Episode 144 Trail Steepness vs. Difficulty

Hiking effort doesn't scale smoothly with slope. It shifts across physiological regimes driven by muscle contraction type, aerobic limits, gait mechanics, and safety regulation. In this episode, we explain why mild downhill can be most efficient, why steep grades impose nonlinear time penalties, and how modeling human regulation improves trip planning accuracy. To view the shownotes for this episode of the Backpacking Light Podcast, click here .

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Episode 144 Trail Steepness vs. Difficulty is an episode from Backpacking Light Podcast by Backpackinglight.com.

This episode is 35:34 long.

This episode was published on Mar 4, 2026.

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