Some Basic Traveling Facts
How fast can the average human walk?
About 2.5 to 3 miles per hour.
How fast can the average runner (horse) go?
About 3 to 4 miles per hour walking, 8 to 10 miles per hour trotting, 10 to 17 miles per hour cantering and roughly 30mph at a full gallop. Some breeds of runners can gallop closer to 40mph and racing breeds can sprint in short bursts up to 50mph.
How fast can a dragon fly?
About 30 miles per hour (per the Atlas) and up to 50 miles per hour (extrapolated based on the fact that a dragon /should/ be able to fly faster than a racing horse can gallop – around 50mph).
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from High Reaches Hold to Benden Weyr (720 miles)?
About 14 to 24 hours, without stopping, depending on the individual dragon’s top speed.
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from Fort Weyr to Fort Hold (5 miles)?
About 5 to 10 minutes, mostly taken up by gaining altitude first, then gliding down from the Weyr to the Hold. The distance quoted above is a compromise between the 15 miles indicated by the scale of the maps in The Atlas of Pern and the “two miles as the crow flies” claimed in the text.
How long does it take for a person to walk or run from Fort Weyr to Fort Hold (5 miles)?
Anywhere from as short as 1.5 hours up to 3 or more hours, depending on personal fitness and how many stops are made. A fit runner can probably roughly halve that amount of time, but the terrain is rugged and demanding for even very experienced runners. The distance quoted above is a compromise between the 15 miles indicated by the scale of the maps in The Atlas of Pern and the “two miles as the crow flies” claimed in the text. The amount of time is also a compromise between what is reasonable for a human to achieve and various descriptions of the trip from different texts including The Masterharper of Pern, Dragonsinger and Dragondrums.
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from Fort Weyr to Ruatha Hold (~80 miles)?
About 2 to 2.5 hours.
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from Fort Weyr to Ruatha Hold (~90 miles)?
About 2 to 3 hours.
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from Fort Weyr to Gar Hold (~100 miles)?
About 3 to 3.5 hours.
How long does it take for a dragon to fly straight from Fort Weyr to Southern Boll Hold (150 miles)?
About 4 to 5 hours.
How many miles per day can the average healthy person walk in a day?
About 28 to 32 miles, give or take, depending on weather conditions and the individual’s personal speed and fitness level.
How long does it take a caravan of traders to travel from Southern Boll Hold to Fort Hold (~150 miles)?
Assuming a variable rate between 20 and 30 miles per day and accounting for rough terrain, a caravan can travel between the two Holds in about 9 days of steady travel without lengthy stops.
How long does it take a caravan of traders to travel from Fort Hold to High Reaches Weyr (~250 miles)?
Assuming a variable rate between 20 and 30 miles per day and accounting for rough terrain, a caravan can travel between the two Holds in about two weeks of steady, largely uninterrupted travel.
How many miles per day can a ship sail in good weather?
About 80 miles.
How long does it take to walk from Southern Hold to Cove Hold?
4 weeks
How long does it take to sail from Southern Hold to Cove Hold?
9 days
How long does it take to get from High Reaches Hold to Benden Weyr using a combination of foot travel and boat travel?
4 to 6 weeks
Sources:
Wynn Fonstad, K. (1984). The Atlas of Pern. Ballantine Books: New York.