Is hiking barefoot more fun than wearing heavy alpine boots?

Some time back I went for some extensive hiking in the Indian Himalayas. I know: Many of you wouldn’t even think about walking barefoot up there! But believe me: It was SO much fun! I didn’t carry any shoes, not even in my backpack. I enjoyed every minute of the trip on my bare soles… The trek to the source of the Ganges river was a special experience: 36 km (18 km one way) of mountain trails, two nights in a tent… Climbing over countless rocks, wading through ice-cold rivulets… Crossing little patches of snow… Many interesting sensations for my well-trained bare feet! Yes, it’s all about additional sensual experiences – that’s what makes travelling and hiking barefoot so special! Feeling the rough granite beneath my soles, crossing a muddy meadow, patches of snow and little streams providing some refreshment… Tired feet are unknown to me, even after many kilometres of brisk hiking! That’s one big advantage of hiking barefoot… And there is the way I experience temperature: Nights are quite chilly up there (the thermometer once dropped to -2 ° C), but during daytime, things change quickly as soon as the first rays of the sun are touching the ground! It’s amazing to be able to FEEL the difference between a shady and sunny section of the trail! I was spending the night in an open tent together with other hikers. The morning was quite chilly, and while having a cup of chai, a girl from Tel Aviv admired my ability to “stay bare” in the cold! She told me she would love to do the hike barefoot too, and I assured her that after a few weeks of travelling barefoot, she’ll be able to do things like that without ever having to bother about her feet. On my way back I passed a couple in their early 30ies. The husband looked a bit surprised, spotting my tanned bare feet, but his wife gave me a big smile, saying: “Barefoot – that’s great”. What do you think: Is hiking barefoot more fun than wearing heavy alpine boots?

Is hiking barefoot more fun than wearing heavy alpine boots?
You sound like a hard-core barefooter. EXCELLENT.





I too go hiking barefoot and enjoy all the sensations of it all. I especially love the temperature changes you experince throughout the different hours of the day.





36 km is impressive. I have never done that much. I limit my barefoot hiking to my immediate area where I live. I am fortunate that my family owns about 200 hectares of natural forestland and I have hiked barefoot over just about all of, but not at once. Like you, I don't bother taking ANY type of footwear with me and there is no need to pack any bandaging supplies expressly for the feet.





I love walking in cold water and ice and snow and I envy you for being able to do that on a warm summer day.





No tired feet -- hey you are so right. I never gave it much thought before. Of course, never any blisters or sweaty feet, either.





More people need to experince life barefoot.
Reply:You'll step on something,injure your feet and then have to limp you azz out of the woods.
Reply:SHORTEN THESE!!!!





I hike in BOOTS and long pants, especially after being bitten by both a banana spider and pygmy rattler in my ankles!





Seriously, can you take this to a blog or something, and just stick to questions? 98% of people responding are not going to read the whole thing, they will skim the top and bottom and skip the middle, just adding their 2c to what they assume you're trying to get at.



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