Have you ever wondered, when was hiking invented? Hiking originated thousands of years ago and lacks a definite beginning. Still, hiking has a rich history.

The true origins of hiking involve people simply walking up mountains, without the hope of reaching a goal of a summit. It is believed that hiking began as an informal mode of

transportation. Thousands of years ago, hiking a mountain was also done for religious reasons.

Some early hikes were recorded, but it is believed that there were many hikes done before records show. In the thirteenth century there were several documented expeditions up various mountains around the world as people explored the summits of the various continents. One of the first truly documented hikes was done for religious reasons; in the 1400s and 1500s the Incas climbed the Andes.

In the 1740s, Titus, a snow mountain, was climbed. Other than that the 1700s were a quiet time for hiking. Hiking really started to become an independent recreational activity and not just a way to find food and God in the 1800s. It was in the 1870s that Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, was climbed. During the 1800s people also spent some time exploring the Himalayas.

One of the first major hikes to take place in the U.S. was at Mount Washington in New Hampshire, which is still a favorite hiking destination today. It wasn’t until 1913 that Mount McKinley was climbed. Mount McKinley is the highest mountain in North America.

In the mid 1950s, people really began to push the limits of hiking. Mount Everest was climbed by Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay during this time, which set the precedent for other arduous hikes later down the road.

In 1985 Dick Bass made hiking history when he climbed the highest peaks on all seven continents.