Our advice for hiking while limiting our impact

Our first tip is to hike locally - or at least, as locally as possible.
Even though not all of us are lucky enough to live at the foot of a mountain range, let's think about the scale of our own region before considering climbing summits all over the world.
Hiking as such is not the real problem, but the modes of transport used to get to the mountains cause energy consumption.
It’s high time for us to explore the mountains which are close to home, to continue enjoying the mountains and hills we’ve already discovered during our childhood. Or do the tougher variant of a wonderful walk already hiked last year - but this time paying more attention to the details of the landscape. There are surely so many things that we haven’t already seen.
The phenomenon of micro-adventure lends itself well to this, and many guides already exist to rethink hiking near home. Don’t hesitate to get up early, or leave late, in order to rediscover classics but with the slanting light of a sunrise or sunset. Just remember your headlamp!

Whether for hiking or camping, there are "rules" or at least good mountain practices.
Whether it’s the tolerated or prohibited presence of our pet dogs or bans on collecting flowers, we must always respect the instructions given by the signs at the start of the routes.
Remember to get information when planning your routes, because these rules may vary from one mountain area to another and depending on whether we intend to travel through nature reserves, national parks or Natura 2000 areas.
Whatever the case, all these measures are in place to limit our impact on the flora and fauna we come to visit.
In many countries, permits and taxes are required from people wishing to go into the mountains.
In the Alps and Europe, access to the mountains is very often unlimited and free.
Hiking while limiting our impact is one way to retain this privileged access.

Here at Quechua, we want to get even more hikers involved to limit impact on our playground.

The principle is simple: every time you go hiking, whether close to home or on the other side of the world, think “Hike Up, Pick Up”.
Before setting off, when packing your hiking backpack, remember to add a small bag, gloves and hydroalcoholic gel so you can pick up any rubbish you encounter en route!