Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Hiking Etiquette

I was always taught that the downhill hiker yields to the uphill hiker because it is harder for the uphill hiker to get moving again once they stop.

This also can be a great morale booster for the exhausted hiker slogging uphill. Sometimes they just want to keep going before they collapse. Of course, many of these will gladly stop for a break while the downhill flies by. Still, I always yield to uphill hikers as a courtesy as they are doing the hard work.

burtw gave us all we need to know. Its' harder for the uphill ox (or climber or biker) to re-establish momentum. It's easier for the downhill ox (or climber or biker) to lose control. Hence the ROW rule.

It may be that the sports physiology validates the rule, but the rule has been around much longer than the scientific understanding of biomechanics.

Three things I watch out and listen for when I hike local OC hills; mountain lions, rattlers, and mountain bikers. All three unpredictable.