Up And Doon.

[JIMCCS]

So what`s the difference between hillwalking and hiking?

[Buanán]

I drove back up the road on Tuesday via the A82, spotted some drowned walkers on the west highland way, they were hikers. A hill walker hikes in about the hilltops.

Thats my take 

[Fishtales]

A hiker tends to be going from one place to another using both roads and hills. A hill walker sets out to walk in the hills in a specific place but not actually going anywhere other than returning to their starting point.

[Midgie Hater]

Oh - I thought Barfly was setting us up for a punchline!  :lol:

But yes, I think I agree with Buanan and Fishtales - at least in this country. I've noticed that in the US (researching ahead of my enforced move there next year) that a hiker could be anyone on a "trail" of almost any kind, short of actual climbing or mountaineering, so if there is a "trail" which goes to the top of a "mountain" which doesn't invlove more than a little rudimentary scrambling, the person "climbing" it would still be deemed a hiker - I think. I certainly don't think they know of the category we refer to (often somewhat disparagingly) as "rambler" for instance.