Hillwalker or hiker ?

[zatapathique]

Incidentally, I have just started reading Tom Weir's "autobiography of sorts" Weir's World when I stumbled upon this topic.

In the introduction, it says "...he was in the first generation of working-class outdoor men and began tramping the hills near the city...".

On page 13, he quotes a writing by his friend Matt Forrester, who says about a then famous wood fire at the north end of Cragiallion Loch: "At all seasons, it was a howff for walkers and climbers - we did not hike then."

I am not sure how to interpret this, but this topic came to my mind when I read these lines. As a non-native speaker, I do not have a full grasp of all the subtleties. I had not heard the word "to hike" for a walk until I went to NZ for the first time (that was in 2001). Before that, I only knew it in "to hitchhike".

I have to dig out my travel souvenirs from Canada (year 2000) if I have come across "to hike" there already...

Anyway, merry Christmas everybody! Stay safe and take care.