Slow Hikers; Fast Hikers慢郎中；飛毛腿

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The tension between slow hikers and fast hikers easily burns the whole group down. I know, because I experienced the frustration looking at the person in front of me disappearing behind the branches. I know, because I was left behind with blisters hiking alone in the dark with tears. I achieved the solitude I was looking for, but, why wasn’t I happy?

The regulations of AMC (Appalachian Mountain Club) sponsored trips state clearly that, “the group pace is the pace of the slowest hiker.” Surprisingly, my limited leading experience has told me that asking a fast hiker to slow down is usually more difficult than asking a slow hiker to speed up.

I am a believer of “hike your own hike.” If a person hikes at his pace, he hikes in the most efficient state, and therefore he still has much energy when he arrives at the camp to prepare for himself a nice shelter and a warm meal. I usually tell my participants to hike in their most comfortable pace with the constraints that they have to make sure the next hiker is IN SIGHT and stop and wait for regrouping at EVERY junction and crossing.

While most of them do stop at junctions and crossings, they always ignore that they need a 20 of the next hiker. If there are miles before the next junction, I, as a leader, have to spend extra efforts running back and forth just to make sure I account for everybody in the group. This is of course not ideal. After an overnight backpack in which the group was spread out of my comfort zone, I started to ask myself, “What is wrong here? How should I change my leadership style?”

My leadership training has taught me that it’s much better to take actions in early stages to keep group dynamics chaos from happening. This can be done by the followings: 1) describe the trip difficulty well which can be accomplished by providing details such as total mileage, elevation change, and expected hiking time etc. 2) Pre-screen the participants carefully which can be fulfilled by asking them questions about their past experience and the frequency and durance of their regular workouts.

However, even if I prepare the trip write-up and conduct the screening process as objectively as I can, whether a person is going to finish a trip is sometimes very subjective. It’s very difficult for me to argue or further convince a person that s/he is not ready for a trip yet. And to be honest, the pool of backpackers is not so huge that in order to promote backpacking participation, I usually choose to work more during a trip in exchange for a filled-up roster.

So the problem is really how to ‘suppress’ the fastness of a fast hiker. If the fast hiker is a real experienced backpacker, I don’t worry much because they know the safety of the group is on top of everything. The fast hikers I fear the most are those who treat my trip as a training hike. They narrow their focus on fulfilling their personal goal which is usually to finish the hike with the shortest amount of time. In addition to telling them the ground rules I mentioned above, during the trip, I usually have to assign them tasks such as being a sweeper or a photo journalist, and remind them again and again that it’s not allowed to separate from the group.

Still, after I had done all of the above, those fast hikers were still out of my sight within seconds in that overnight backpack. What should I do in my future trips to prevent that from happening again? Well, there is this last resort I have never tried: I need to be stern and maybe a bit of a dictator to demonstrate my seriousness. This is what I learned after dealing with many customer representatives – some people just don’t listen to you unless you are mean and expressionless, and I call those people niceness abusers.

I used to think I would never meet that kind of people in the outdoors; however, after all, outdoor population is still a subset of the earth population. Outdoor people are in general nice but not 100 percent. If smile and communication don’t work out, it’s time to be serious and demonstrate a leader’s authority.


千萬不可小看瀰漫在飛毛腿健行者，和慢郎中健行者之間，情緒大戰的暗潮洶湧，不好好處理，整個健行隊伍的氣氛會破壞無遺。我個人也嘗過眼睜睜地看著前方的隊員，消失在樹叢間，再也找不著伊人在何方的挫敗；也曾經一個人在天色已暗之後，拖著磨人的水泡，踽踽獨行。是啊，我到戶外不就是想少見些人，多些獨處時光嗎？怎麼我心裡兒一點兒也不快活？

阿帕拉契登山協會，清楚的列出這項條例：參加健行的隊員，應該以最慢的健行者的速度，作為整個團隊的行進速度。有趣的是，從我目前尚屬有限的領隊生涯，學到的經驗是：讓飛毛腿走慢一點，有時比要求慢郎中走快些，還要難上數倍。

我是「走自己的路（hike you own hike）」的信服者，如果健行者可以自始至終以最舒服的速率健行，那麼，他必定是以對他最有效率的方式走過那段山路，如此一來，到了紮營處，才好有精力尋找營地、搭好帳棚，從容地煮飯燒菜。要知道吃個飽足、睡個好覺，在多天數的健行旅程，是相當重要的。所以，我通常對參加我隊伍的團員說，「請選擇最舒服的行進方式，條件是，隨時注意是否尙能看到身後的健行者，同時，在每一個步道交叉口、越河區，必須停下來，等待所有的團員都到齊了再出發。」

