Hikers Take to the Streets with Urban Hiking

Whilst it would be fair to say that most people will think of forests and hills when the word "hiking" is mentioned, this may not be the case for much longer as a new form of the pursuit grows in popularity - namely, urban hiking.

Hiking adventures are becoming much more diverse as urban landscapes increasingly come to the fore and people hit the pavement instead of going off the beaten trail. Built up cities may not seem like the best of places to explore but, as urban hikers will testify, cities have plenty of undiscovered sights to enjoy.

Urban Hiking Offers a New Perspective

It goes without saying that urban hiking will offer a completely different experience to more conventional forms of the activity and many have already fallen in love with the merits of urban hiking. It offers a much more stop-start walk as you will be negotiating elements that don't typically crop up in the backwoods - such as traffic lights and slow moving pedestrians!

For anyone wanting to experience the delights of walking around the towns and cities of the world, it makes sense to have a comfortable pair of hiking shoes - such as the Hi-Tec V-Lite Fasthike II low .

Take in the Sights

Comfort is crucial regardless of whether you are tackling fallen trees or smoothly laid pavements and your choice of footwear will need to be a primary consideration when heading out on an urban hike. The idea behind urban hiking is essentially to see the city in which you live from a new perspective - instead of from behind the wheel of your car. Just some of the features that an

urban hike may unexpectedly reveal include:

• Small parks or open spaces inaccessible by car
• Winding, narrow backstreets
• Statues or monuments that may have passed you by

Importance of Being Spontaneous

As with more traditional rural hiking endeavours, urban expeditions should be open to spontaneity and being prepared for unexpected circumstances - after all, that's part of the fun of hiking in the first place. Most people who set out on an urban hike will take a camera with them as it can be quite astounding just how different your city looks when you get closer to the action and negotiate it on foot.

If you are urban hiking in a city that you know well, then it may be fair to assume that you don't require any form of hiking map. In cities which are less well known to the hiker, it makes sense to familiarise oneself with the city beforehand - just to get a feel for it and make sure that you fit in all the areas which you wish to see.