Are they Long Diastance routes, long distance walks?

[dank86]

I always thought their definition was 20 miles or more that can be walked in one continuous journey.

So if I had a 20 mile path and did it over 2 days that would be a long distance walk. That way the definition is more inclusive to you and I will walk at different speeds we both compete the walk yet if it's a miles per day then I may be classed as a long distance walker and you won't be because you took a little longer

[richardh1905]

All entirely arbitrary in my opinion, dank. 

[sussamb]

 

[tonyk]

I always thought their definition was 20 miles or more that can be walked in one continuous journey.

The guys that created the LDWA ideology were mainly academics.When I was a member I used to know a couple of them and I am sure they did constant calculations in their heads as they walked along.Great guys and good company but I never took their definitions of walking too seriously.

 

[barewirewalker]

Not being a committed LD walker, as day walking suits my purpose better, but being fascinated by the concept of routes and how quality of way fits in with personal judgement of a route, I am rather intrigued by this.
I have walked across Wales a few times, a continuous walk along a planned route, over several days. Some years later on this forum a lady asked for advice on a route to walk with her son, how to walk across Wales and she chose the route I had taken, this apparently worked out very well for them but it is not a recognised  LDP. So did they complete a long distance route or do a long distance walk. As previously said this seems arbitrary.

On another occasion I chose a strait line of around 90 miles with a fixed start point and and a specific destination point and tried to walk as close to the line as the terrain allowed.

This I did over several weeks hacking into the line I had discovered, using various means of transport. Again was long distance walking or creating a long distance route. I actually made some rather interesting discoveries along that trail, which rarely get raise by followers of recognised LD trails.

[Slogger]

I always thought that the LDWA regarded a long distance walk as anything over 16 miles in a days walking. Following that it would seem that when doing a Long Distance route, if you are doing a more than 16 miles per day then you are a long distance walker walking a long distance route, however if doing less than 16 miles per day then you are a day walker doing a series of day walks along a long distance route. The end result is the same, indeed I have met many walking long distance routes who don't claim to a walker of any description but just decided to have a go (probably after watching Julia Bradbury on tv.)

[Snowman]

I'm finding it difficult to understand why there's an apparent belief that the LDWA definition of a long distance path refers to how many miles you can walk in a day?   My understanding is that the distances referred to by the LDWA are just a reference point, in other words they have to start somewhere.   My copy of the LDWA Handbook defines walks that start at 10 miles (16 km) and go up to 850 and I would rather think that they are not suggesting that anyone could walk 850 miles in a day.


Personally I find their information very useful as it allows you to pick a fairly challenging walk wherever you intend to be in the UK.   I've never understood there to have been a minimum miles per day you're expected to walk so let's not be critical and accept their information for what I believe it's intended for, i.e. a reference guide.


S

[tonyk]

The end result is the same, indeed I have met many walking long distance routes who don't claim to a walker of any description but just decided to have a go (probably after watching Julia Bradbury on tv.)

Best way.No need to define it,just do it.

[Slogger]

Interesting comments, but it is absolutely personal to each person what they think is a long distance walk.For my take, for me I don't consider it to be a long distance walk if doing less than 35 miles in one go. In say, the lake District walking over the tops a 12 mile walk may feel just as hard or harder than a 35 mile easier terrain country walk, but I wouldn't class that as a long distance walk, rather a mountain walk. A long distance route, walked over a certain number of days can be a series of average day walks or a series of long distance walks ( depending on your own ideas) adding up to a long distance route - done as a non stopper would indeed be a complete long distance walk.Just a thought, my own long distance walking as I used to know it may be coming to a quite abrupt end due to hip joint and hip flexors issues which started last October and have plagued me ever since. It is so frustrating how debilitating it is and wierd that just a month beforehand I walked the Coast to coast path in under 5 days with no issues apart from some lack of fitness on steep ascents. Going to keep on trying though.