eli5 – Why are switchbacks more efficient when hiking?
In: Physics
You have two choices.
You can climb a steep incline for a shorter distance.
Or you can climb a shallower incline for a longer distance.
Most people find the latter to be much easier.
It’s not that they’re more efficient, it’s that you have less chance of falling, and when it rains, the water won’t wash out the trail.
It’s a basic machine (ramp) that eases the force needed to go up a hill. They allow you to go the same vertical distance over twice (or whatever) the horizontal distance. So, while it may take longer it’s less strenuous.
Also, from an erosion standpoint they keep water from shooting straight down an incline where it would erode the trail really fast.
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