Hiking is a widely-used term used differently by different people, and technology has an increasing role in the hikes that people take. Given the tremendous growth in technology capabilities for fitness, navigation, and communication, the breadth of devices and applications has expanded. Use of technology differs based on not only individuals but also the kinds of tasks performed. This research seeks to understand the different perspectives of the hikers and the technology they carry with them on the trail through a survey, analysis, and persona creation. 40 self-described hikers participated in a survey that asked about demographic data, hiking preferences, and would-you-rather preferences asking participants to choose between envisioned hiking and technology scenarios. The collected data were clustered into 6 clusters using K-Mode clustering, and descriptive analysis identified unique characteristics for each cluster. Five personas were crafted using the identified characteristics based on the analysis, taking into account the correlation between hiking preference and age, preferred activities and motivation, and maximum expenses they spend on the tech they carry. These personas seek to act as a guide to those who purchase, design and use hiking related products for both commercial and research purposes. / Master of Science / Hiking is a widely-used term used differently by different people, and technology has an increasing role in the hikes that people take. Given the tremendous growth in technology capabilities for fitness, navigation, and communication, the breadth of devices and applications has expanded. Use of technology differs based on not only individuals but also the kinds of tasks performed. This research seeks to understand the different perspectives of the hikers and the technology they carry with them on the trail through a survey, analysis, and persona creation. 40 self-described hikers participated in a survey that asked about demographic data, hiking preferences, and would-you-rather preferences asking participants to choose between envisioned hiking and technology scenarios. The collected data was clustered into 6 similar clusters, and analysis identified unique characteristics for each cluster. Five personas were crafted to represent different types of hikers. The personas were created using the identified characteristics based on the analysis, taking into account the correlation between hiking preference and age, preferred activities and motivation, and maximum expenses they spend on the tech they carry. These personas seek to act as a guide to those who purchase, design, and use hiking related products.

This thesis work describes the hiking, bicycle, ski, and horse trails in the region known as ?Czech Canada?, specifically the area between Nová Bystřice, Kunžák, and Slavonice marked on the hiking map ?Česká Kanada a Slavonicko? on a 1:50,000 scale. The introductory chapters characterize the territorial layout from the physical-geographic and socio-geographic aspects and include an analysis of used literature. The methodology of work is taken from thesis works of a similar topic defended at the Department of Geography. This is followed by a description of individual hiking trails ? in text form as well as in information panels (this includes information on the surface type, the surrounding landscape, monuments in the area, geometry of the trails, and more). These texts, panels, and attached map with a drawing of the described trails permit one to embark on individual hiking, bicycle, ski, and other tourist journeys. The conclusion of the work is supplemented by a didactic transformation of the resolved issue. The attachment consists of photographs and a glossary of topographical terms.

