How physically fit you need to be depends on a couple of factors; what kind of terrain you'll be walking through and how far you need to go to get to the cache. It really just comes down to knowing your limitations. I currently do all of my geocaching in the mountains of Colorado. I've been on a couple of hikes so far that have taken me 8 miles round trip. I'm not going to lie and say they were easy because I had to take numerous breaks. I also consider myself to be in good shape. Its hard not to be when you're still in the Army and perform Physical Training five days a week.
If you consider yourself to be in good shape then go for it. If you are in the "other" category than consider starting out small. Many nearby parks have caches that are easy to find. You should always check a map of some sort to determine terrain and distance. I've found caches in flat city parks off of well maintained paths as well as caches miles into the mountains where the trail sometimes disappears. When considering your terrain you should also take into consideration your elevation gain. How high are you going to climb in an mile? On most hike I've been on in the mountain I typically gain about a thousand feet for every two miles. I have gained two thousand in that time a couple of times too. Climbing at any pace can really get your heart pumping. The only good thing about gaining a lot of elevation is once you hit your turn around point, it is downhill all the way. Your hike might not necessarily take you uphill but just the opposite. If you are exhausted after trekking downhill for awhile, can you handle going uphill for your return trip? Right now I am working my way up to a hike up Pikes Peak. I know my limitations and realize it would not be a good idea at the moment.
Difficulty Scale
Before searching out any Geocache, you can get an idea of how rough the terrain will be from each individual cache page. The person who hides the cache rates the terrain difficulty on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. Click here to see an example of a cache and its rating. The following bullets will give you on idea of what kind of terrain you can expect with each rating.
- 1 Star: Wide maintained or paved paths, very little or no change in elevation, no "bush-wacking".
- 2 Stars: Paths still well maintained, some change in elevation, may need to leave the trail for a short distance.
- 3 Stars: Some sort of trail but probably not very wide, varying changes in elevation, might have to venture a distance without trails, probably difficult to use a bike.
- 4 Stars: Narrow paths that may disappear, no path at all, steep elevations, thick vegetation, some climbing neccesarry, impossible by mountain bike, rocky terrain.
- 5 Stars: Deer trails or no trail at all, intense climbing in elevation, extreme terrain that may require special gear for rock climbing, may have to do a lot of trailblazing or bushwacking.
The rating scheme also allows for half stars if the rater feels it lies somewhere in between two stars. Don't confuse "terrain" and "difficulty" when reading a cache page. The difficulty refers to how well hidden a cache is.
Taking Breaks
I have found it easier to take numerous short breaks rather than pushing through and taking a long break. A short break for me is a thirty second breather to a couple of minutes. For me, the short break is long enough to let the muscles relax and reset themselves. If I push through, my muscles get sore and stay that way. For long hikes, I also plan atleast one long break that lasts atleast 15 minutes. I take this time to eat something, stretch out and even change my socks if necessary. Then again, theres alway that one cache that was 20 feet away from where I parked the truck.
You should also think about how much weight you are going to carry and how much you can handle. For really short hikes you might only have to carry some water. If it is going to take you a few hours to hike one way you might find yourself carrying more items. I always wear an internal frame backpack for any hike I go on. At a minimum it gives me a better workout but it is filled with "just in case" type items. I still try to keep it relatively light and am probably topping out at 25 pounds.
You'll certainly need to consider your own physical ailments too. People with knee problems might find a climb in elevation easy but it is actually rougher on your joints and feet on the way down. If you require medications you need to consider the time it will take to make the trip. You might have to take your medications with you.
In the end it just comes to knowing what you can handle.
