Leave No Trace! The 7 Golden Rules for Responsible Hiking

Responsible hiking actually begins in your living room, with a map in hand. By knowing the trail, weather conditions, and local regulations in advance, you can avoid emergencies. If you’re unprepared, you’re much more likely to make decisions – such as camping in prohibited areas or disturbing wildlife reserves – that harm the environment.

Always stick to designated trails when in nature! Straying off the path to avoid mud or take a shortcut destroys ground-level vegetation, compacts the soil, and directly contributes to soil erosion. If you’re wild camping (in areas where it’s legal), always pitch your tent on hard ground, rocks, or vegetation-free areas, away from water sources and wildlife watering spots.

This is the most obvious rule, yet it’s where most people go wrong. According to the "Leave No Trace" principle, all rubbish must go back into your backpack and be taken back to civilisation. This includes organic waste, which many mistakenly believe is biodegradable.

The truth about "biodegradable" waste: Many think it’s fine to toss banana or orange peels in the forest. In reality, these tropical fruits can take up to 2 years to decompose in our climate, during which pesticides on them can seep into the soil. Even worse are hygiene items like wet wipes: most contain plastic fibres and never fully decompose, breaking down into microplastics that poison wildlife. Whatever you bring into the forest, take it back out!

A beautiful wildflower, a uniquely shaped rock, a rare antler, or a fossil can all be tempting souvenirs. The rule is simple: don’t take anything! Leave the joy of discovery for the hikers who come after you. Take a photo, write about it in your journal, but leave the objects in their natural ecosystem, where they serve a purpose.

Chatting around a campfire is one of the romantic highlights of hiking, but open flames pose a huge risk to forests and local fauna, especially during dry summer months. Only light campfires in designated, built, and permitted fire pits, or use a portable gas stove for cooking. If you do make a fire, keep it as small as necessary and use only fallen, dry branches (never break branches off living trees!). Before leaving, extinguish the embers thoroughly with plenty of water and ensure the ashes are completely cool – if it’s too hot to touch, it’s too hot to leave.

Nature is the home of animals; we are merely guests. Observe them from a respectful distance, don’t follow or frighten them! Never, under any circumstances, feed wild animals, as artificial food can make them ill and cause them to lose their natural caution towards humans, which almost always proves fatal for them.

The essence of slow travel is peace and tranquillity. Respect the rest of other hikers: avoid loud noises, don’t use portable speakers, and give way to those climbing uphill on narrow paths. Let the natural sounds of the environment dominate your hike.