通常隊員都會遵守交叉口停下再出發的規定，偏偏就是會把照顧下一個健行者的規定，像拋開該健行者一樣，拋諸腦後。如果到下一個交叉口的路途遙遠，身為領隊的我，為了照顧每一個健行者，需要跑前跑後，疲於奔命。這當然不盡理想。一次兩天一夜的backpacking行程，隊員間的距離拉得太開，遠超過我可以默許的範圍，行程結束後，我不禁多次問自己，哪裡做錯了？領隊風格何處需要再修正？

在受領隊訓練的時候，記得訓練員再三強調「防範於未然」的道理。基本上，在出隊之前可以做到的，有這兩項：1)把行程寫得愈詳盡愈好，包括總里程數、爬上爬下的重直落差、預估的行進時間等等；2)仔細地詢問報名者的經驗、平常運動的情況（包括運動型態以及長度）等等。

但是，儘管我以很客觀的態度寫了詳盡的行程計畫，並且評估參加者的體能，有時候，該健行者能不能夠完成該行程，還是相當主觀的。對我來說，說服一個「可能不恰當」的報名者，請下次再來，有時也真是難以出口。更何況，backpacking的人口其實也不算太多，本者推動戶外健行的精神，有時候我寧願選擇在行進間多做些工，以換取較多的參加者。

問題最終還是回歸到，那麼要怎麼做才能叫那些飛毛腿走慢些？如果該健行者的戶外經驗真的豐富，通常我也不擔心，因為他們很了解團隊安全的重要。最怕的是那些把我的行程當作他們的「訓練課表」的健行者，這些人通常以「在最短的時間走完全部行程」為己任，每每除了在開始健行前，對他們三令五申「團體為一體」的重要，行進間，還要不時提醒，有時，還必須給予他們諸如押隊者或是行程記錄攝影師的任務，就為了殺殺他們的時間。

不過，有時候這些招數還是失靈，就拿上述提到的該次行程來說吧，仍然有人槍聲一響人影就不見了。到底該怎麼做，才能四兩搏千金，讓此種情況不再發生？我是還有一傳子不傳徒的最後一招，說穿了也不稀奇，就是必須收起微笑，以很嚴厲的態度告誡這些人，必要時候，獨裁一點也不為過，表現出：我是認真的。來美國多年，這是我從與無數的客服過招，所學得的教訓，有些人好好跟他講，就是不會聽，非得嚴厲或者是威脅才會乖乖就範，我叫這些人「善良的殘害者」。

以往，我總是天真的以為，在戶外世界遇到的人，都是好相與的人。不過，事實上，戶外人口不也就只是地球人口的縮影嗎？基本上，在戶外有較高的機會遇到良善好溝通的人，不過，也不總是百分之百。如果微笑和好言好語無法奏效，也只好擺張撲克臉，發揮一下領隊的權威了。

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11 thoughts on “<lang_en>Slow Hikers; Fast Hikers</lang_en><lang_zh>慢郎中；飛毛腿</lang_zh>”

  1. cyberhobo

    I don’t often lead groups, but it sounds like maybe telling the whole group at the beginning that this is a “group hike” and not a “personal training hike”, with your explanation of the difference, would help.

    Reply
  2. fedak

    I’ve been on both sides of this one as well.

    If its really a “group” hike (i.e. Sierra Club style with a formal leader and liability issues), then the best way is to have the slowest person in front. Its much easier for the slower folks to keep a pace from behind than to self regulate from in front.

    The goal of the outing tends to be important as well. Its much easier to slow down if you’re on a 5 mile nature/photography walk vs. a peak bagging outing where you’re trying to cover 20 miles and be off a peak before the afternoon thunderstorms roll in.

    Most of my outings tend to be less formal affairs where everyone is responsible for their own safety/routfinding/etc. With these its usually easier to pick a waypoint to meet up at and let everyone hike at their own pace.

    Reply
  3. tom

    Might also help to flatter the egos of the go-getters by telling them in all sincerity that you are going to need their boundless energy in case of an emergency like having to carry somebody bodily for several miles.

    Reply
  4. bastish

    Last year I was leading an informal sea kayak day trip. Against my orders, three people (physically strong yet inexperienced kayakers) took off ahead and two weaker people were left behind. I called for the stronger people to come back, asking them to paddle in circles if they want to keep moving, but before long they were out of sight. In this case there is no way I am going to leave the slower, weaker people alone. I had no choice but to let them go, wondering the whole trip where they went. When I got back to the kayak club where we rented the boats, I found that they had gone where I specifically warned them not to, and two of them had capsized in waves (very cold water) and the other other barely able to drag them to shore. Luckily there was a passerby in a car who saw and offered to drive them and the Kayaks back to the club.

