The hike difficulty levels in this blog are based on my personal experience. Here is a short explanation of the hike difficulty ratings on this blog.
In my blog I include many different day and multi-day hikes. These range from easy walks, like Cathedral Cove to some of New Zealand’s epic Great Walks, such as the Routeburn Track. I give all of these hikes a difficulty rating along with a description. I try my very best to be consistent in rating the difficulty of hikes.
A Note On Hike Difficulty Levels
Giving a difficulty level for a hike is not an easy process. What one person may find easy, another person may find challenging. Thus, it is ultimately a subjective process. If you are a new hiker or not very fit, then I would be conservative and assume that most walks will be more challenging for you than the ratings.
I think that the more you use one source, the more you know how that difficulty level compares for you. For example, when I go hiking on a DOC trail I know how fast I am compared to the times given by DOC. Most of the time I am a bit faster, so if I see the DOC time for a hike is 5 hours, I can expect it to take me a bit less than that.
Hike Difficulty Levels – How Do I Rate The Hikes?
Personally, I am a keen hiker and thus my ratings will be for someone that is in pretty good shape and has some experience hiking. These ratings are for adults, so if you’re hiking with kids then they will likely be harder than they are listed.
Easy – These are the easiest hikes. Mostly this is hikes that are under a couple of hours and are not very strenuous. They are mostly flat, but there may be a short climb up or descent, but nothing too sustained.
Easy/Moderate – These hikes are more challenging than the easy ones, but not quite moderate. They may be a bit longer or the surface of the trail may be rooty or rocky. There may be more of a sustained up or down on the track that will tire you out.
Moderate – These trails are a bit longer and will be quite challenging for those who are not in shape or used to hiking for extended times.
Difficult – These are the hardest trails. They will make just about anyone tired and will have long, sustained climbs. The trail may be very uneven and even have unbridged stream crossings. Everyone that does this trail will feel tired at the end.