Hiking

Italiano

Six years after the birth of my Grignone in the slope of Pasturo, thanks to a longer time spent in Barzio because my mother doesn't want to know about going down to the city after she has been locked in the house for a whole year to avoid contracting Covid-19, reworking some pages, I realize that an article is missing on the activity I practice, walking or running in the mountains, which is the origin of my blog. Whenever a motivation pushes me to go to the mountains on foot, I mentally go through a series of instructions so that my excursion can be possible, pleasant and less risky. Norms come from common sense and accumulated experience. The last question I ask myself is whether it is right to go there.

As I am about to write them, I document on the Internet by browsing with Google, which is also a good way to compare my knowledge with the experience of others who have in common a passion for the mountains. I find many interesting pages. Two references were more important and frequent. One is the salomon.com Hiking stories & guides.[^] The other is the Qui Montagna blog by Andrea Dianin (in Italian only),[^] who since 2020 has explored the vast field of hiking and mountaineering with passion and competence. It can also be taken as a reference for those who write blogs for economic sustainability. His income comes from Google Ads advertising (minimally invasive) and the Amazon EU Affiliate Program, an affiliate program that allows sites to earn an advertising commission by advertising and providing links to the Amazon.it site.

Definition

Hiking is a long and intense walk on a predetermined path,[^] along trails and roads closed to traffic, in a natural environment, such as the mountains, practiced for various reasons: leisure, health benefit, discover and get to know the territory and nature, getting away from the city or inhabited center and from the noise; it includes admiring the view, stopping in the most beautiful places, observations, photographing. An excursion can be a day long, or just a few hours, or last for several days, practiced in a group or alone. Walking is perhaps the most common of the activities that are practiced in the mountains, among others I list running, mountaineering, climbing, ski mountaineering, alpine skiing, cross-country skiing, mountain biking and many others, booming is cycling on trails; of these activities sports competitions are organized.

Walking, hiking or trekking?

The activity of walking outdoors is called in different ways, walking, hiking, trekking; are they the same activities, are there small differences or are they truly distinct?[^]

Walking is a way to stay outdoors, generally in quiet and pleasant places. The concept of walking is associated with a gait. Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals, by an 'inverted pendulum' gait in which the body vaults over the stiff limb or limbs with each step.[^] The movements of the lower limbs, which consist of alternating flexions and extensions of their segments, are accompanied by movements of other body sectors. Walking is typically slower than running because at least one limb is resting on the ground while in running there is a suspension phase, in humans neither foot is in contact with the ground. Walking is indicated for improving or maintaining general health, at sea level or at high altitudes. Just 30 minutes every day can increase cardiovascular fitness, strengthen bones, reduce excess body fat, and boost muscle power and endurance.[^]

Hiking refers to the program and the itinerary, to move on foot from one point to another according to an established route. An excursion requires some preparation, even if the outing is only for a few hours. A short loop near your home can be defined as a hike, just like crossing a mountain range over several days. When an excursion takes place in the high mountains and lasts several days it is a trekking; Wikipedia redirects trekking to backpacking,[^] and disambigues the term into hiking and walking. On the Grigne, the excursions last a day, or two, with an overnight stay in one of its refuges, generally Refuge Rosalba, Refuge Brioschi, Refuge Bogani, Refuge Bietti. Personally, I say of my predetermined route that I went in the name of the place or the refuge, or generally I took a walk in the mountains, or a trip to the mountains, thus devaluing the length and difficulty of the route and the pace of my journey.

Education

Walking in the mountains means having an impact on the environment, the greater the number of people who frequent it, the greater the pressure exerted. The economic exploitation of the mountain takes place mainly with the construction of houses, which almost always remain empty, and roads, even by concreting the existing ones, with parking lots at higher altitudes. Uncontaminated nature with its beauty invites us to respect the environment and behave correctly, to love it, we keep this teaching for when we return to the city. We keep the mountain clean, taking waste downstream, we do not gather flowers, plants and herbs, minerals, we do not move or soil stones and signs, we do not disturb animals, we do not shout, we do not light fires. And what could be nicer than greeting those you meet on the trails?