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Nous avons évalué les performances et limitations de différents capteurs susceptibles d’aider à orienter un déficient visuel : GPS, magnétomètre, gyroscope, accéléromètre, baromètre ainsi que la façon de les combiner pour guider efficacement les déficients visuels dans trois contextes différents : le milieu urbain, la randonnée et les intérieurs. Nous avons réalisé des prototypes se plaçant sur la hanche ou tenus à la main fournissant une information présentée sous la forme d’un cap et d’une distance au point à atteindre. Cette information se réactualise en temps réel en fonction des changements de position ou d’orientation de la personne.Nous avons montré par des tests en situation réelle sur des parcours urbains et pédestres de plusieurs kilomètres, effectués par différents déficients visuels, l’efficacité de cette approche très différente de celle du guidage automobile. Les tests ont été également effectués dans des zones où les capteurs sont perturbés : forêts denses ou rues avec des bâtiments hauts (signal GPS perturbé), à proximité des lignes électriques (magnétomètre perturbé), etc. Le cas le plus complexe est celui des intérieurs (stations du métro, centres commerciaux) où le signal GPS est absent. Notre approche ne fait appel à aucun équipement du lieu (de type bornes Bluetooth ou Wifi) et utilise uniquement une cartographie préalable ou relevée sur le site. Nous sommes parvenus à des guidages fonctionnels sur quelques centaines de mètres sous certaines conditions : entrainement de l’utilisateur afin d’assimiler les spécificités du langage de la locomotion utilisé pour le guidage et apprentissage des stratégies de déplacement évitant le disfonctionnement de la centrale inertielle. Nous sommes en mesure de proposer à l’issue de ce travail un outil pouvant être diffusé auprès des utilisateurs avec des solutions fiables pour le milieu urbain et la randonnée. Pour les intérieurs les développements complémentaires se poursuivent et ne seront proposés qu’en béta-test. Cet outil va également être proposé pour initier les déficients visuels non autonomes à des randonnées simples afin de tenter de faire naître l’envie d’améliorer son autonomie. / We have evaluated the possibilities and the limitations of different sensors able to help to the orientation of the visually impaired: GPS, magnetometer, gyroscope, accelerometers, and barometers and also the way to mix their information for guiding efficiently the visually impaired in three different contexts: urban areas, hiking and indoor areas. We have implemented some belt mounted and hand held prototypes giving the information in the way of “heading” and “distance” to the destination to reach. This information is updated in real time taking into consideration the change of the position and orientation of the person. We have shown, during real situation tests, in urban pedestrian paths and hiking circuits of many kilometers done by different visually impaired people, the efficiency of this approach which is very different to the car navigation. The tests have been run including zones where the sensors data is perturbed: dense forest or big buildings in urban areas (GPS signal perturbed), proximity to electrical lines (magnetometer data perturbed), etc. The most complicated case is the indoor navigation (metro stations and commercial centers) where the GPS signal is not available. Our approach does not require any equipment apparatus in the building (such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi hotspots) and uses just a previous cartography or a cartography done in situ. We have achieved functional guidance in few hundred meters under certain conditions: the training of the user in order to make him understand the specific characteristics of the mobility language used for the navigation and the learning of the strategies of displacement in order to avoid the failure of the Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). We are in position to offer, at the end of this work, one tool which can be distributed to the users with reliable solutions for the urban areas and the hiking. For the indoor navigation, complementary development is carrying on and it will be proposed just like beta-test version. This tool is also going to be proposed for initiating non-autonomous visually impaired people to easy treks in order to try to make them want to improve their autonomy.

This diploma deals with history and progress of skialpinism in the (historically) Czech lands. The diploma consists of 4 parts. The first one defines the term Skialpinism in its progress stages. The second part of the diploma deals with the beginning and progress of skis as an equipment, progress of ski bindings, and other necessary equipment for skialpinism, for example climbing skins. In the third part the history of skialpinism is divided into individual stages, starting with the period 1900 {--} 1918, and then the period between the Wars, followed by the period from 1945 to 1975, and the last one is the period from 1975 to present. The fourth part covers comparison of the skialpinism evolution in the Czech lands, progress of the Czech skialpinism outside the Czech country, and the progress of skialpinism in the world.

This present case study is exploring whether an Education for Sustainable Development initiative, as exemplified by the South African Earthchild Project (ECP), which is focused on yoga, environmental education and hiking, can empower children and enhance their agency to become agents of change for Sustainable Development. With empowerment and agency theories as a backdrop, a quasi-experimental design is adopted. A drawing method is used in combination with follow-up interviews with an experimental group (children exposed to ECP) and a control group (children not exposed to ECP). Additional data were collected by a focus group session, semi-structured interviews and participant observation. These additional sources are youth who have been members of ECP for numerous years. The findings of this research suggest that that children and youth who are exposed to ECP’s activities are more empowered and have more agency in terms of Sustainable Development than those who are not exposed. Taking into account the study’s limitations and imperfections, it can be concluded that ECP, using an ESD-inspired approach, is meeting its intended objectives.

Ants are ecologically important, environmentally sensitive, widespread, and abundant, yet ant assemblages of many habitats remain poorly understood. Ants in inland barrens of New York State (NY) barely have been studied, but the limited data suggest such habitats are likely to support uncommon ant species and high species density for the region. To increase knowledge of these assemblages, I systematically collected ants from three inland barrens systems in NY, to create species lists and measure species density. I also investigated how hiking trails — a common man-made disturbance — may be impacting ant assemblages in these early-successional, disturbance-dependent ecosystems. My data strongly indicate uncommonly high densities of ant species in NY pine barrens, including the most northern known occurrences of some species, and show that ant assemblage composition and species density are altered on hiking trails relative to managed barrens habitat bordering the trails. I conclude that monitoring ants on hiking trails could provide valuable information, particularly on disturbance-tolerant species, and an opportunity for visitor participation and citizen science programs that could detect additional rare species.

