Quiz on Hiking

What everyday gear keeps a hiker's feet dry on muddy trails?

• Waterproof boots ✓ (Correct answer)
• Running spikes
• Canvas sneakers
• Sandals

Source: Gore-Tex linings let sweat escape as vapour while blocking liquid water from getting in.

What is the standard color of most painted trail blazes on trees?

• White ✓ (Correct answer)
• Pink
• Purple
• Gold

Source: The famous Appalachian Trail uses a single white rectangular blaze for its entire 2,190 miles.

What handheld tools help hikers reduce strain on their knees?

• Trekking poles ✓ (Correct answer)
• Ice axes
• Climbing ropes
• Tent stakes

Source: Studies show poles can cut compressive knee load by up to a quarter on steep descents.

What navigation device points hikers toward magnetic north without batteries?

• Compass ✓ (Correct answer)
• Altimeter
• Pedometer
• Barometer

Source: Magnetic north drifts so much that compass declination must be adjusted by region and year.

What stacked-stone marker guides hikers across bare rock above the treeline?

• Cairn ✓ (Correct answer)
• Bollard
• Milestone
• Obelisk

Source: The word 'cairn' comes from Scottish Gaelic and these piles have guided travellers for millennia.

Which clothing material is worst to wear hiking when it gets wet?

• Cotton ✓ (Correct answer)
• Merino wool
• Polyester
• Nylon

Source: Hikers say 'cotton kills' because it holds water and chills the body instead of insulating it.

What does the wilderness principle 'Leave No Trace' mainly ask hikers to do?

• Pack out trash ✓ (Correct answer)
• Build cairns
• Feed wildlife
• Pick flowers

Source: Even biodegradable orange peels can take up to two years to break down at altitude.

Which water source is least likely to make a hiker sick on a remote trek?

• A flowing spring ✓ (Correct answer)
• A stagnant pond
• A roadside ditch
• A muddy puddle

Source: Even clear water should be treated, but moving spring water carries far less risk than still water where bacteria and parasites concentrate.

What word describes a long hiking trip carrying everything on your back?

• Backpacking ✓ (Correct answer)
• Bouldering
• Canyoneering
• Trail running

Source: The term grew popular in the 1960s as lightweight nylon packs replaced heavy canvas rucksacks.

What does the hiking acronym 'thru-hike' mean?

• End-to-end in one trip ✓ (Correct answer)
• A short loop walk
• A guided day tour
• A downhill descent

Source: Walking a long-distance trail end to end in one season can mean covering thousands of miles in a single push.

On which continent would a hiker trek to reach Everest Base Camp?

• Asia ✓ (Correct answer)
• Africa
• South America
• Europe

Source: The trek tops out near 5,360 metres, higher than any peak in the contiguous United States.

What is the longer name of the famous 'PCT' long-distance trail?

• Pacific Crest Trail ✓ (Correct answer)
• Pacific Coastal Track
• Pacific Canyon Trek
• Pacific Cliff Trail

Source: The trail inspired the memoir and film 'Wild', sending a wave of new hikers onto its 2,650 miles.

What weather hazard most often kills hikers caught on exposed ridgelines?

• Lightning ✓ (Correct answer)
• Sunburn
• High wind
• Fog

Source: Summits act like lightning rods, which is why guides aim to descend before afternoon storms build.

Which mountain range do hikers cross on Spain's Camino de Santiago route?

• Pyrenees ✓ (Correct answer)
• Alps
• Apennines
• Carpathians

Source: Pilgrims have crossed this range between France and Spain on foot for over a thousand years.

What is the recommended first response to an early hot spot on your heel?

• Apply moleskin ✓ (Correct answer)
• Pop the blister
• Keep walking
• Remove your sock

Source: Covering a hot spot before it blisters is the single best way to save a multi-day trek.

What dangerous condition results from drinking too much water on a long hike?

• Hyponatremia ✓ (Correct answer)
• Hypoglycemia
• Heatstroke
• Dehydration

Source: Flushing out sodium can be as deadly as dehydration, so hikers are told to also eat salty snacks.

What does a hiker's altimeter actually measure to estimate elevation?

• Air pressure ✓ (Correct answer)
• Temperature
• Humidity
• Magnetic field

Source: Because it reads pressure, a passing storm can fool an altimeter into showing a phantom climb.

What gas's thinning air causes altitude sickness on high mountain treks?

• Oxygen ✓ (Correct answer)
• Nitrogen
• Carbon dioxide
• Hydrogen

Source: The air still holds 21% of it, but lower pressure means each breath delivers far fewer molecules.

Which long European trail is marked by red-and-white painted stripes?

• GR routes ✓ (Correct answer)
• E-paths
• Via Alpina
• Haute Route

Source: France's 'Grande Randonnée' network alone stretches over 60,000 kilometres of waymarked paths.

When two hikers meet on a steep trail, who traditionally has the right of way?

• The hiker going uphill ✓ (Correct answer)
• The hiker going downhill
• The faster of the two
• Whoever arrives first

Source: Etiquette gives the climbing hiker the right of way, since stopping mid-ascent breaks a hard-won rhythm.