Backpacker Magazine posted an interesting poll on their website: If indoor hiking were possible, would you be interested? Apparently the answer was a pretty clear NO with about 80% of respondents saying it was a horrible idea. Indoor hiking may sound far fetched but in fact there are indoor analogs for most other outdoor sports including mountain biking, rock climbing, and even kayaking and golf.

Mountain bikers have embraced the idea of indoor riding, naming Ray’s Indoor Mountain Bike Park an International Mountain Bike Association “Epic Ride.” Of course mountain biking requires both skill and stamina but indoor tracks are mostly geared toward building only the skill side of the equation.

Rock climbers have long used indoor climbing walls to hone both skills and strength but I’m sure if you asked them most would agree they prefer climbing natural rocks outdoors. Parents recognize that indoor rock climbing surfaces are much safer than shifting natural rocks so for many young climbers indoors is the only option.

Kayakers also use indoor facilities to practice their water moves but I’m sure most kayak enthusiasts would agree outdoor kayaking is much more interesting. After all, kayaking is all about getting where you’re going and in a pool, that’s no where.

Golfers do hit balls at indoor screens showing virtual courses though you don’t see too many outdoor course owners worried about the competitive threat

All of this leads back to the original question: does indoor hiking make sense? Is it even possible to capture some part of the hiking experience with an indoor facility? What would it look like? Here are three ideas:

• Most REI stores have small faux rock ramps in their shoe departments for customers to test new hiking boots. Although I wouldn’t call this indoor hiking, it does replicate a small part of the hiking experience. Although skills are not overly important in hiking, an indoor course could teach the basics or allow buyers to put products through their paces.
• Virtual reality. Indoor mountain biking and rock climbing are pretty low tech affairs where participants stare at the walls and ceiling while doing their thing. But what if, instead, indoor hikers were treated to full wrap around, moving outdoor scenes? Hook up a treadmill with a bumpy tread and vary the incline, blow a little air and/or mist and watch the screens to be transported to say, Kilimanjaro or the Amazonian rain forest. This vision would be more like a ride than an outdoor experience so perhaps this is would be better suited to theme parks…
• Caving is hiking in 3D but it’s also basically hiking indoors, especially in caverns with commercial tours, snack bars, and artificial lights. Most commercial caves do in fact have doors on their entrances so *technically* spelunkers are hiking in-doors

Now, back to the original question: would I try indoor hiking? I’d probably say no to the idea of virtual reality hiking and hiking skills courses but then again I never say never!

To continue our series on extreme hiking I thought I’d talk a little about spelunking (or caving). A friend recently mentioned that caving was really just hiking in 3D which I thought was a good explanation, though I would add it’s hiking in 3D with no weather or sun! I’m a bit of a mapping enthusiast when I hike but I can’t even imagine how you could start to map a cave unless you had some sort of box-shaped mapping device. Forget about using a GPS either - those will stop working at the mouth of the caves.

The other thing I’ve noticed about spelunking is just how dark it is inside caves. Obviously you need to be prepared whenever you enter a cave (the rule of thumb is to bring 3 light sources) but most of us don’t have a real concept of total darkness until we enter a cave. This also makes caving much more dangerous than a typical above-ground hike and I highly recommend going with an experienced guide and bringing safety equipment like helmets and ropes.

I’ve been in a few caves over the years and perhaps my favorite is Cumberland Caverns in central Tennessee. As a Boy Scout our group went on the “wild tour” where we were forced to crawl on our bellies and squeeze through narrow passages and muddy paths. More recently I made it out to Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico where a friend and I went on the standard walking tour of the cave, though we were disappointed to find out advanced reservations are necessary to go on their version of the “wild tour.” Carlsbad Caverns is amazing for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that millions of bats live in the cave during daylight hours. If small spaces don’t freak you out, seeing all these bats will!

Yep, caving really is hiking in 3D and I’d say that qualifies it as an extreme way to hike. Just be safe on your 3D hike - that extra dimension can be tough to get used to!