The Joys of Hiking - Over or Under?

[Ndevr]

What's more comical, watching a shorter person clambering over a fallen tree, or someone taller scrambling under a tree!?

I'm probably on the taller side, and it definitely has its advantages in most terrain, but when it comes to off-track scrambling (or unmaintained tracks), its amazing how many trees/branches fall right at that uncomfortable decision height.

I know that when I choose to go under a branch, no matter how often I tell myself to keep down, down, down... I nearly always come up too early...it's all the fun of the game, just when you think you've timed it to perfection (minimising the exertion), that damn 1mm thick vine traps your bag, and you wrestle for an inordinate time to get clear.

On the other hand when you go over the branch, and the footing on the other side is just a little bit further a drop than expected, and you're left straddling uncomfortably whilst you tenderly lower yourself down.

Also hitting your head with the rain jacket hood on is annoying. I now tend to walk with my hat on, and the hood over the top, and have reduced my obscenities by 80%.....the joys of hiking.

[Earwig]

I try going under without realising I'm wearing a backpack, come up too quick, go down even quicker, and locate the only muddy puddle or sharp rock around.

[madmacca]

What's more comical, watching a shorter person clambering over a fallen tree, or someone taller scrambling under a tree!?

I'm probably on the taller side, and it definitely has its advantages in most terrain, but when it comes to off-track scrambling (or unmaintained tracks), its amazing how many trees/branches fall right at that uncomfortable decision height.

I call it the "Zone of Aggravation". Anything 1 metre/3 feet and below I will go over. Anything above 1.5 metres/4.5 feet I'll go under. It's not my head so much, but rather snagging the pack because even bent over, the height of my legs and the pack is too high. If the tree is small enough in diameter, I sometimes wrap both arms around it, and hang while I swing through sideways.

But often in that zone I end up having to take my pack off and drag it through. Constantly having to saddle up again is a real annoyance when my pack is still heavy in the early stages of a multi-day walk.

[kaite]

where we mainly walk, its all scrambling and crawling and hoping and climbing, under and over and through, scratchy, stingy or rotten tangles. And all that is great, i love it! Two things though come to my mind that i find worth mentioning...... if there are several ppl and some use sticks, in rough country they often carry them sideways and swing them out at the person behind, if it is steep, right into their face.... also there is the problem of holing on to rotten trees and make them tumble on heads, own or others....
hope i haven't gone too far off topic...

[Onestepmore]

I try to go under where I can. I find I get my pack caught less if I go backwards, ie base first.

[ribuck]

But not both at the same time!

I was on an SBW trip some decades ago when the person climbing over caused the (rotted) fallen log to collapse, breaking the ankle of the person who was climbing under.