Navigation
Navigating at Night and in Whiteout: The Head Torch, the Bearing and the Decision to Stop
Darkness and whiteout are different problems that produce the same effect: the world shrinks to a few metres, and every technique that relied on seeing a feature and walking to…
Read the story →Latest Stories
Decisions and Safety
Whistle, Mirror, Phone, Satellite: What Each Emergency Signal Can and Cannot Do
Body and PaceAltitude for Day Hikers: What Happens Above 2,500 m and How to Plan Around It
Weather and SeasonsReading the Sky Without a Forecast: Cloud Sequences, the Altimeter as Barometer and the Signs Worth Trusting
Decisions and SafetyGroup Decisions: The Slowest Walker, Summit Fever and the Art of Saying No
Body and PaceFeet First: Blister Mechanics, Lacing, Socks and the Hot-Spot Rule
Weather and SeasonsShoulder Seasons: Old Snow on North Slopes, Avalanche Terrain for Walkers and the Spring River Problem
Navigation
View all →Weather and Seasons
View all →Weather and Seasons
How to Read a Mountain Forecast: Freezing Level, Wind Aloft and What “60% Chance of Rain” Really Means
Weather and SeasonsLightning on the Trail: The 30/30 Rule, Starting Early and the Places We Should Never Be at Two O’Clock
Weather and SeasonsWind on the Ridge: What a 60 km/h Gust Does to a Walker and How Wind Chill Is Really Calculated
Navigation, weather, pace and good decisions on the trail
Smart Hikes is an independent online magazine about hiking with your head: reading contours and bearings, using a phone GPS without being betrayed by it, understanding a mountain forecast, pacing and feeding the body over a 20 km day, and making the decisions that turn a walk around before it turns into a rescue. Written by people who actually go. We sell nothing and organise nothing.