Differences between trekking, trekking, hiking and trekking

What are the differences between terms like trekking, trekking, hiking and trekking. They are the same? Is it the same to say "I am going to trek in Europe" as "I am going to hike in Europe"?

In www.senderismoeuropa.com we organize hiking trips in Eastern Europe, for Bulgaria in particular, and we want to address a topic that can often be confusing and that is often asked by fans who decide to travel with us.

The word trekking comes from the term “Trek” coined in the decade of the 80. This word began to be used by climbers trying their luck in the Himalayas and South America. Trekking was the word used to refer to the walking necessary to reach the foothills of the mountains., to the place of installation of the first base camp just before starting the climb itself. In most cases, the terms trekking and hiking are equivalent.

When we go trekking or hiking, We will find different degrees of difficulty depending on the type of route. There are routes for inexperienced people and routes for highly prepared people, with a high level of difficulty that require good physical preparation. In general, the routes of low difficulty are temporarily framed in the same day and on a more or less flat terrain.

Seven Rila Lakes (Bulgaria)

Courtyard of the Rila Orthodox Monastery

Medium difficulty implies a longer time horizon, with the possibility of spending more than one night camping. You can find certain steep slopes and the duration of the trip forces us to carry a backpack with more weight, for bringing everything you need to spend the night in the field. For a route of high difficulty it is necessary to have previous experience and a minimum of physical preparation. It is essential to bring a complete equipment that includes among many other things, tent, sleeping bag, heaters, abundant amount of food, hypercaloric and if possible and if the terrain is not known, be able to count on an experienced guide in the area.

While trekking or hiking is done through wild roads and without signposting or directly through places where there is no road, and usually with a relatively high degree of difficulty, other modalities such as hiking work differently. Trekking is a type of mountaineering that involves greater physical effort, the routes along which the hikes run do not exist as such and it is the hikers who create or find them. Trekking or hiking is practiced on all types of terrain from mountains, woods, jungles, costas, cannons, rivers, caves, etc. It is an ideal activity to practice in conjunction with other ecological tourism activities.

Rocky phenomenon “Wonderful Bridges” (Bulgaria)

Other modalities such as hiking, they work differently, The definition of hiking is not equivalent to trekking but to the term Hiking. The main difference of the hiking or hiking activity with respect to trekking is the degree of difficulty and the paths for which it is developed. Hiking is a more relaxing activity and although there are also various difficulties, The routes are usually carried out on well marked trails, or on rural roads that may also have stops, shelters or hotel accommodations along the way. The main objective of hiking is to connect people with the natural environment and rural areas and cultures.

The necessary equipment for hiking is varied and will depend on the difficulty of the trail. The main elements are, water bottle, enough liquid depending on the walk, Solar protection, Cap, glasses and sunscreen. Comfortable, easy-drying shoes and clothes, insect repellent, warm clothing depending on the time of year and a classic, aluminum or light wood cane.

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If you have found this article interesting, we are glad to have been useful. Would you ever like travel to Bulgaria ? if the answer is yes, you can contact us at [email protected] .