How to Walk Uphill and Downhill
Saturday June 14, 2008
This weekend I enjoyed hikes in the Columbia River Gorge. Its steep cliffs produce dramatic waterfalls, and also ensure that most routes have a lot of uphill and downhill switchbacks. Because I was on natural trails, I used a pair of trekking poles for stability. Some people prefer a single hiking stick, but I like the security of the pair of trekking poles. I also wore a different pair of trail shoes each day. Trail shoes have a rock plate in the bottom so you won't feel rocks and gravel poking through. My friends who hiked in running shoes soon regretted that choice.
Photo: Looking down 1000 feet from Wauna Viewpoint to Bonneville Dam, Columbia River Gorge, Oregon. © 2008 Wendy Bumgardner.
Comments
There are $15 poles at Target(Eddie Bauer brand) that are very good for a beginner. Get used to them, learn the technique, realize some benefits and then start lusting for the expensive Lekis. I love my Target poles and know I’ll love my Lekis when I can afford them.
Running shoes are terrific for running, but not for walking on trails. Beside the superior resistance to having rocks and gravel crunch one’s feet, shoes made for trail walking also offer superior traction. The lugs on their bottoms give one some grab on leaves, which can be slippery, roots, and sand and other factors that can cause a person to lose balance.
And poles can help if a slide starts. I have known backpackers who scorned poles. Fine for them, perhaps, but most people find the poles helpful, especially taller people, who can transfer some weight to poles on descents. (Tall people are susceptible to knee joint injuries because their longer muscles and ligaments contract and expand more than those of shorter people.)
There’s much else to write about poles, but someone with two poles and trail boots has made the proper choices for trail tramping. This writer preferred graphite poles and lightweight boots, but not everyone has to worry about walking in thunderstorms or cutting weight to avoid fatigue.