Whether you’re heading onto the Appalachian trail or a short local hike, you’ll likely encounter some difficult terrain. Many hikers have taken a tumble here and there, this writer included. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. However, sometimes the risks of falling can lead new, aging, or cautious hikers in search of tips for hiking down hills. So, to help you safely and confidently navigate nature, we go over our best kept secrets for staying alert and mobile on hills.
Essentially, hiking downhill is safest when your center of gravity is close to the ground and toward the hill as you descend. Additionally, take it slow and use poles if needed to navigate over roots and rocks.
Center Yourself
First, the easiest way to safely navigate down hill is to keep your weight on your uphill leg and under your bum as you reach forward like normal with your leading leg. Almost, but not quite, creating a squat-like motion on your following leg.
The best, and possibly most obvious, advice we have to give, is to avoid leaning toward the downhill with your upper body. Just like with most winter sports, keep your weight up hill and if you need to, sit down on said hill to avoid falling head over heal.
As you encounter steeper hills, we even suggest going down backward to keep your head uphill. Trust us, we’ve been there. Especially, here in Ohio where we have erosion on trails, it’s easier to make tree roots your friend and ladder rungs as you descend.
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Additionally, as terrain can change quickly, especially in areas with erosion after the spring thaw, you may have to change your strategy during descent. Side stepping steep areas, or walking perpendicular to the hill, will become necessary along the trail.
Finally, surround yourself with hiking buddies that won’t judge if you take a hill on your bum the whole way. I find that I hike safer when I can be humble. This is even more necessary and fun when hiking down sand dunes.
Zig Zag
One of my favorite ways to go downhill safely tends to make you look like a ten year-old. But heading down by traversing the hill in a zig zag pattern helps slow you down and keep your center of gravity safely uphill.
Additionally, I find hiking this way gives me a better prospective on sudden obstacles. and falling tends to be uphill or sidehill, but never downhill.
Stay Alert
Additionally, it pays to stay vigilant about your surroundings while hiking downhill.
An errant branch, loose rock or thick tree root will take you down in a second.
And, depending on the slope of the hill, could send you tumbling quite a ways. While this may be the quickest way to the bottom of the hill, it is also the slowest walk back to the car with your tail between your legs.
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When the consequences of falling are the most dire, employ a set of trekking poles to aid your journey. Trekking poles, also called hiking poles, are great for testing how solid your next step may be.
Not only that, but poles can help balance your center of gravity. And, can be particularly helpful when sidestepping steep runs of hill.
However, remember when facing downhill, you’ll need to lengthen your poles to adjust for the resulting slope of the hill.
Plant your feet
Being sure-footed on the hills also comes down to where you land on your feet.
For instance, if you thrust your leading foot toward downhill and land on your toes, you’ll inherently shift your weight forward.
And, while this reads as confident, your center of gravity will rapidly move downhill and encourage a fall. So, to avoid this, it’s best to land on the midfoot tor heel of your boots.
Finally, no shuffling allowed. Pick up your feet with each step to clear any toe-snagging roots or rocks. I call those land sharks, based on a moss-covered exposed root that looked like a shark. And the fact that they can take you down quickly. It hasn’t caught on yet.
Plan Appropriately
If you head out in the rain, you bring an umbrella–right? Well, the trails can be quite slick after even the lamest of storms.
If conditions are wet one or even two days prior to your hike, the trails are likely to be slippery with packed earth and mud. For instance, in spring and late summer temperatures may not be high enough to evaporate slick mud that’s under tree cover.
Therefore, if it rains during the week of your hike consider a pair of trail specific hiking boots or trail shoes. I love wearing my La Sportiva Lycans when the trails are hilly and especially if they’re wet.
Really anything with exaggerated lugs or thick tread will serve you well. Just, please do yourself a favor and leave the worn-down tread of your favorite running shoes at home.
Take it Slow
As mentioned above, you’ll need to watch your footing, plan each step and safely shift your weight while staying vigilant. Therefore you’ll need to slow down your pace considerably on the downhills.
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Not only does this help you stay sure-footed, it’s a great opportunity for you to catch your breath. And, even though you should definitely be focusing only on the challenge, its a good time to look around and enjoy the view. While safely standing still of course.
You Gotta Get Up to Get Down
Now that you’re armed with our best tips to keep you upright and stable, get ready for your next trip into the wild. Just remember, avoid running and swift hiking on the downhill until you’re confident. If you’re still nervous about your hiking trip or in the thralls of preparation, check out our database of hiking knowledge and related articles below. So, when you’re packing your hiking pack you’ll have everything you need.
Image Credit: Jeff Moser | (source) | Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0) — reduced file size and image