When hiking, you will encounter various environments and roads. Today, the outdoor manual has compiled the most common types of terrain and tells you how to deal with them.
Stone-paved road
This type of road surface mainly appears on rocky cliffs, steep ridges, or fault lines where bedrock is exposed. It may consist of a single large slab or multiple slabs, or it could be artificially laid stone pavement.
Road characteristics: This kind of surface is mainly found on rocky cliffs, steep ridges, or fault lines where the mountain’s bedrock is exposed. The pavement may be formed from a single large slab or multiple smaller slabs, or it might be man-made stone slabs. Because the surface is smooth and often covered in moss, it can be very slippery. In rainy or snowy conditions, accidents are more likely—ranging from minor falls or twisted ankles to serious injuries such as fractures.
Walking tips: After rain, when hiking uphill, in addition to wearing anti-slip shoes, you should also stay relaxed. Keep your center of gravity from leaning too far forward, and align it perpendicularly to the stone slabs underfoot. Use trekking poles whenever possible. When carrying a heavy backpack, keep its weight centered slightly below the middle, and try to use your hands to hold onto rocks or trees for balance.
When descending, always use trekking poles and lean your center of gravity slightly forward. Try to place your feet in the gaps between stones or on vegetation at the edge of the path. Maintain a safe distance from others to avoid being knocked down if someone in front loses their footing.
After snowfall, if you have professional gear, ice claws with four points are recommended. Without specialized equipment, ensure your feet land on tree roots or vegetation beside the path. Trekking poles are essential, but if you don’t have any, look for branches or sticks of suitable length and thickness as alternatives.
Boulder-hop terrain
So-called boulder-hop terrain means there’s no clear path—the “road” is primarily formed by valleys and gullies that have been shaped over time by rainfall erosion and flash floods. Alternatively, there may be some path, but it’s surrounded by farmland, where farmers have cleared stones from their fields and piled them onto the route.
Road characteristics: The so-called boulder-hop terrain lacks any defined trail. The “path” is mostly shaped by valleys and gullies worn down over time by rainwater and flash floods. Sometimes there is a faint trail, but it's surrounded by cultivated land where farmers throw cleared stones onto the route. Over time, this creates a road made up of rocks of varying sizes. Navigating such terrain requires jumping from rock to rock, amid a mix of fine sand, streams, and large boulders—fraught with hidden dangers.
Walking tips: Overcoming the fear of boulder-hopping is crucial, which requires maintaining focus. Avoid boulder-hopping in valleys before or right after heavy rain during the rainy season to guard against sudden flash floods.
Wear a pair of thick-soled, sturdy hiking boots. Before starting, check that your shoelaces are secure, tighten your backpack straps and waist belt to keep the pack snug against your back, and prevent it from swaying or throwing off your balance while jumping.
As you move across boulder-hop terrain, keep your eyes on the path ahead to accurately judge your next foothold. Look for dark wear marks on certain rocks that indicate they’re commonly used as steps. Also, make sure to clean mud or debris off your shoe soles—if sand sticks to them, your knees and teeth may pay the price.
Dirt road
This is the most common type of terrain, usually formed by the weathering of stones and long-term foot traffic on areas without vegetation cover.
Road characteristics: This is the most common type of terrain, typically created by the weathering of stones and prolonged walking on ground without plant cover. You might think this is the easiest kind of path—what’s there to watch out for? But that notion is completely wrong. During the rainy season, this kind of terrain turns into the infamous muddy mess, making it very easy to slip and injure your knees.
Walking tips: After heavy rain, when the sun has dried the surface of the dirt path, it may appear solid, but it’s actually saturated with moisture. At this point, hiking up or down can be quite dangerous. Make sure your footwear has good traction, and use trekking poles as stabilizers to avoid accidentally stepping deep into muddy patches.
Additionally, during spring and autumn, when day and night temperatures vary greatly, dirt paths can easily freeze after rain or snow, increasing the risk significantly. In such conditions, make full use of trekking poles and any available handholds when moving up or down. Always test the stability of any support before using it—that’s extremely important.
Shrubland
Bushes come in many types, which can generally be divided into natural bushes and artificially planted bushes.
Road surface characteristics: Bushes come in many types, which can generally be divided into natural bushes and artificially planted bushes. Natural bushes are mainly found in dense jungles, with a wide variety of low-growing shrubs. The ground is usually wet, soft, and may even include swamps, making it quite dangerous. Artificially planted bushes are mostly located on dry mountain slopes and foothills, planted by humans to serve as windbreaks and soil stabilizers. The ground here is typically dry, rocky, and appears hard but is actually slippery when stepped on.
Walking tips: When walking through bushes, wear glasses, a hat, and zip up your windbreaker. Keep at least a 1.5-meter distance between team members to prevent branches knocked down by the person in front from snapping back and injuring you.
Always remind those behind you that walking too far apart can lead to getting lost. When hiking through natural bushes, it’s best to have support gear and an experienced leader or local guide scout ahead. Be aware that bushes often have short thorns and are home to many insects. It’s recommended to wear high-top, anti-slip jungle boots with deep, rugged treads, as well as long sleeves and pants, and take care to protect your face.