    While I don’t think they were in grave danger, since we were paddling near the city and it was not exactly a wilderness situation, and I was not “legally” responsible in any way, not knowing where they were was one of the most frightening experiences I have ever had while “in charge”.

    In my case it was different than yours because the people who went ahead were not experienced enough to do so. In retrospect I suppose I could have stressed more how important it was that we stay together, and offered them alternatives (as you suggest with the photo-journalist, etc.) to going far ahead.

    As for keeping fast people back while hiking – in my experience, the biggest problem always arises when the end-goal is not set – i.e. the faster we go the further we go. But if the destination is decided, there is no benefit to going fast. I find this with myself as well. If I know I can reach my destination in four hours, but I have six hours to get there, I walk slowly and take photos and look at leaves, bugs, and birds. If, however, I know that if I go fast I might be able to make it another XX kilometers to the next camp, I am more likely to speed up.

    And finally, I have found that sometimes (when the situation calls for it) you just gotta kick the slow people in the butt. One hike I was on we really wanted to get to the camp before dark but there were two people going much slower than anticipated. We tolerated them as long as possible, but with one hour left before dark, I let rip on them pointing out that we are *all* tired, but we just have to be *fast* and tired. Perhaps I shocked them because I never get “angry”, but somehow they kicked into gear and beat everyone else to the campsite.

    Reply
  5. 小帽

    我想到了以前參加救國團健行活動的小天使遊戲
    抽籤決定你守護的人，你是他的小天使，要一路上守護他
    當然，你自己也會暗中有個小天使
    活動尾聲時再來個大團圓

    如果將腳程快的人用來守護腳程慢的人不知效果如何
    不過西方人大概會不鳥他應該守護的人吧

    或者是在行前小小聚餐
    將評估腳程快的人介紹給腳程慢的人
    一回生二回熟
    開始健行時應該也可以增加一點互相照應效果吧

    以上純屬外行人建議……:P

    Reply
  6. Po

    I need to work on how to make sure my point is clearly stated so that there’s no room for my parcipants to make their own interpretation. My weakness of being a leader is I am often too “polite.” =)

    and to bastish,
    yes I can understand the fear of “not knowing where they are” especially when I feel I’m liable for their safety. That’s another reason why I don’t dare to lead or even coordinate any kayaking trip, because to me, there’s too much liability and I think I don’t know enough water rescue skills.

    to 小帽，
    這招對於短暫的行程可能行不通，因為社會人士通常沒有這麼多時間，為了兩天一夜的行程，還特別空出時間來「聯絡感情」，不過對於長天數的行程，事先讓大家認識的確是很重要的。

    Reply
  7. winehiker

    I have to agree with cyberhobo and tom here. I’ve led well over one hundred group hikes in recent years, and what I’ve learned about the abilities and mentalities of groups on the trail would send me to Fry’s for more gigs of hard-drive space.

    As a leader of hikes, I want to also enjoy a good time. However, I don’t enjoy it when I am compelled to manage people. Therefore, I always set the expectations up front, in the email or trip announcement, before anyone even meets.

    The objective? Keep out the riff-raff. The rest of the group who really want to be there don’t need them along.

    At the outset upon meeting for a trip, one of the items I’ve learned to state to the group prior to entering the trail is that the event is a group event, not a competition, and that if they didn’t mean to stick together as a group, and to simply BE a group, that they should not have signed up in the first place, will be asked to turn back early, and will not be welcome on my tours in the future.

    And that’s as stern as I typically ever have to be — just once, up front. It works, because ever since I’ve begun making these statements, I have not experienced any people management issues.

    Best of luck, Szu-Ting.

    Reply
  8. Carolyn Hoffman

    I’ve been on both ends of the fast hiker/slow hiker problem. Changing your own comfortable hiking pace to accomodate someone’s else’s pace is really, really difficult and can seriously mar a hike.

    I think you’re on the right track to have the fast hikers stop and wait at turns and junctions, but you have to go further than that where turns and junctions are further apart.
    1. Insist that at least one other person stay with the fast hiker at all times (preferable the 2nd fastest hiker)
    2. Set a time limit. Let the fast hiker hike his/her hike if it shouldn’t be dangerous for them to go ahead. Tell them to hike for 30 minutes (or however long you want), and then wait for the rest of the group to catch up.
    3. Make them clean up camp in the morning(so they start hiking later than the rest of the group) and set up camp when they arrive (first) at the night’s site. If you normally cook at lunch, have them start the food for everyone. Sometimes the extra work load is enough to calm down the fastest hikers, at least a little.

    Carolyn H.

    Reply
  9. Yaroslav Levchenko

    What if the “fast hiker” is actually the “weak hiker” who hikes fast, because he wants it to be over as soon as possible? 🙂

    Reply

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