Simple but difficult

That’s how I’d describe my life. I just need to walk. That’s all, right? Just go 14 miles or so every day. That’s only slightly more than half a marathon every day for about 160 days in a row up and down big hilly things. That’s the only requirement. That you enjoy that. If you can then the rewards are great. You will overcome huge obstacles with friends, see views that will leave you awestruck, pinch yourself each day to check that it’s actually happening, eat whatever you like while binge drinking and always always lose weight, see so many deer so often it’s almost a cliche to see one leap a stream in a single bound, eat a pasta side with a 6oz pack of tuna, swear you never will again then crave said platter 23 hours later. These are some of the joys that lie ahead of you, budding young thru-hiker, you.

You have to do this. You have to enjoy it. If not you’ll be like one of the seemingly trillions of thru hikers that just dropped off trail recently in Virginia. I guess many can’t cope (“money” is also a common reason). Most of the day I watch rocks and roots pass through my vision from the top to the bottom and I move my feet accordingly to get to the next mountain. Think of it like a really high defnition shitty Wii game with great views (but 75% of my day is staring at the next 1-10 yards of vision. Though 60% of the time, it’s 1 yard, all the time).

Aside from that, I wake up, get up, pack up, eat up, tidy up, hike up, hike down, hike up, hike down, sit down, eat up, stand up, hike down, hike up, speed up, slow down, look up, look around.

Repeat as hiker sees fit. I love it. Just hike, laugh and smile at the shit the weather and geography throw at you, have the best craic, see great things and all in all love (almost) every single second. I’m now half tipsy from too many Yuenglings on a semi empty stomach and I think my underwear are now clean and ready for collection.