Benefits

The article What are the benefits of hiking? 5 great reasons to get started![^] of the Salomon website in Home > Stories & Guides > Hiking > Skills & Advice offers interesting insights into the physical and mental benefits of walking. The five excellent reasons are: accessibility, because you can practice close to home, discover and enjoy nature, to disconnect and take time off, be in the company of yourself or spend time with others, do good for your health. Walking constantly at your own pace, without forcing it, gently puts you back in shape, without impact or trauma, generating numerous positive effects on the musculoskeletal (bones, muscles) and cardiovascular system. In addition, regularly practicing the physical activity of walking outdoors strengthens our immune system, decreases the risk of diabetes and hypertension, lowers the cholesterol level.

How much does it cost?

Walking for hours in a natural environment on a scheduled basis is not an expensive activity, even if you pay for quality shoes, clothing and equipment. It is advisable to register with Club Alpino Italiano, the historic organization that protects the mountains in Italy and helps by offering accident insurance; every year the card must be renewed, the cost is between 50 and 60 euros, I am a member of CAI Milan. Finally, there is the cost of the trip, which often is little or nothing because the excursion is close to home.

Where I have practiced hiking

If it is true that as a child I liked to walk along paths in Valsassina with the organized tours of the Barzio parish, later on I only went to the mountains during the holidays, in the company of friends. Then, from 2003 to 2015, I practiced hiking at least once a week for all four seasons of the year on midweek days, choosing a day with good weather, alone, even staying overnight in shelters. I planned the itinerary with a Multigraphic Firenze map Map of trails and shelters, scale 1: 25000, a Global Map or Kompass 1: 35000, to continue exploring from the previous arrival in that area. I left by public transport from Milan to the north with my backpack on my shoulders, inside a one and a half liter bottle of water, some sweets, the clean sports clothes taken from the drawer, a pocket camera. I have traveled almost all the paths of the CAI or the main marked paths for a radius of 70 km from Milan, clockwise:

• Varese and Varese Valleys. Campo dei Fiori, Monte Rho, Monte Minisfreddo, Poncione di Ganna, Monte Piambello.
• Canton Ticino. Lake Lugano, Monte Generoso, Monte San Giorgio, Monte Brè, Monte Sal Salvatore, Monte Garzirola.
• Como, shore of Lake Como, Triangolo Lariano, Valle d'Intelvi, Val Cavargna, Alpi Lepontine. Monte Cornizzolo, Monte Bolletto e Monte Bollettone, Monte Palanzone, Monte San Primo, Monte Nuvolone, Sasso Gordona, Monte Generoso, Monte di Tremezzo, Monte Bregagno, Monte Garzirola, Monte Cucco, Pizzo di Gino.
• Lecco, Brianza, Valle San Martino, Valsassina, Valvarrone, shore of Lake Como. Monte Linzone, Monte Tesoro, Resegone, Monte Due Mani, Monte Sodadura, Zuccone Campelli, Gruppo delle Grigne, Pizzo dei Tre Signori, Monte Colombina, Monte Rotondo, Monte Legnone.
• Bergamo, Valle Imagna, Val Taleggio, Valle Brembana (Lower, Middle and Upper Valley), Valle Seriana (Lower, Middle and a part of Upper Valley), Val Cavallina, Lago d'Iseo. Castel Regina, Monte Zucco, Monte Sornadello, Monte Cancervo, Corno Zuccone, Monte Torcola, Cima Cadelle, Monte Alben, Monte Poieto, Monte Cornagera, Monte Farno, Cima Blum, Monte Madonnino, Monte di Grone.

My experience is therefore all in the Lombard Prealps, mountains that reach a maximum altitude of about 2600 meters.

Since 2016, I have greatly reduced my activity, walking only from Barzio towards the Grignone and the Piani di Bobbio. The economic cost is zero because I am a guest in my brother's vacation home. My CO₂ emission remains zero as when I moved with public transport because the round trip starts and ends at home. Thanks to hiking, which gradually trains muscles, cartilages, bones and the mountain air, I was able to practice physical activity that I would no longer be able to do with sport after a fall on my butt.

References

1. "Hiking stories & guides". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
2. "Qui Montagna [Here Mountain]". (in Italian). qui-montagna.com. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
3. "Hiking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
4. How to prepare for a trek". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
5. "Hiking vs trekking vs walking". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
6. "Walking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
7. "Walking for good health". Better Health Channel. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
8. "Trekking". Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc. Retrieved 6 December 2021.
9. "What are the benefits of hiking? 5 great reasons to get started! ". Salomon. Retrieved 6 December 2021.