Any hiking amateurs here ? Share your favourite hiking tips, places you like, places you did more than once, stories, equipment you think is good / bad, etc.

For my part I have been hiking for a while now (4 years) in various regions of Morocco and Wales and it's one of the healthiest activities I do from time to time... also the people you meet usually do not have the same mentality as my other city-stuck acquaintances. I for one only do short trips (2-3 days, at max 4) and am not a big fan of week-long hikes (camping / bivouac).

How many hikes do you do per year ?
Do you think walking sticks make any difference ?
What are your favourite hiking places ?