How walking times are calculated

Every estimated walking time in Adventure Planner is built from four layered inputs. The base figure comes from the terrain itself; adjustments reflect who's walking and what they're carrying.

1. Tobler on real elevation

For every segment of trail, the planner uses Tobler's hiking function, which models walking speed as a function of slope: fastest at a gentle downhill (~2.9°), slowing on both steep climbs and steep descents. The elevation profile is sampled from LiDAR or national DEM data — so rolling terrain like saddles and ridge traverses are captured as the climb-and-descend they really are, not averaged into an apparent flat line.

2. Pace profile

• Brisk— ×0.85. Experienced tramper moving purposefully.
• Standard— ×1.00. The default reference pace.
• Leisurely— ×1.15. Time for photos and a view.

3. Pack weight

• Day pack— ×1.00. Light day walk.
• Overnight— ×1.05. Single hut night.
• Multi-day tramping— ×1.12. Several days of food and gear.

4. Rest stops

When enabled, the planner adds 7 minutes per hour walked, capped at 60 minutes per day. This matches the standard tramping pace rule of thumb for short breaks, snacks, and gear adjustments.

What's not in the estimate yet

• Track grade. Great Walks (benched, graded paths) are slightly faster than marked Tramping Tracks; Routes and unmarked tracks are slower. This is tracked separately and will land once trail metadata is enriched.
• Track surface. Mud, sand, and loose rock all slow travel. Surface data is coming in a future update.
• Weather and river crossings. Not modelled. Always check forecasts and alerts before you leave.

Walking-time estimates are a planning aid, not a guarantee. Always carry appropriate gear, check DOC alerts and weather forecasts, and be prepared for conditions to change.