If you want to plan your own walks then you need to be able to estimate how long the walk will take.
This can be done using Naismith's Rule.
Allow 1 hour for every 5km / 3 miles walked, plus an extra 30 minutes for every 1000ft / 300m of ascent
This rule was invented in 1892 by W.W.Naismith, a Scottish mountaineer. It is a method of estimating the length of time it will take to walk a set route. The rule assumes a reasonable level of fitness and normal conditions. For this reason, it sometimes needs to be modified to take account of varying fitness, terrain and conditions. The rule does not take account of other delays, and it's result is usually considered the minimum time to walk the route.
With experience you can adjust these rules to the pace your walk. (I use 2.3 miles per hour)
Corrections
Various corrections have been made since the original rule was devised. The most important of these are the supplementary rules for descents.
- Gentle descent: subtract 10 minutes for every 1000ft / 300m of descent
- Steep descent: add 10 minutes for every 1000ft / 300m of descent
Variations
A more common metric variation of Naismith's rule that is often used is
Allow 1 hour for every 4 kilometres, and half a minute for every contour line crossed.
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