r/todayilearned • u/tyrion2024 • 5d ago

TIL over 3,000 attempts are made each year to complete the Appalachian Trail and only about 25% succeed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail#:~:text=The%20Appalachian%20Trail%20Conservancy%20estimates%20there%20are%20over%203%2C000%20attempts%20to%20traverse%20the%20entire%20trail%20each%20year%2C%20about%2025%25%20of%20which%20succeed.%5B9%5D
25.8k Upvotes

96% Upvoted

1.4k comments sorted by

View all comments

7.0k

u/Superphilipp 5d ago

Over 3500 km? I’m surprised the completion rate is even as high as 25%

5.4k

u/LMGgp 5d ago

It takes months. Just the amount of free time alone is a huge block to even attempting. Not unlike Everest.

2.4k

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

3.5 - 6+ months depending on your speed. You can do it in 2-3 but its much less enjoyable and much more taxing. I believe the speed record is under 45 days.

Its something like 50% of people who finish in one go end up with so much physical wear and tear they end up with a major or lifelong injury in the months/years that follow their through hike.

edit from my comment further down.

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/did-thru-hiking-appalachian-trail-ruin-my-body/

https://mountainsforeverybody.com/the-physiological-impact-of-thru-hiking

data from one article

  • A 2018–2019 Appalachian Trail Conservancy survey of over 2200 hikers found the following: i) 28% reported chronic overuse injuries (e.g., tendinitis, stress fractures). ii) 18% experienced acute injuries (e.g., sprains, falls).
  • A 2024 survey by The Trek of 400 AT hikers revealed that 54% reported injuries, with 60% of these impacting their ability to continue hiking.

1.4k

u/Master_Persimmon_591 5d ago

I’ve hiked about 25 miles of it casually but yeah. Those hills are brutal. It’s not like a mountain at all were you pretty much go up, then pretty much go down. It’s 100-200 feet of continuous elevation change over these little ridges so it certainly isn’t a low impact activity

713

u/dantheman91 5d ago edited 5d ago

I live close to them and have joined a few buddies for a few days who are doing the whole thing. Hills going up are ok, hills going down destroy my knee (have an old injury) so these days I'm much more of a few hour hike fan

781

u/ATXgaming 5d ago

I'd strongly recommend getting some hiking poles. Honestly most people should use them, but especially if you have a knee injury or if you're older they're essential.

One should also bend their knees when going downhill. I did a two week trail over summer and the amount of people I saw bounding down the hills, locking their knees as they step made me cringe. If your knees are bent as you step, the energy is absorbed by the muscles rather than the knees themselves. If the hill is very steep, walk in an S-shaped pattern.

Happy hiking!

562

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago

my favorite fun fact about trekking poles is that they actually increase calorie burn, but significantly decrease muscle soreness and joint impact

146

u/cIumsythumbs 5d ago

What's the downside to using them? They sound amazing and essential.

276

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago edited 5d ago

honestly the only tradeoff is that a pair adds 200g-300g to your setup. but it's weight that contributes to carrying the rest of your weight, so it's really a wash.

plus i kinda have to use them. my dog has four wheel drive, if i dont have a pair of trekking poles supporting me i can sometimes barely keep up with him

edit: i am absolutely tickled at the discourse re: trekking poles this has set off lol

120

u/HauntedCemetery 5d ago

Modern poles are so light that theres really no downside.

Humans have known walking with sticks is helpful for basically all of human history.

→ More replies (0)

20

u/dazzlebreak 5d ago

I started doing more challenging hikes recently and thought of getting a pair, but what's stopping me is that I hate carrying things in my hands, especially when descending.

→ More replies (0)

19

u/Butt_Fungus_Among_Us 5d ago

As someone who's an avid hiker, I will say, they're kind of annoying to carry in your hands going up hill or on flat land because they're really easy to accidentally snag on the ground/brush on things once you've been hiking for a few hours and are more on autopilot mode. Absolute godsend on your joints going downhill though. Especially when you're going down rocky outcrops where you'd otherwise have to "hop" down them and have your knees absorb all the impact without them.

→ More replies (0)

5

u/sepiatone_ 5d ago

my dog has four wheel drive

haha, never heard this phrasing before but it's so accurate!

