About one and a half million years ago, mankind learned how to stand upright and walk. So in some way, you could say that Hiking was developed during the Stone Age. Nowadays, when we talk about Hiking and Trekking, we mean it in the pastime sense of the word. It is hard to say when walking as a means of hunting and surviving became walking for fun and recreation. Throughout the years, man has always used walking as a means of relaxation. Going for a stroll is a great way to meditate on possible dilemmas or to get away from things and clear your mind.

When it comes to historical milestones in Hiking, we would probably have to look at the historical highlights in Mountaineering and the first ascents on mountains like K2, McKinley, and Everest. However, these are accomplishments in Mountaineering which could be considered as the next level in Hiking.

Here are some of those Mountaineering milestones:

1874 - Grove, Gardiner, Walker, Sottajev and Knubel reached the summit of the highest mountain in Europe: Elbrus

1913 - Karstens, Harper, Tatum and Stuck reached the summit of the highest mountain in North America: Mount McKinley

1953 - Norgay and Hillary reached the summit of the highest mountain in the world: Mount Everest

1985 - Dick Bass reached Mount Everest and became the first person to reach the summits of the highest peaks of each of the seven continents.

Nowadays, Hiking is a multi-billion dollar industry with millions worldwide going Hiking every year. Local Hiking authorities are constantly building new Hiking Trails and mountain lodges are erected to facilitate the ever increasing demand for multi-day hike accommodation.