Some things I've learned over a lifetime of hiking:
1) Conditioning > 'fitness'. When you can move efficiently, you use so much less energy. Experience matters.
2) Strong hip muscles means fewer knee problems (especially downhill). Strong legs means less fatigue. Resistance training is key.
3) Pace: hiking in a group is fun, but don't burn yourself out keeping up. It's better for more capable people to walk slower than for slower people to walk fast. (And I like to move fast)
@grajohnt one of the best bits of group hiking advice I ever heard was from a friend who’d worked in a kid’s residential activity centre. “Always have one of the most capable people at the back of the group so they can stay with the ones who start falling back”.
@grajohnt so many cases of people get lost or injured because everyone with experience was up front charging off and didn’t notice someone lagging ever further behind the group.
@jon 100% - my rule is to have the most experienced person in the back and the second most experienced person in the front.
