UKH

It can be demoralising if your walking buddies always leave you for dust, but for the faster walker it's hard not to get frustrated too. Often at the rear herself, though never backward in coming forward, Fliss Freeborn suggests coping strategies for stragglers, and good ways to manage groups of varied speed and fitness.

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In reply to UKH Articles:

I think there is a very considerable onus on walking partners to take care of each other. In the context of this article, I think this means that the faster walkers moderate their pace and walk with the slower walkers, rather than striding off and leaving them behind. 

When my wife and I were walking more than we can manage now, I was always the quicker walker.  In the early days of our relationship, I would be off ahead, and she would be some way behind. We both found it unnecessarily stressful - I was frustrated at her relative slowness, she was frustrated by my apparent lack of regard. So, we changed what we were doing and deciding it would be better if I followed her, walking at her pace. This became an immeasurably more enjoyable affair - we didn't get frustrated with each other, we enjoyed conversation when there was conversation to be had, we enjoyed companiable silence, and we enjoyed sharing the experience of being in the environment, commenting on interesting flora and fauna along the way. 

In addition to making the activity more enjoyable, by placing her at the head of the walk, this way of doing things helped my wife improve her skills such as her navigation and her route selection through boggy or rough ground. 

Given that the time taken to get to the top and own again is always going to be limited by the slowest walker in the party, there is nothing to be gained by the faster walkers leaving the others behind, if they only have to wait to the slower walkers at intervals. 

Or, as Jon Tinker was once quoted in one of Andrew Greig's books. 'If you've got all day to walk from A to B, take all day.' (or words to that effect). 

In reply to UKH Articles:

The other thing that can be totally demoralising is when a slower person catches up the group immediately moves off. They have had a rest, so please let the slower person have one as well … rushing straight on just means they are immediately behind at the back but likely to be even more tired. 

In reply to UKH Articles:

I think the most important part is the trip planning and setting expectations. As I got more experienced in the mountains, I've become pretty accurate at predicting how long trips will take depending on the level in the group. Making it clear that we will be at the first top in 2hrs, not 1hr, means everyone knows what the deal is, and if they don't like it, they don't join, or adjust their route.

Sometimes it's possible to create different itineraries with the same overall route that can allow quicker people to add an extra peak for example.

I find that's often easy when ski touring, as quick people just do an extra lap.

I find "just slowing down" quite difficult, as I often revert to my natural pace if I'm not watching my pace. So for me, following the less quick person is a good way to stop my pace drifting up.

Sometimes I enjoy getting pushed to go faster by a quicker partner/group.

As I say, it's all about setting expectations beforehand.

In reply to UKH Articles:

Speaking as one half of a 20 year walking partnership with a big speed disparity then I'd point out that telling someone to slow down can be as unhelpful as telling someone to speed up. Moving across terrain at well below natural pace isn't actually easy or relaxing.

We just build up a gap and then I stop and wait, before setting off again.

If lockstep walking side by side is required long term, then it's likely that finding walking partners of similar speed will be required. 

In reply to Ouroboros:

Speaking as another faster walker, I agree. Particularly on uphills, one tends to have a natural rhythm which is very hard to get out of. My rule is always to stop little and often. This is particularly important in a bigger group, where it is easy to get very strung out. I do a lot of my walking with a mountaineering club where you don't always know much about the experience-levels of the people you are with (apart from whatever chat you've just had) - and I've been the novice in that situation, too. 

When I first joined the club, I was always getting left behind. I HATED it. So I have made it my rule that a group I'm with won't leave the slower walkers way behind if I can help it.