Rate Your Hiking Ability

[Sam Haraldson]

After hearing some hikers calling themselves "professional hiker", the owner of this blog came up with 45 questions for you to answer to determine a final score that would show you where you fit in the "average hiker" or above/below. Enjoy the quiz.

Some of the questions have more power than others. And some are even not counted in the final equation. But, please answer them all truthfully if you want an accurate rating compared to others taking the quiz.

http://tinyurl.com/dymdc4

[Jared Cook]

the link gave me an invalid message in tinyurl.

[te – wa]

Sam, is that a White Castle?? man that makes me hungry, in a strange sort of way. Good thing its way too early here for a PBR

[Jonathan Ryan]

fun quiz, I guess I have some work to do and experiences to have before I become a self proclaimed "professional hiker". On the other hand life is pretty nice lately as a "weekend warrior"…

[Steven Evans]

I didn't pass the test :(

"Your hiking experience score 39%

You are above average in your experience, compared to others taking the quiz. You probably have at least one long distance trail completed and are well on your way to an elite hiker. The percentage number means little here. I cannot edit it. No one can score 100% in this quiz. So far 25-30% seems the average."

[Sam Haraldson]

Here is the direct URL, Jered:
http://www.gotoquiz.com/rate_your_hiking_ability

Yes, Michael that is a White Castle. Read the trip report behind it here:
Bissel's Mound – Summit Cheeseburger Project

Steven – you definitely passed with a 39%. I'm not sure what the algorithm for scoring is but a 25% means you're a great hiker.

[Devin Montgomery]

You beat me Steven – 29%. In the words of Jack Black "F+" :)

[Joe Kuster]

I got a 56% but I have no idea really how the % is related to much. I've done no thru hikes, but lots of 4 season hikes and overall a lot of miles.

If I had to guess, building your own gear is weighted a lot, and I've done plenty of that.

[Matt Lutz]

33 percent – probably hurt by my lack of miles on long trails an no higher altitude experience.

[Jim W.]

52% with no hikes longer than 300 miles. I have a feeling that doing dumb things like having to self-arrest, getting too close to bears and hypothermia gives a high score. Taking a taxi to 16,000 feet before doing a day hike also helps.

[Nick Gatel]

52% also. But I probably got 50 pts for being an old fart; and have more than 40 years since 1st overnight trip and current age. I guess if you can last this long, one must have some ability or 9 lives. :)

[cary bertoncini]

43%

(my age rounded to nearest year, I'm 42.67 years old)

[Tad Englund]

75% is the highest I could come up with answering all the questions to what I felt would be the best answer.
Some of them are bogus- so I had to make what I felt was the best guess, i.e.:
over 100 miles above 17,000- climbing Everest doesn't make you a better hiker (maybe a better climber).
Hikes over 14,500- if you hike in the lower 48 you would have to walk around the very peak of Mt. Whitney (14,505) for about a year to get over 100 miles above 14,500, You could probably hike the whole PTC and never see a Grizzly, Elk or Moose. You won't see the Grizzly or Elk on the AT!
Wading a river over 100 feet wide would put you on some very big water. Its hard to hike in the cascades without being close to water! More then 15 days for a resupply, even at 1.5 lbs per day that would be 22 lbs of food. 40 years between first and now overnighter, but I don't feel old! It would be interesting to see what standard this test was set to or what criteria they set for which answers scored highest.

I came up with 49% originally and I have been close to all the animals (some not by choice), built my own gear, hiked at altitude, 4 season hike, many miles in the snow, know how to self arrest. I just don't hike for more then 300 miles at a time (I have a job and kids to deal with- no time), at 20 mike a day you would have to hike for 15 days straight, I can't take off from work 15 day straight, even if I did take the time off to hike, my wife and family would leave me. I think they weigh the thru hikes very heavy along with travel outside the US.

I wonder why is it important to compare what I do to others. I don't want to be a professional hiker- it would be like a fishing guide. I don't want to show someone else where the fish are, I want to be the one catching the fish. I'm going to HMOY and FMOF (Fish My own fish).

[t.darrah]

I was completely depressed all day yesterday after scoring a lowly 37. I'm sure to be banished in shame from the BPL site in the very near future upon revealing this sad score. I lay awake half the night thinking that if I took a year off work and focused only on hiking I may raise my score to a somewhat worthy 50+.

I will be waiting to hear from BPL staff that I'm no longer qualified to be a member and that site access is being terminated until further notice. Maybe the White Blaze site will have me as a member.

[Unknown abc]

Your hiking experience score 22%

"Average rating for people taking this poll. The percentage number means little here. I cannot edit it. No one can score 100% in this quiz. So far 25-30% seems the average."

Interesting…

cheers

[Russell Swanson]

I like this arbitrary determination in my 'hiking experience score' – "You probably have at least one long distance trail completed and are well on your way to an elite hiker"

Wrong on both accounts. And something tells me that a lot of the folks that would score high on this test wouldn't agree there is such a thing as an elite hiker.

[Jim W.]

"More then 15 days for a resupply, even at 1.5 lbs per day that would be 22 lbs of food. "

I did 16 days once- only to swear never again. I was 15 or 16 years old, weighed about 130 pounds, and started out with over 60 in the pack.

[Peter Craumer]

I tried the same thing — answering the way I thought would maximize the score — and got a 96%, with a message saying congratulations, no one ever scored this high before. When I was honest, I got a 50%. I do think there are points for being old!

[Ashley Brown]

"I tried the same thing — answering the way I thought would maximize the score — and got a 96%, with a message saying congratulations, no one ever scored this high before."

Ha. I did that a day or so ago and got 96% too. And a message saying congrats no one has ever scored that high before.

So it would seem that it refuses to give 100% to anyone, and tells people who get 96% that they are the highest ever.

Seems pretty silly… why should you get extra points for hypothermia etc? That just shows that at some stage you've been unprepared for the conditions you faced, or are deliberately pushing the limits of safety. Not very 'professional'!

[Brian UL]

Elite and professional hiker?
Backpacking is a leisure activity for people who are lucky enough to have time to waste.
Its Victorian nature tourism, an extension of the picnic. Nothing a little guidance, experience,and common sense cant get you through.

[Miguel Arboleda]

I think people have been "hiking" leisurely for tens of thousands of years. Maybe just not in today's form. Hunter gatherers had much more free time than we do today.

[Matt Lutz]

I've gone three weeks in a canoe without resupply with 4 weeks of food. Does that count?

[Sam Haraldson]

A good score on this quiz is a 25% so if you scored around that you're probably a well-seasoned hiker.

[JASON CUZZETTO]

I got a 50%… I think it isn't too honest though. I included some of my Army time. I was a UH (Ultra Heavy)hiker then. Even when we did it for fun.

I would have given me a 20%. UL is a whole different world. Fun little quiz though. A good start.

Have fun!!!

[Lynn Tramper]

HAHA. Hard to take that seriously. I scored 53%, but it hardly reflects my current hiking ability, only my past experiences. I have done a lot of things on his list, but don't do them anymore (and am not fit enough right now). Better to call it "hiking experience' rather than "hiking ability"!

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