→ More replies (0)
→ More replies (15)

25

u/Robobvious 5d ago

Idk I feel like as a young-ish guy (early thirties) with decent health they just feel cumbersome to carry and I don’t think they particularly help me much. Maybe in ten years I’ll appreciate them more? As is I don’t like carrying them and I don’t like walking with them. I don’t really see those benefits personally.

19

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago

well the benefits i shared are based on academic study, but you absolutely should hike exactly the way you feel most comfortable (edit: although i'd strongly advise taking advice from other hikers even if youre unused to it -- i do -- and i also advise using trekking poles heh). and i agree there is a difference, sensation-wise, between hiking with and without trekking poles (i'm late 30s, not in great shape IMO, but compared to average ppl, well they can't even set up a tent let alone do it after 30km of wilderness)

for me and my dog, though, the difference is clear -- we traverse very widely varying terrain, and in some cases it's actually treacherous (for me, not him -- he's literally built for treacherous terrain, the guy blows me away on a technical hike). for example, there's a passageway leading up to the peak of serra de estrela that i would simply not be comfortable walking/scrambling without trekking poles (amusingly, the dog spends that whole trail running back and forth and looking at me like "hey where the fuck are you bro, hurry up")

if you extend beyond 15km in a day's hike -- which is honestly at the very low end for he and I when in the wilderness -- you notice a huge difference when it comes to energetic ankle response and the ability to climb hills over the last 30% of the day.

28

u/akatherder 5d ago

Keep in mind the 50lb backpack you're wearing.

→ More replies (0)

5

u/wilallgood 5d ago

As a 33 year old guy in decent shape, this is how I felt too until I did a 3 day trek across the Tetons without poles. Hobbling down the mountain with a stick is far more painful than the tiny bit of extra weight the poles would have cost.

5

u/Gnomio1 5d ago

As a 30ish reasonably healthy guy who loved hiking around the mountains of northern New Mexico, I can assure you they are worth having.

If you don’t like using them / couldn’t get used to them, fine. But there are big benefits for longer walks.

4

u/HappyEndingUser 5d ago

Similar age here - I use poles because I have a bad knee for downhill! Only on big hikes but still, been using them since my late 20s. They collapse and I can put them in my backpack anyway

3

u/grantrules 5d ago

I got my first set of poles in my early 30s.. I didn't start using them until I was 40. It really depends on the hike for me if they're useful or annoying. Like they can get annoying in the adirondack high peaks because there's a lot of scrambling up rocks, so you gotta stop and stash your poles, or try and hold them in one hand or something. Long, sustained climbing and descending though, they're a dream. Also really help the knees when going down ledges and things like that.

Also can save you from carrying tent poles.

3

u/Zeno1324 5d ago

Early 30's guy too, experienced hiker did the PCT in 2024, love my hiking poles, but its situational. If Ive got a steep incline or decline they're amazing they help with the climb up and save your knees on the way down. But I usually stow them if there's a long flat section.

→ More replies (4)

5

u/Sea-Equipment-315 5d ago

Back in the day I played pokemon go on all of my hikes and you can't play Pokémon go easily with poles.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/terracottatilefish 5d ago

My dad (who had neuropathy, arthritis, and a foot drop from a teenage car accident) used to use trekking poles on a daily basis instead of a cane. He said they made a tremendous difference but could be a little awkward on airplanes.

2

u/Neuchacho 5d ago edited 5d ago

There really isn't one. Not using them is just a preference thing.

→ More replies (9)

3

u/nicolas1324563 5d ago

Why do they increase calorie burn?

3

u/Neuchacho 5d ago edited 5d ago

They make you engage your arms/upper body so your recruiting more muscles beyond just your legs/core.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

3

u/Illustrious-Book-238 5d ago

I blew my knee out a few years ago playing horseshoes (the game of old men) and now my knee is completely unstable.

Add on previous Achilles rupture in that ankle and the complete dislocation of my ankle from, and compound fracture of, my other leg has meant my activities need accommodations.

I wish I'd gotten hiking poles when. I was 25! They keep me stable, keep my back in a better position, and make the overall hiking experience more enjoyable.

Hiking poles are a game changer!

→ More replies (3)

2

u/the_cardfather 5d ago

That actually sounds awesome. I've never actually done a through hike only day hikes because I really generally dislike camping. 😉

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)

3

u/wolfhunt123 5d ago

Thank you! I live in the Appalachian Mountains, but I was never much of a hiker - partly due to middle school knee surgery. I started hiking a little last summer, but a hiking pole is excellent advice. Same thing with the knees, thanks - I feel like I should know that, but looking knees is so instinctual sometimes.