Vandrings- och pilgrimsleder är en del av turismnäringen som många människor söker sig till i syfte att nå en spirituell upplevelse eller en närmare kontakt med sig själv och naturen. För att flera människor ska få till sig budskapet att vandra dessa leder, och därmed får ta del av de positiva fördelar som upplevs, krävs det att leden är tillgänglighetsanpassad på flera sätt. Hur kan visuell kommunikation skapas för att öka tillgängligheten på S:t Olavsleden samt hur kan det spirituella uttryckas i syfte att attrahera en större målgrupp, är ett problemområde från en uppdragsbeskrivning av byrån Trampolin Pr. Syftet med projektet är att med utgångspunkt från Luptons (2011) designprocess skapa ny visuell kommunikation med fokus på ökad tillgänglighet samt skapa uttryck för spirituella upplevelser för S:t Olavsleden. Genom ett urval av flera vandrings- och pilgrimsleder, analyseras hur dessa semiotisk framställer tillgänglighet och spiritualitet och den kunskapen förvaltas vidare i designprocessen när den grafiska profilen ska skapas för S:t Olavsleden. Resultatet var att det empiriska materialet semiotiskt framställde tillgänglighet genom ordval, visuell framskjutenhet och olika designprinciper. Det empiriska materialet visade även på en brist på tillgänglighet i flera delar i kommunikationen av alla leder. Spiritualitet uttrycks främst genom bildval och vissa ordval.  Nyckelord: Grafisk design, pilgrimsvandring, visuell kommunikation, tillgänglighet, spiritualitet / Pilgrims and hiking trails are a part of the tourism sector and more and more people have found the positive effects of hiking. People do it for the purpose of seeking a spiritual experience, as well as being in nature to experience the motion, the emotion and the soulsearching that hiking gives. For people to experience the trails, the spiritual expressions and the positive effects, it is important that the communication is accessible in every part. How can visual communication be created to make the S:t Olavs Trail more accessible, and how can spirituality become an expression in the design? This problem area is something a client wanted help to answer and find a solution for. The purpose with this project is to use Luptons (2011) design process to create new design and communication with the theme of accessibility and spirituality. Through a sample of hiking and pilgrims trails, will this be analyzed with a semiotic visual analysis, and with the new knowledge result in new graphic design and communications for St. Olavs trail. The result of the semiotic visual analysis was that accessibility was presented through chosen words, visual prominence and different design aspects. The empirical material also showed a lack of accessibility in several parts of the communication. Spirituality was presented mostly through photos and words and not so much through design aspects.  Keywords: Graphic design, pilgrims hiking, visual communication, accessibility, spirituality

