i have the fortunbe of having access to a 300 acre ranch that borders Chino Hills State park. last summer my neighbor and I hiked several days a week in the park, starting and ending at the ranch. We did up to 3.5 hours on single track dirt trails with a lot of steep pitches. Great cross training that worked a broader range of muscles than cycling. I use trekking poles to work the upper body as in cross country skiing. I found the best shoes are those Reebok ATV with those caterpillar like nubs on the bottom. Light with great grip on mixed surfaces. Robot Check