Hiking trail difficulty guide

Hiking trails in this travel guide are rated in difficulty from 1 to 5. But what does this actually mean? Read on for an overview.

There are a couple of exceptions to the following 'rules' - look for the explanation in the individual hiking trail description.

1. Completely flat, often paved short walking path, typically suitable for strollers and wheelchairs. Always less than 1km total, usually 5-20 minutes.

2. Mostly flat walking pathway, potentially with one or a few short hills. May have some tree roots, rocks and other small surface obstacles to avoid. Up to 3km long (around 45 minutes to 1 hour for most people).

3. Lower moderate level hiking path of medium length (up to 10km return, 3 to 4 hours), with more than one uphill/downhill section up to 250m elevation change. Some areas may have some uneven terrain and small obstacles to avoid like roots and rocks.

4. Higher moderate level hiking path of longer length (up to 16km, 4 to 7 hours), often with with continual ascent/descent or numerous hills up to 600m elevation gain. Expect uneven terrain, small obstacles, some mud, potentially some exposure (higher risk of injury from a fall)

5. Challenging hiking trail, with narrow, rocky, muddy, rooty, uneven terrain, exposed sections with potentially long length (16-22km, 6 to 9 hours) and more than 600m elevation gain. Creek crossings, without bridges, may be necessary.