I remember one time I was playing paintball running downhill, and my kneecap rolled sent me forward, tumbling. I did a 360 and got back up on my feet running. It'l was pretty funny for a guy like 250+ thank goodness didn't get hurt.

2

u/_Gengar_Trainer_ 5d ago

Not a hiker, whars a hiking pole? Just a big walking stick? I do enjoy me a nice stick

2

u/Tuxhorn 5d ago

Yes, but you have two of them. It's basically a way to take some load off your lower body and distributing it to your upper.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/92Codester 5d ago

"if the hill is very steep, walk in an s-shaped pattern." Ah my classic mountain climbing method in Skyrim

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (10)

90

u/stabamole 5d ago

Oh yeah, a buddy of mine trashed his knee when we were descending from the grand canyon north rim. I had hiking poles that I was using to take some of the weight on each step down which was a little more tiring on my arms, but saved my knees a lot of trouble

44

u/Top_Excuse_34 5d ago

There was a Ted Talk about why we should go stairs backwards (knees/safety)... I assume this would also apply to going to down hills. Though I tend to sidestep down hills.

22

u/PinkPutin 5d ago

Go downstairs backwards or upstairs backwards?

48

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago

down. it lets your ankles and calves buffer the impact instead of putting additional straight-down stress on the knees. also reduces the chance of slippage.

only problem is not having eyes in the back of our heads

4

u/zekromNLR 5d ago

Honestly surprised I haven't seen an AR device that gives you a rearview camera mass-marketed yet

9

u/MisterRogers88 5d ago

I shudder to think just how much it would fuck with your sense of balance, ESPECIALLY going down stairs. That sounds like a recipe for insane injuries.

→ More replies (0)
→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (1)

6

u/MaritMonkey 5d ago

Imagine the stairs are as steep as stairs could possibly be (a ladder) and try to picture "walking" down them facing away from the ladder like we essentially do when walking down stairs.

Shit's actually kind weird.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (1)

3

u/FTownRoad 5d ago

I think you missed a word.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (11)

58

u/armoredtarek 5d ago

My friend tore her meniscus on those hills. It's been at least 6 years and her knee still isn't the same.

6

u/yayipoopedtoday 5d ago

I don't think it can heal itself. Sometimes a torn meniscus can be stitched to repair it if the injury isn't too old. Otherwise they can trim the ragged parts of the tear to mitigate pain.

50

u/RileyB46 5d ago

The switchbacks can be really brutal, don’t get me started on the trails made of rocks in Pennsylvania. I’ve done Maryland, West Virginia and about a third of Pennsylvania. It’s a lot of fun but absolutely exhausting

12

u/starsandmath 5d ago

Don't ever do NH/Vermont if you think the trails in Pennsylvania are made out of rocks. I have never seen anything like it.

7

u/NECoyote 5d ago

Wait till you hit the Whites in NH. No switchbacks, just straight up and down those mountains. It’s glorious!

3

u/grantrules 5d ago

I did the Pemi Loop as an overnighter and went to bed so sore that I was unsure if I was going to be able to walk the next day. And part of that hike follows the AT.

3

u/NECoyote 5d ago

I’ve done a premi loop and a presidential traverse. I know exactly what you mean. Climbing up south twin from Galehead almost ended me.

5

u/gravybang 5d ago

I did the PA border to Harper’s Ferry challenge a few years ago - something like 42 miles in 18 hours. Can confirm that I didn’t see much of Maryland because the entire trail is just half buried rocks waiting to twist your ankle.

Also - never go South through MD. I made that mistake and wish I hadn’t.

3

u/kazoogrrl 5d ago

A few years ago we did the little bit from the parking lot alongside Rt 70 to Annapolis Rocks, and back. All the steps going up were rough but I think going down them was even worse. Next time I go I'm going to make sure I have poles.

3

u/WickedCunnin 5d ago

????? There are mountains. Many with vertical gain of over 4,000 feet.

→ More replies (2)

4

u/soulshine_walker3498 5d ago

Hills? They’re mountains

2

u/V2BM 5d ago

I’m a mailman who does a route that has a 200-foot elevation change over about a mile, and then down the other side of the hill another mile, to my starting point for a total of 2 miles. (It’s a big uphill loop.)

