gain, but explicitly acknowledges its limitations and adjusts some classifications for steepness. That is one documented system, not a universal hiking scale. How Shenandoah determines hiking difficulty.

When reading a rating, ask:

• What does it measure?
• Does it describe the whole route or its hardest section?
• Is it based on the same itinerary and direction I plan to follow?
• What conditions and level of experience does it assume?

Use photographs, maps and detailed descriptions to understand the terrain. Read personal accounts for context, while remembering that another hiker’s confidence and pace may differ from yours.

8. Decide whether the hike suits your group

Your recent hiking experience provides a practical reference point.

Compare the proposed route with hikes you have completed comfortably. Consider the climbing, surface, pack weight and time on your feet—not just the distance. Be honest about any sections that required more effort or confidence than expected.

Before committing, ask:

• Have we managed similar walking and climbing recently?
• Are we comfortable with the most technical or exposed section?
• Do we have the navigation skills the route requires?
• Have we allowed time for breaks, slower progress and delays?
• Do we understand the current conditions, water requirements and exit options?
• Does the plan suit every member of the group?

More time may help with a physically demanding day, but it does not resolve every technical or navigation challenge. Where necessary, choose a different route, obtain appropriate guidance or develop the relevant skills first.

If you are preparing for your first overnight trip, our article Your First Multi-day Hike: How to Choose a Trail and Prepare takes you through the wider planning process.

Choose a challenge you understand

A rewarding hike can stretch your abilities while leaving room to enjoy the experience. The aim is to understand what that challenge involves before you commit.

Look beyond the headline distance, investigate the hardest sections and match the route to the people and conditions involved. You’ll be better placed to choose an adventure that feels worthwhile—and to recognise when a different plan makes more sense.

Which factor has surprised you most on a hike: the climbing, terrain, pack weight or something else? Share your experience in the comments.