Calculating the walking time
The hiking time calculation is a central point when planning hiking and mountain tours. In addition to the pure walking time , the walking time also includes non-productive times (standing and set-up times), such as rest and eating breaks or time reserves for moving when the weather changes.
In groups, the weakest group member must always be taken into account when calculating the march time. With small changes it can also be used to plan bike and ski tours as well as other endurance sports.
Basics of walking time
On average, a pedestrian “at normal walking pace ” needs 12–15 minutes for one kilometer, ie 4–5 km in an hour .
Procedure of the alpine clubs
Today, all alpine clubs use a standardized procedure in order to get realistic walking time information for less experienced hikers. These procedures are more geared towards slow hikers, since overly optimistic travel hours can lead to the fact that one miscalculates the actually required ascent or descent time and ends up in the dark or in mountain difficulties. The official Swiss “red sock trot” calculates at 4.2 km per hour with surcharges and reductions depending on the incline or decline, not including breaks. The experienced mountaineer converts this information to his personal walking pace.
In 2004, these empirical values were included in DIN 33466 signposts for hiking trails , which are also used as a basis in the other German-speaking Alpine countries and Slovenia. The assessment basis is:
- A hiker covers in an hour:
- 300 meters in ascent
- 500 meters in descent
- 4 km horizontal distance.
The nominal walking time of a distance is calculated by halving the smaller value of the times calculated for horizontal and vertical distance and adding it to the larger one.
In its training manuals, the Swiss Alpine Club calculates a horizontal distance of 4 km per hour for both summer and winter sports and an ascent of 400 meters of altitude per hour. These are services that are expected of regular (mountain) hikers and mountaineers.
- Time in hours = (height difference in m / 400) + (horizontal distance in km / 4)
In some cases, for well-trained hikers, one hour of time per 800 meters of descent is added, for older people or difficult terrain significantly less than 500 meters of altitude.
These alpine walking times are therefore particularly influenced by the incline and the altitude difference (altitude hour) , not just the distance (distance hour) . In more extreme terrain, the times for the ascent and descent of the same route back are indicated differently on the signposts. So one can break point of a tour identify better.
The above rules of thumb only apply as long as there are no technical difficulties such as passages that have to be climbed, or if they are climbed with a secure stand , then estimates of the climbing meters per time must be taken into account.
Specific sports
Ski and snowboard tours: On the descent, you calculate with a third of the time that was needed for the ascent. Accordingly, one reckons with 1200 meters of altitude per hour. However, this depends heavily on the terrain, the snow conditions and the size of the group. For example, when there is a risk of avalanches, descents are more protracted because the group has to drive disciplined at intervals; The people ahead also have to wait more often at a safe assembly point until the rest of the group has driven through the delicate passage.
Snowshoe tours: On the descent, an additional hour is required for every 800 m difference in altitude.
Performance kilometers
Another option is to use performance kilometers . These are rules of thumb for the affordable kilometers of path length depending on the terrain. Here, too, the individual athlete must know his own performance.
Non-productive times
Breaks
Expect a 5 to 10 minute break per hour , although you have to note that breaks tend to be longer in larger groups, so that as a tour guide you have to counteract this.
The roping or attracting crampons can take half an hour easily, especially for inexperienced users.
Experienced tour guides move discussions and decisions (e.g. route selection, assessment of hazards) to breaks in order to save time reserves. To do this, they plan to hold breaks from the outset where the further route and the terrain are clearly visible.
Time reserves
For a one-day tour you have at least an hour reserve. Much more time is lost than you are aware of, especially when there is uncertainty about the choice of route and when the weather worsens. Or, to cite a historical example, a geographic study from the 1860s about distance measurements at that time - based on traveling on horseback - in unknown terrain, said that for a nominal 10 hours of travel one had to reckon with real 14-15 hours of time, including rest breaks, the ratio of the nominal walking time to the real walking time should therefore be set at around 2 ⁄ 3 . Therefore, the following applies: Only with more precise knowledge of the circumstances - performance and routine of the people concerned as well as terrain, path and weather conditions - can one calculate more tightly.
See also
- Bar formula for the time forecast for endurance sports
- Cruising speed
- League hour
- Soldiers March
Individual evidence
- ↑ an ironic term: the red socks worn with knee breeches are the hallmarks of foreign mountain tourists
- ^ Deutscher Alpenverein , Österreichischer Alpenverein (ed.): Wegehandbuch der Alpenvereine . August 2011, 1.6.2.5 Calculation of walking times , p. 30 ( alpenverein.at [PDF]).
- ↑ Winkler, Brehm, Haltmeier: Mountain Sports Summer: Technology, Tactics, Safety (2010). SAC publishing house.
- ↑ a b c Winkler, Brehm, Haltmeier: Mountain sports winter: technology, tactics, safety . SAC-Verlag, 2005.
- ↑ the same was also common in mining geodesy, see entry hour . In: Kleines Bergbau ABC , schnaudertal.de. There hour in technical language for the measuring points of the route.
- ↑ For example, “In terms of time, however, 14–15 hours a day are required to cover approximately 10 specified riding or distance hours (including the time for rest and stopping).” In Johann Rośkiewicz: Studies on Bosnia and Herzegovina , Brockhaus, 1868 , P. 61 limited preview in Google Book search