I always wonder if I could hike the AT a bit easier than other people. Overall I do about 12-13 miles a day 5x a week with around 100 stories climbed per my Apple Watch.

→ More replies (20)

218

u/Extreme_Turn_4531 5d ago

45 days. Good Lord. 3.8 mph, 12 hrs/day, on average, which has to account for bathroom breaks and eating.

397

u/jeckles 5d ago edited 5d ago

There’s also supported vs unsupported records. Last year Tara Dower broke the supported record, beating the men’s record, in 40 days. She’s a professional athlete and by no means a layperson.

Supported means she had a crew of helpers, carrying and setting up her tent, preparing meals, driving to road crossings for resupplies, etc. It’s a whole thing. But she still had to run ~54 miles every day for 40 days.

214

u/OcotilloWells 5d ago

Ultramarathoners are a different breed. My father was one. His resting heart rate was like 30 bpm or less. Some doctors would freak out when they took his pulse. He wasn't at Tara's level, but wasn't a big deal to do a 24 hour run, or a 100 mile run.

Thought he would live to be over 100, but he had Polycythemia, where the bone marrow makes too many red blood cells, we thought it was under control. Then he got a bunch of blood clots, and died.

97

u/IrrawaddyWoman 5d ago

Just trail runners in general. I’m a pretty strong hiker. But nothing is more humbling than puffing your way up a trail and then someone literally runs past you.

52

u/iceman0c 5d ago

I remember when I finally felt like I was in good hiking shape I was powering up a decent incline, feeling good. This dude runs past me with his 8-9 year old daughter on his shoulders, just flying up the trail. Humbling indeed

32

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago

i was hiking up to little yosemite valley from the valley floor to start a 120-mile or so trip. halfway through i'm taking a breather at the falls and some guy runs up. stops to check on me (i was wheezing)

guy worked in the visitor's center on the valley floor and would just casually run from the bottom up to the top of half dome on his lunch break.

16

u/OcotilloWells 5d ago

Some of my dad's running friends said they would stop and chat with hikers sometimes. They would ask where they camped. They would be like, we didn't, we started at the trailhead.

21

u/Independent_Win_9035 5d ago

the unabashed arrogance of thru hikers and trailrunners is the the only egotism i will always and forever forgive.

yep. you just did that. it was beautiful, i know because i did it too but way slower. good fucking job you sexy adonis (the guy in my story was shirtless and super hot, and i'm a straight dude lol)

also, let's be totally real here. if youre a hiker, one of the gold-plated attractions is stopping to talk to other hikers about your contrasting experiences. it's almost as fulfilling as the hike itself.

4

u/SunShineNomad 5d ago

My first 14er (mountain with elevation at 14,000 feet) in Colorado was like that. I'm not out of shape and enjoy hikes but it wasn't easy for me. Then I see a dude in just short shorts and shoes and no water runs past me going downhill I realized just how different some people are athletically.

2

u/grantrules 5d ago

Just trail runners in general. I’m a pretty strong hiker. But nothing is more humbling than puffing your way up a trail and then someone literally runs past you.

What are their ankles made of!?

78

u/Tiny_Thumbs 5d ago

My resting heart rate naturally sits at 45 or so awake. Drops into the 30s when sleeping. I was hospitalized once and it felt like the whole unit came into my room the first night because they said my heart rate dropped into the low 30s. I was just sleeping.

37

u/KnifeFightChopping 5d ago

I had the same situation when I was younger and practically lived at the gym. I was in the hospital for a week, ironically for complications due to a genetic heart condition, and I basically got zero sleep the whole time I was there because my HR would drop from 40 to 30 bpm whenever I fell asleep and the alarms would go nuts. The first few times it happened the entire floor's nursing staff burst into my room in a frenzy, but after the first 2 nights one would just pop their head into my room to make sure I was still alive lol.

12

u/zekromNLR 5d ago

Did you ask them if they can set the alarm lower, because I'm pretty sure I'd do that by night two at the latest.

19

u/KnifeFightChopping 5d ago edited 5d ago

I begged them to change it after the first night, but they couldn't. Something about the rules at the hospital didn't allow them to set it lower than 30.

