Add hiking as an activity on Venu

You need to use a CIQ app, like this one:

Hike2

Thanks I will check it out.

Seriously, isn't it strange that this most common of activities is just overlooked by Garmin.
how long have they been creating devices for hiking and mapping trails? it's not the same as WALKING.

and yet, i have to consciously ignore the activity AND TOP LEVEL MENU ITEMS for GOLF.

How much other memory is used up by GOLF courses and other data.

i almost returned my Venu when I realized I couldn't remove all the GOLF CRAP. LAME

It's not over looked, it's just that it's not on the "life style" watches.  There is hiking on forerunners and fenix devices.

If hiking is important to you and you don't want to use a CIQ app. look for a Garmin that does support it.

It's probably the most common activity for most, after walking and next to running.  I just bought a Venu and am surprised that it is not included.  For casual weekend hikes one does not need a dedicated device, the Venu should have this built in.

Far fewer people golf than hike.  Why is golf included?

Can someone let me know if the Venu takes altitude into account while tracking walking or running?

I just ordered it, but it doesn't track gains in altitude, it may not fit my purpose.

My usual aerobic exercise is a combination of hiking and running in the hills near me.  Is the Venue suitable for tracking this?

@jim_m_58 Jim, excuse the noob question, but is the Hike2 app integrated with the Garmin app and how does it provide the data?  It looks like a solution, I am just not clear how seamless it is. In other words, would I get a map with the route, heart rate, pace, and other such data?

Have to agree with you. Can't understand why hiking wouldn't be included.  You can modify the data fields to include elevation,  total ascent and heading then change to hike later on Garmin Connect, but no maps on Venu during activity. Think they market the Instinct as the hiking watch.

Hike2 is a connect IQ app, and it shows up in the list of activities just like other things.  It records a fit file (just like native activities) but with a sport of "Hiking".

The data you'll see in GC is like you see on others activities like HR, active minutes, etc, and while using the app, things like steps, floors, active minutes, sunrise, sunset, current location, 

Actually, you're missing things like cycling, swimming, cardio, etc.

You don't need a dedicated device to have a native hiking app.  Look at the fenix watches and some of the forerunner watches.  They got what the venu has got and much more.

The original hike came out in 2016 for watches of that era, and one of the things with things like the fr23x, is they didn't even have a native app for walking, which is why in Hike and Hike2 there's a method to record a walk vs a hike.

Thanks for the info. I am coming from a Fitbit Versa and figured that the Venu is a good overall upgrade, with nice screen touch controls, which I prefer.  I am not a hardcore runner and don't need topo maps, but I hike several times a week and run about a mile and a half to two miles of the uphill portions to get my HR up.  Which is really all I need to track.

My Venu hasn't arrived yet, but I am hoping that it will be a good fit for what I need. Would I be able to modify Walking (or Running?) for example to track the above, or would Hike2 be better for tracking what I need?