Are Suggested Hiking Times Accurate? A Validation of Hiking Time Estimations for Preventive Measures in Mountains.

ABSTRACT: Background and Objectives: Accurate hiking time estimate is crucial for outdoor activity planning, especially in mountainous terrains. Traditional mountain signage and online platforms provide generalized hiking time recommendations, often lacking personalization. This study aims to evaluate the variability in hiking time estimates from different methods and assess the potential of a novel algorithm, MOVE, to enhance accuracy and safety. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from 25 Italian loop trails selected via the Wikiloc platform, considering user-uploaded GPS data from at least 20 users per trail. Real-world hiking times were compared with estimations from Komoot, Outdooractive, mountain signage, and the MOVE algorithm, which incorp

SUBMITTER: Vecchiato M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11766859 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature