Explanation of Hiking Times, Distances, Altitudes and Rating Levels

The vast majority of trekking routes on this website are not maintained as normal hiking trails. Local guides know the tracks well, but outsiders may flounder for lack of trail signs and markings. For this reason, it is expected that trekkers will hire a guide unless they have experience navigating under these conditions. Parties that plan to travel independently should review these notes on necessary backountry hiking skills and equipment.

Unless otherwise noted, the hiking times on this site come from personal experience carrying a light day pack. Please bear in mind a general rule: hiking times do not include rest stops or lunch breaks. Your time on the trail may be higher or lower. Add 25% as an initial projection of total time on the trail to include breaks. Adjust to suit your own experience and circumstances.

Distances, when noted, may be approximated based on rough measurements from topographic maps.

Elevations for round-trip hikes are labeled as “Start” and “Destination”. Example:
Altitude in Meters: Start 2,650. Destination 3,060

Elevations for end-to-end treks are labeled as “Start”, “Max”, and “End”. Example:
Altitude in Meters: Start 2,360. Max 3,200. End 2,600

Altitudes on this website are sometimes taken from OpenTopoMap.org. Other sources are various cell phone apps whose accuracy may be affected by multiple factors. The altitude given on your device may differ.