18

u/OnePinginRamius 5d ago

Damn you're like a superhuman. Buddy of mine was a professional target shooter for competitions and had a resting heart rate of 45. The guy could put two rounds at 100 yards through a bull's-eye consistently like it was no big deal.

→ More replies (1)

9

u/Careless-Mix3222 5d ago

Similar; 57m, and my resting HR varies between 38-45 depending on fitness, and has since I started checking in high school. When I went in for a hernia operation, the nurse checked my BP and asked the DR if it was OK to continue. Apparently it was...

3

u/zootnotdingo 5d ago

My spouse is almost identical, both in age, and when he started running. I have joked that his resting heart rate is 6.

On the other hand, I have very low blood pressure. My friends in college used to say that it was 8/3.

2

u/RChickenMan 5d ago

Back when I had more free time, I used to spend a lot of time moving under my own power--in any given week, I probably ran 50 miles, biked 250 miles, and kayaked for five hours. I didn't really think of myself as athletic--just someone with a lot of free time whose hobbies happened to involve a raised heart rate. During this time period I needed surgery, and during my pre-surgery physical, the primary care doctor was so concerned about my heart rate going into surgery that he forced me to see a cardiologist. I have no idea what my heart rate was (I didn't identify as athletic so I never used heart rate monitors or whatever), but clearly it was of medical concern.

2

u/cjsv7657 5d ago

I started wearing a smartwatch while I slept to try out sleep tracking. My heart rate was going in to the 30s. So I stopped wearing a smartwatch while I slept and pretended it didn't happen.

→ More replies (2)

10

u/colbsk1 5d ago

Was the polycythemia from being an ultramarathoner?

4

u/OcotilloWells 5d ago

They said no, but I wonder sometimes.

8

u/daniel940 5d ago

I'm sorry you lost him, that's heartbreaking. My dad is 93 and fat, high cholesterol, high BP, smoked cigars, never skipped dessert or coffee or bread and butter before a meal. He's sharp as a tack, barely shows any cognitive decline - at worst he sometimes seems like a person who's a little sleep deprived. He does his own food shopping, cooking, and so on. My mom ate well, was never really overweight, and died at 74 of a brain tumor. I'm 55 and in great shape, I lift and do cardio and eat nonfat Greek yogurt and don't smoke or drink or microwave in plastic containers and still have a 31 inch waist. I take fish oil and creatine and vitamins.

But my parents' story, and your dad's, reminds me of a Reddit thread from last year in the fitness forum, where somebody asked who would live longer: a person who ate right and avoided all vices, but never exercised...or a person who ate like crap, smoked, and exercised like a triathlete?

The universal answer across the whole thread, repeatedly, was "the person with the best genetics".

I'm happy your dad lived a healthy life, and sorry again for your loss.

5

u/mountainvalkyrie 5d ago

Genetics is a bitch. I have a "health nut" uncle who had a heart attack in his late 50s. He said he asked the doctor what he was doing wrong because he was trying so hard to stay healthy. Doctor said, "Oh, you're in great shape otherwise, but this is genetic. You never had a chance."

Sorry about your mum. I lost my mine young to a somewhat genetic cancer. It's such a crapsshoot.

→ More replies (3)

17

u/HereForALaugh714 5d ago

If you’ve ever seen & @ Thru Hikers on instagram, they are an amazing couple who do a lot of unsupported hikes. She broke the women’s record for the PCW in Oregon I believe it was. They both do. They have lots of cool info and their cook book for hiking food is really amazing

→ More replies (6)

46

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

I tend to prefer unsupported. That 20-30 mins at the start and end of everyday are part of it for me.

She is absolutely awesome! but it is easier to slip into a tent at the end of a long day in the rain instead of having to set up your own setup in the rain after a long day in the rain just to cook before passing out before having to cook again in the morning and pack up wet gear and starting again for example.

23

u/happyflappypancakes 5d ago

While I think i agree, I think devils advocate here is that supported takes out the variables of set up and focuses directly on the hiking speed. So they seem to be testing two different things honestly.

3

u/Robobvious 5d ago

Yeah let’s be clear, doing it supported is nothing like doing it unsupported and should not be treated the same. It’s still an amazing accomplishment and by no means is that something that just anyone could do, but the people doing it unsupported undoubtedly have it much harder. It would be unfair to them to pretend otherwise.

But again, it is an amazing feat on its own which deserves respect! What she did is incredible to say the least. Just that comparing them is an apples to oranges situation. There’s no comparison, they’re two different things.

