Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World

How did hiking evolve from the upper-class European sport of alpinism and the publication of an English travel guide, into an activity that now has millions of participants all over the world? How did western cultures overcome their intense fear of mountains, and why were the social stigmas associated with walking rejected? What roles did the Industrial Revolution play in the development of hiking as a major pastime?

Ramble On: How Hiking Became One of the Most Popular Outdoor Activities in the World answers these and many other key questions. It chronicles hiking's roots in alpinism and mountaineering, the societal trends that fostered its growth, some of the early hikers from the 19th century, the first trails built specifically for hiking, the formation of the first hiking clubs, as well as what the early hikers wore, and what some of the key inventions and innovations were that led to our modern array of gear and apparel.

The book also includes anecdotal stories of trail development in some of our oldest and most iconic national parks, such as Yellowstone, Yosemite, Great Smoky Mountains, Mt. Rainier, Glacier and Acadia National Park, as well as the first trails to be blazed in the White Mountains of New Hampshire - America's first hiking destination. It also takes a look at some of the peculiar traditions of some of the early hiking clubs, including the Appalachian Mountain Club. Among the more compelling stories is the apparel women were forced to wear during the Victorian Era, and the danger those fashion standards posed to women who dared to venture into the mountains.

This second edition builds upon the first edition of this book (Ramble On: A History of Hiking) to reflect additional research, and to expand more broadly on a few topics.