Artificially planted bushes tend to be taller and thornier than natural ones. It’s advisable to wear gloves (preferably leather), long-sleeved, high-necked, scratch-resistant clothing, and anti-slip, grippy hiking shoes. When hiking through such bushes, try to stick to wider paths with less slippery terrain. Whenever possible, use fresh, sturdy branches for support—ensure a firm grip when changing handholds and step slowly and steadily.
Snowfield crossing
Snow-covered roads are formed by snowfall accumulation. Due to the layer of snow, it's difficult to assess the terrain and road conditions, making the situation quite complex. Snow creates slipperiness and greater resistance, making walking more difficult.
Road surface characteristics: Snow-covered roads are formed by snowfall accumulation. Due to the layer of snow, it's difficult to assess the terrain and road conditions, making the situation quite complex. Snow creates slipperiness and greater resistance, making walking more difficult.
Walking tips: When walking in snow or on snow-covered ground for extended periods, it’s most important to take small, consistent steps and maintain a steady rhythm. Hastily increasing speed or taking large, unsteady steps often leads to fatigue.
Walking in snow requires staying calm and proceeding at your own pace—it’s essential. If the snow only reaches shoe level, it has little effect on your steps, allowing you to walk almost normally. (When the snow is higher than the knees, just lifting your feet consumes considerable energy. Fatigue and exhaustion go without saying. If the snow reaches waist height, you'll need to use your feet and waist to push aside the snow ahead, adopting a methodical “snow-shoveling advance” to minimize fatigue. The key is to lean your body—especially your upper body—forward, using your center of gravity and body weight to push through the snow.)
If several people are walking together through knee-deep snow, try to step in the footprints of the lead person. This reduces fatigue compared to walking in a scattered, disorganized manner. When walking on soft or deep snow, snowshoes prevent your feet from sinking and allow you to move with ease.
Mountain hiking
Mountains are often made up of undulating hills or valleys, interspersed with streams, cliffs, or wooded areas.
Road surface characteristics: Mountains are often made up of undulating hills or valleys, interspersed with streams, cliffs, or wooded areas. The terrain is usually complex, featuring various surfaces such as stone paths, muddy trails, stepping stones, and bushes, requiring a combination of hiking techniques.
Walking tips: To avoid getting lost, conserve energy, and increase speed while hiking in the mountains, prioritize using existing paths rather than crossing forests or climbing over hills. When there's a main road available, avoid taking smaller trails.
If no path exists, choose to hike along longitudinal ridges, mountain spines, mid-slopes, edges of streams and rivers, or areas with tall trees, sparse woods, open gaps, and low, sparse grass. Avoid deep valleys or areas with dense underbrush and intertwined vines and bamboo. Aim to walk along ridges, not valleys, and follow the grain of the land, not across it.
Hiking should follow the principle of taking large strides, and this applies to mountainous terrain as well. By increasing your stride—taking three steps in the time it would normally take for two—you’ll cover more ground with fewer steps over dozens of kilometers, conserving energy.
River crossing
Crossing rivers is a potential challenge during outdoor hiking. While maps can often indicate whether large rivers are present in the area, in complex terrains—especially regions with significant elevation changes and deeply cut valleys—even seemingly small streams can become obstacles. During rainy seasons, what was once a harmless creek may turn into a raging torrent.
Road surface characteristics: Crossing rivers is a potential challenge during outdoor hiking. While maps can often indicate whether large rivers are present in the area, in complex terrains—especially regions with significant elevation changes and deeply cut valleys—even seemingly small streams can become obstacles. During rainy seasons, what was once a harmless creek may turn into a raging torrent. Therefore, choosing the right river crossing point is crucial.
Walking tips: The best approach is to find a bridge or ask locals about bridge locations. Only as a last resort should you prepare to cross a river on foot.
When crossing a river, the first step is to carefully observe the flow of the water. For slow-moving water, choose a shallow spot to cross and aim for an easy-to-exit bank. Above or near waterfalls, the river is usually deeper and stronger—crossing is never advisable.
In narrow upstream sections, wading across might be feasible—but test the water depth with a pole first. There may be stepping stones, or you can place rocks to help you cross. In group expeditions, some members might be able to jump over narrow valleys or use rocks to traverse the stream, but if many cannot, the advantage is minimal. Also, slipping on smooth rocks can easily lead to ankle sprains.
Rivers typically become wide and turbulent at their deltas, and some are even influenced by tides—do not attempt to cross at such points. Unless you have a raft or floatation device, head upstream to find a suitable place to cross.
On wide river sections, if you're left with no other choice and have the means and ability, you can lash together a floatation raft to swim across. Even if you have a raft or floatation device, do not cross lightly—there's a high risk of being swept downstream, drifting further from your intended destination. However, this also depends on actual conditions—such as how water flow and waves affect navigation. If the water temperature is too low, you can build a raft; by the time you reach the other side, only your feet may be wet, and you can quickly start a fire to dry off.