I en analys av Lidatorp, en mindre tätort i Nynäshamns komun, kom man fram till att aktivering av de kringliggande naturområde för rekreativa ändamål skulle ha en positiv inverkan på samhället både i form av välbefinnande och motion samt attraktion till området från regionen. Området runt Lidatorp-Björsta har på många sätt potential för friluftsaktivitet samt fungera som nod i ett större friluftssammanhang. Här passerar bland annat Sörmlandsleden och även föreningar såsom Ösmoscoutkår, Friluftsfrämjandet och Nynäshamns Brukshundsklubb saknar egna lokaler samt ett aktivt engagemang för sporter som klättring och paddling gör att ett center för friluftsliv och motion skulle vara ett önskat tillägg till området. Projektet ska bidra till att ge lokala medborgare, scouter, skolelever och sportintresserade nya möjligheter till ett aktivt friluftsliv i skolan eller fritiden. Ett klassrum i skogen samt en redskapsbank med cyklar, tält, camping utrustning, stormkök, kanoter, flytvästar etc. ska tillgängliggöra naturen och rörelse till fler. Mötesrum och lokaler för föreningsverksamhet ligger i anslutning för att göra byggnaden till en plats fylld av aktivitet hela dagen. Centret är menat att bli ett uppskattat utflyktsmål som vill främja intresset för att vistas och motionera i naturen strategiskt placerad med anknytning till pendeltåg från Stockholm och buss från Nynäshamn och Ösmo. Gestaltningen har präglats av att försöka tackla en svår terräng men samtidigt ha en försiktighet till landskap och natur där byggnaden ska relatera till och samspela. Programmet har styrt layouten av planen med huvudaktiviteterna som klättercentret (som öppnar upp för klättring på berghäll inomhus), kanothuset och samlingslokalerna som huvudnoder där terrängen både skapat utmaningar och möjligheter.  En annan huvudidé vid gestaltningen har varit att bevara en sorts känsla av en traditionell friluftsstuga trots ett stort program. Genom att leka med tanken om flera stugor sammansvetsade i en rad som sedan krängts och vridits till att följa terrängen likt en stig, har de skilda aktiviteterna i byggnaden länkats samman. Denna slingrande byggnadskropp har sedan lyfts upp på ben likt en varelse som vandrar uppför sluttningen den står på. Detta möjliggör för rumsligheter runt om och under byggnaden samt uppfyller önskan om varsamheten till landskap och natur. Den struktur som lyfter upp byggnadskroppen har inspirerats av de temporära surrade strukturer som oftast dyker upp vid scout- och friluftssammanhang där rep och slanor (stockar) brukas för att konstruera diverse sovplatser, torn, broar, matplatser och byggnadsverk. / In an analysis of Lidatorp, a smaller settlement in Nynäshamn municipality, it was concluded that activation of the surrounding nature area for recreational purposes would have a positive impact on society both in terms of well-being and exercise as well as regional attraction. The region around Lidatorp-Björsta exhibits significant potential for outdoor activities and can serve as a node within a larger sports and outdoor context. Notably, the presence of Sörmlandsleden and local associations such as Ösmoscoutkår, Friluftsfrämjandet, and Nynäshamns Brukshundsklubb, lacking their own premises, along with an active commitment to sports like climbing and paddling, underscores the need for a dedicated center for outdoor life and exercise in the area. This proposed project aims to provide local citizens, scouts, school students, and sports enthusiasts with new opportunities for active outdoor lifestyles during both school hours and leisure time. A classroom in the forest and an equipment bank stocked with bicycles, tents, camping equipment, canoes, life jackets, etc. will make nature and sports available to more people. The presence of adjacent meeting rooms and spaces for association activities enhances the vibrancy of the building, ensuring a constant buzz of activity throughout the day. The strategic location of the center, with convenient connections to commuter trains from Stockholm and buses from Nynäshamn and Ösmo, aims to establish it as a popular destination for excursions, promoting interest in outdoor activities and exercise in nature. The design has been characterized by trying to tackle a difficult terrain but at the same time being cautious towards the existing landscape and nature. The layout of the plan has been influenced by the program's requirements, with key activities such as the climbing center (providing indoor bouldering), the canoe house, and the meeting rooms serving as primary nodes that respond to both challenges and opportunities presented by the terrain. Furthermore, an important design principle has been to evoke the atmosphere of a traditional cabin despite the large-scale program. By conceptualizing the building as a series of interconnected cabins, adapted and contoured to mimic a forest trail, the distinct activities within the facility are seamlessly linked. This winding body is elevated on legs not unlike a creature ascending the slope it stands on. This allows for spaciousness around and under the building and fulfills the desire for cautiousness towards the surrounding landscape and nature. The framework that suspends the building is inspired by the temporary lashed structures commonly found in scouting and outdoor contexts where ropes and logs are utilized to construct various shelters, towers, bridges, dining areas, and structures.

Tatra mountain region is considered to be a part of Slovak and Polish national identity. It is remarkable for outstanding sceneries and man’s relation to the country that developed from first settlements to an important tourist tradition. Such large area can be retained only by preserving its values that stay valid through time. New concept for the region is based on fully functional network of tourist trails. Proposing four objects of tourist accommodation in thoroughly selected locations, the project presents an idea of architectural space dealing with different requirements of its users.