Athara Adventures hiking trips are ranked 1 to 5. Here’s how to understand them.
Athara Adventures ranks our hiking trip difficulty from 1 - 5. Below, we explain the general benchmarks for how we level each tour so you can pick the one that best fits your level of skill.
In the descriptions below, the average daily quantity for each category is listed. While averages can be helpful, they can also be misleading. For example, a level 3 trip averages about 13 miles (20km) per day, however, some days are 10 miles (16km), and one day is 18 miles (28km). There is a large difference between a 10-mile day and an 18-mile day in feel and potential fatigue. Please closely study each tour itinerary. Detailed itineraries are shared so you can be an informed mountaineer! If you have any questions, or are new to this sport, please feel free to reach out to us at contact@atharaadventures.com.
Level 1 Hiking Tour
Daily average ascent/descent / 183 m / 600 ft
Average time on feet / 3 hours
Average daily distance / 6.5 km / 4 miles
Average pack weight / 5 to 8 lbs.
Gear required / Small day pack and sturdy walking shoes
Required mountain skills / Know your body. A basic, but very important mountain skill is knowing when your body is hurt or tired to avoid doing serious damage to yourself or those around you
Terrain / Dirt path or grassy areas. Ground will have some rocks, roots, and minor obstacles
Level 2
Daily ascent/descent / 460 m / 1500 ft
Average time on feet / 4 to 6 hours
Average daily distance / 11 km / 7 miles
Average pack weight / 8 to 10 lbs.
Gear required / Heavier day pack with emergency bivouac supplies
Required mountain skills / Hiking on uneven terrain, maintaining a sustainable pace over extended periods of time
Terrain / Moderate ascent and descent with occasional steep sections. Walking on uneven ground. Stepping stone-to-stone for water crossings
Level 3
Daily ascent/Descent / 770.5 m / 3000 ft
Average time on feet / 6 to 8 hours
Average daily distance / 20 km / 12.5 miles
Average pack weight / 15 to 18 lbs.
Gear required / Backpack and gear for gite-to-gite hiking, hiking poles, hiking boots with ankle support
Required mountain skills / All skills listed below plus the ability to carry a pack between 15 and 20 lbs.
Terrain / Able to lift foot to hip level to climb over obstacles. Light scrambling may be necessary. Long ascents and descents
Level 4
Daily ascent/descent / 1220 m / 4000 ft
Average time on feet / 7 to 9 hours
Average daily distance / 24 km / 15 miles
Average pack weight / 18 to 23 lbs.
Gear required / Overnight camping gear including tent, food, sleep system, and camp kitchen
Required mountain skills / Backcountry camping
Terrain / Mountainous, scrambling, steep ascents
Level 5
Daily ascent/descent / 1525 m / 5000 ft
Average time on feet / 8 to 10 hours
Average daily distance / 26 km / 16 mi
Average pack weight / 20 to 28 lbs., ideally not more than 25 lbs.
Gear required / Compass, map, hiking pack, hiking poles, watch or device such as the Garmin Instinct, which shares important mountain information such as elevation, barometric pressure, etc. Specialized gear may include walking ice ax, climbing harness and rope for walking across snowfields, crampons, technical hiking boots
Required mountain skills / Can use and manage all gear. Can carry the appropriately sized pack
Terrain / High mountain terrain with variable conditions