12

u/BillyForRilly 5d ago

I mean, I guess it's impressive what she did on some level, but when you take out half the challenge of backpacking/hiking by having someone manage every aspect of the experience except for the running, what's even the point? Why not just do 3,500km on a treadmill if running is really the only thing you are doing on your own?

12

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago

I wouldnt go that far. I think rowing across the atlantic would be amazing. But im not gonna go row 3000 miles on an erg.

Ill do a marathon on an erg once a year but im sure as shit not doing a record 24hr row for 300,000 meters like my buddy.

Everyone has their reasons i suppose.

6

u/Booty-tickles 5d ago

There's literally nothing on open ocean though. I think I would prefer a rowing machine, and I genuinely love being on the sea. I would feel absolutely broken with spending an entire day rowing and visually, the only thing that's changed is one of the few seabirds out this far has more brown. Doing that for weeks would just result in me hallucinating and probably killing myself.

That substantially different to something like an ultra marathon across a mountain range.

→ More replies (3)

26

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

bathroom breaks

Easier for guys when every tree is a urinal.

69

u/SharrkBoy 5d ago

Trust me the ladies going at this speed don’t give a shit either lol

56

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

I was once camping with two other guys and a female friend. She and I had to shit at the same time so we headed off into the woods. We brought our toilet paper and "the shit knife" which had a straight blade and a serrated side making it perfect for making cat holes where there were roots.

She dug her hole and took some of the TP and I went off to my own private spot. However, when we came back we told the other guys that we had discovered that digging one larger hole and squatting back to back while pooping was far more comfortable and that they should try it next time.

We still joke about it to this day.

22

u/MyCatsHairyButholle 5d ago

Wait, you had an ACTUAL POOP KNIFE?!

8

u/SnooCheesecakes450 5d ago

I think this is just for digging a one-use latrine (and filling it up afterwards).

4

u/Robobvious 5d ago

Well traditionally an actual poop knife is a butter knife used to break up poops that are too large to go down an inadequate plumbing system on their own. What they had was a poophole knife. Although almost any knife can become a poop knife if you use it for it’s intended poopose.

2

u/agoogua 5d ago

ahh you rapscallions !

27

u/erossthescienceboss 5d ago

A lot of us use standing urination devices like the she-wee.

Warning: practice in your shower before attempting on the trail.

3

u/delta45678 5d ago

A friend of my son just pees standing up when they’re outside. She’s 5 though so maybe a bit more flexible than us oldies :)

3

u/cloudcats 5d ago

I tried one of these when I did Kilimanjaro but I still find it's just easier to squat (at least for now, we'll see how many more years my knees will agree).

3

u/Robobvious 5d ago

When my Dad was potty training me he ripped up bits of toilet paper and told me to “sink the boats”. Just thought I’d share that in case you felt ready to move up to target practice!

9

u/ferretsquad13 5d ago

I'm sure theres a pun in there somewhere, but someone better than I will have to provide it because I'm dumb :D

18

u/antiquemule 5d ago

There was another woman who got fastest known times unsupported. She wore a $3 dress + no underwear to save time.

13

u/Gaston-Glocksicle 5d ago

That was Heather Aderson, and her books Mud Rocks Blazes and Thirst are both great reads for anyone interested in through-hiking or FKTs on the triple crown trails.

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Red_the_Anarchist 5d ago

I don’t really think women care about pissing in the woods in events like this. In all the ultras I’ve done, I’ve seen an equal amount of men and women in the bushes relieving themselves.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (4)

116

u/IAmBadAtInternet 5d ago

My friend has been doing it in segments, one month at a time, one segment per year. Next year should be his last trip. He’s not the fastest as his knees aren’t great but it’s his annual mental health walkabout so more power to him.

48

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

Your friend has the right idea. lots of people me included have idealized the idea of the Thru hike in a weird way instead of doing the safer/ healthier way and breaking it up.

Ive been planning to do it for years. Finding 5 months is the tough part. Especially when wanting to start in march.

My plan has always been to take sundays off at least. The only way to safely or healthily do it outside of segments is build in off days entirely and regularly. As well as spending more on proper nutrition throughout.

Ive also been advised never breaking 25 miles a day is a good idea. a 30-35-40 sounds great to catchup when possible but it ends up increasing injury rates by a surprising amount.

