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Andrew Skurka interview

Andrew Skurka is without question one of the most accomplished hikers in history.  A legend.

  • Alaska-Yukon Expedition (6 months, 4,700 miles),
  • Great Western Loop (7 months, 6,875 miles), and the
  • Sea-to-Sea Route (11 months, 7,775 miles).

He’s run a 2:28 marathon, as well.

The Ultimate Hiker’s Gear Guide: Tools & Tips to Hit the Trail, was published by National Geographic – over 125,000 copies sold.

Today he and his team lead people to exciting destinations, teaching skills along the way: planning, gear, fitness, food, navigation, responding to emergencies, etc.

In a recent podcast interview Andrew explains why he still prefers map and compass, using electronics as a back-up.  And you have to believe him since it was sponsored by the Gaia GPS app.

Click PLAY or listen to it clicking through via Twitter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Out There: A Voice from the Wild by Chris Townsend

Chris Townsend (born 1949) is the hiking author who’s influenced me most.

He’s written over 20 books, including Cicerone guidebooks,  and countless articles

I started with High Summer: Backpacking The Canadian Rockies (1989).

He’s most famous for The Backpacker’s Handbook.

But If you’ve never read Chris Townsend, I’d recommend you start with Out There: A Voice from the Wild. I recently read the Kindle edition while hiking on Vancouver Island.

Chris reflects back on the takeaways from all those trips.

Drawing from more than forty years of experience as an outdoorsman, and probably the world’s best known long distance walker who also writes, Chris Townsend describes the landscapes and wildlife, the walkers and climbers, and the authors who have influenced him in this lucid and beautiful book.

Writing from his home in the heart of the Cairngorms he discusses the wild, its importance to civilisation and how we cannot do without it.

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Meet hiker Kraig Adams

I’m following everything Kraig does.

His YouTube channel. His podcast.

Though young and fairly new to hiking, Kraig impresses me most with his videos.

His hike in Iceland last year, for example, has over 3.3 million views on YouTube.

Stark. Quiet. Elegant simplicity.

Instead of famed Laugavegur, he hiked remote Hornstrandir solo instead.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

One of his personal favourite hikes was Picos De Europa in Northern Spain.

I agree enjoy it immensely in 2009.  And got lost, as did Kraig.

Kraig had planned to do the PCT in 2020.  That was cancelled due to COVID-19.  Like many of us he’s coming up with alternative adventures legal and ethical.

Read a recent interview on hiiker.

 

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Trek to Kanchenjunga Base Camps

Kanchenjunga, the world’s 3rd highest mountain, is on the border of Nepal and India. It’s possible to hike starting from either nation though Sikkim, India is more popular.

Because of Kanchenjunga’s remote location very few trekkers make this trip compared with  other high Himalayan peaks.

Trevor and Emma run Cut Lunch Adventures based in Sydney, Australia.

Adventurers, the duo aspires to trek to the BASE CAMPS of all 14 8000m peaks.

South Base Camp (Oktang)

Here’s their 2018 trip report to both North and South Kanchenjunga Base Camps:

Nepal: Kanchenjunga Double Magic

 

Click PLAY or watch their video on YouTube. (29min)

Related – Cut Lunch is a good place to research WHERE around the world might want to hike.

For example, check the Himalaya trips they recommend.

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Bill “One Gallon” Nedderman 50,000 miles

Bill “One Gallon” Nedderman is the the first person ever to complete North America’s big three hiking trails (the PCT, Appalachian Trail, and Continental Divide Trail) four times each.

He’s hiked 50,000 miles. Paddled 44,000 miles. Cycled 64,000 miles.

Camped more than 6,000 nights.

He doesn’t post anything online nor does he keep a hard copy journal.

Read an interview on Adventure Journal.

 

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documentary – Surviving the Outback

Michael Atkinson places himself in the historic predicament of two stranded German aviators in 1932 to see if the his skills as a survival instructor, pilot and adventurer will allow him to escape to the nearest civilization.

It is a gripping film.

I learned a lot about surviving in the harsh Australian coastal wilderness.

The most remarkable feature of this documentary is its mode of filming. It is not performed by any film crew that follows his journey. It is single-handedly managed by Mike through drones and cameras so it preserves the natural element. The breathtaking pictures of the ocean, varied shades of the waters, flora and fauna of marine sea and the natural cliffs along the coast paint an excellent landscape for the viewers. It manages to take one to an unexplored world …

 Watch the hour long documentary FREE on TubiTV.

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Warren Doyle to Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

Warren Doyle, of Mountain City, Tennessee, has hiked the entire 2,180-mile Appalachian Trail 18 times, including nine thru-hikes. …

He also led eight group thru-hikes of the AT, seven of which saw a 100 percent completion rate among the hikers. …

The class, which will be formally inducted on Saturday, May 2, during the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame Banquet at the Army Heritage and Education Center in Carlisle, also will include Chris Brunton, of Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; the late Thurston Griggs, of Baltimore, Maryland; and the late Jim Stoltz of Helena, Montana.

PennLive

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Trek the 8000m peak base camps

Emma and Trevor — from New Zealand & Australia — conceived ProjectBase8000.

Great idea!

The objective is to be the first non-mountaineering trekkers to hike to all the base camps of the world’s 14 highest mountains by 2020.

They are all over 8,000m, located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges – Nepal, Pakistan and Tibet, China.

They want to help raise funds & awareness for the Australian Himalayan Foundation.