bootsandpaddles wrote: I think it does originate in the US and I must admit that I don't like the term myself. According to my dictionary a hike is a long walk.
As usual, two countries divided by a common language....in the US, 'hiker' has more adventurous connotations than 'walker', which is usually understood as an amble round the park. As far as I know, there's no close US equivalent of 'hillwalker': either the term or, indeed, the concept. (Even in the UK it's not a familiar usage beyond its practitoners - hence the frequency with which the media, especially those south of the border, use 'climber' when reporting hillwaking accidents etc).