Arizona Trailblazers Hiking Club
Hike Ratings
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Arizona
Sierra Club and Trailblazers Hiking
Club outings are rated for degree of difficulty and risk by the leader.
As a guideline, outings are classified as follows:
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| "A" |
More than 16 miles or more than 3,000 feet elevation change. |
| "B" |
8 to 16 miles, 1,500 to 3,000 feet elevation change |
| "C" |
3 to 8 miles, 500 to 1,500 feet. |
| "D" |
Less than 3 miles and 500 feet. |
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The ABCD system is concise and easy to use, but it doesn’t
distinguish between hiking on trail vs. off trail, or between climbing
vs. going downhill.
The calorie system solves some of these
problems by computing the energy needed on a day hike:
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E = 100 (10 + R + 2C + 4H)
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where |
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E = energy expenditure in calories (calories) |
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R = distance traveled on roads or trails (miles) |
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C = distance traveled cross-country (miles) |
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H = altitude gain (thousands of feet) |
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Thus for an "A" hike on trail, |
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E = 100 (10 + 16 + 2*0 + 4*3) = 3800 calories |
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But it also takes energy to go downhill, especially on a steep slope.
And the off-trail route from hill 2290 to the pass east of Pass Mountain is
easier than the trail through Gateway Canyon south of the Salt River.
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This club uses the ABCD system, with adjustments for hikes whose
calorie count would imply a different rating.
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