Hiking: Difference between revisions

The word '''hiking''' is understood in all English-speaking countries, but there are differences in usage. In some places, '''off-trail hiking''' is called '''cross-country hiking''', '''bushwhacking''', or '''bush-bashing'''. In the United Kingdom, '''hiking''' is a slightly old-fashioned word, with a flavor rather of 'heartiness' and 'exercise' than of 'enjoying the outdoors' (people in the UK would be more likely to use more modest terms such as '''[[hillwalking]]''', or simply '''walking'''). Australians use the term '''bushwalking''' for both on- and off-trail hiking. New Zealanders use '''tramping''' (particularly for overnight and longer trips), '''walking''' or '''bushwalking'''. Hiking in the mountainous regions of Nepal and India is sometimes called '''trekking'''. '''Overnight hiking''' is called '''[[backpacking (wilderness)|backpacking]]''' in some parts of the world. Hiking a [[long-distance trail]] from end to end is referred to as '''[[thru-hiking]]''' in some places.