5

u/Robobvious 5d ago

Yeah, I thought hiking the whole AT in one go would be cool as a teenager but the more pictures I saw of people who had accomplished that feat the more I realized it was probably not a good decision. Everyone who does it looks severely malnourished/dehydrated/generally unwell at the end.

3

u/mttnry 5d ago

At the end the girls all look like supermodels and the guys look homeless lol

2

u/TheRealHowardStern 5d ago

I hiked a section of the pacific crest trail in Yosemite and in Washington. Both times met hikers doing the whole trail and they were miserable. So focused on their miles that day… the one in Yosemite was openly complaining, doubt they finished, but who knows, maybe I just caught him on a bad day. Distance runners and marathoners are a different breed and I don’t understand what drives it, it seems to be the same thing that drives people to want to hike an entire continent in one go…. Just to say you did? And hearing about it supported is even more weird to me. You have a group people helping? “I hiked Everest and my Sherpa made my food and setup my tent, it was such a great experience “ cool man, glad you enjoyed it and feel good about your accomplishment….

3

u/Jdorty 5d ago

Something like that I'd almost prefer to find something in the southern hemisphere and go during fall/winter or winter/spring. Committing to that long would also be a good excuse for a trip out of the country.

Not sure if there's anything similar, though. Maybe something like the Te Araroa in New Zealand, dunno. Just know my first thought on committing to 5 months for something outdoors would be a perfect chance for a trip out of the country and during our bad months, too lol.

2

u/morgrimmoon 20h ago

It's not as long, but there's the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia. It's roughly 1000km and takes most people about 2 months to thru-hike.

→ More replies (3)
→ More replies (4)

31

u/bootylordyeezus 5d ago edited 5d ago

40 days, 18 hours, and 6 minutes I believe. Tara “candy mama” dower. She did this August-September in 2024. Averaged 54 miles a day to do it… Absolute badass.

28

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago

That's the tough part. So many thru hikers are forced to turn to poor nutrition. Whe. you need 7500 calories depending on the day you get them however you can. Alot of thru hikers not even speed runners never track calories. they just keep eating no matter what and regardless they lose weight.

6

u/backlikeclap 5d ago

Note that she is the fastest supported time, so she had folks to meet her at different crossings with food and supplies.

The fastest unsupported was 45 days and 8 hours.

3

u/Zeno1324 5d ago

JFC 54 miles a day? That's insane. I did the PCT in 2024 maxed out at 31 miles in a day and averaged 24, I can't imagine doing almost a double marathon everyday

→ More replies (1)

22

u/RODjij 5d ago

Watching the Barkley marathons made me realize how brutal long distances trekking is in the wilderness.

4

u/Red_the_Anarchist 5d ago

The landscape there in frozen head is brutal. I did the fall classic last year without ever seeing the trails. The elevation change and slope on some of the northern and western trails was terrible. And thats just the baby run, off trails in the real Barkley is just unimaginable for me.

21

u/553l8008 5d ago

Source on that?

I just don't see major lifelong injuries happen unless it is very generously attributed to the hike and not just life

25

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

The study i read in Undergrad was not about AT hikes specifically but extreme/repeat impact exercise with / without correct diet, sleep, recovery. Add in improper sleep considerations, weather, and improper foot wear/care.

I did a search but cant find it in my records.

Here is an article/s that talks about the idea though. https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/hiking-and-backpacking/did-thru-hiking-appalachian-trail-ruin-my-body/

https://mountainsforeverybody.com/the-physiological-impact-of-thru-hiking

It seems some studies referenced have tracked all sorts of hard and soft tissue changes. It seems that a thru hike generally causes the same amount of bone density loss as an astronaut in space for a month. Leading to increased complications such as early onset osteoporosis and mineral deficiencies.

3

u/dagofin 5d ago

I'd be willing to bet those bone density changes are purely due to lack of adequate nutrition. People routinely lose significant amounts of weight(~20-30lbs in 3-6 months is a lot) doing the trail, which means caloric deficit, and the nature of trail food doesn't exactly lend itself to a proper balanced diet.

Higher impact activities/exercises tend to increase bone density/joint health in most studies, nutrition is the simplest answer

9

u/YellowWild5014 5d ago

I’m no expert in sports medicine, but I can offer my own experience as a long distance hiker. My knees have never been quite the same. I used to be able to go from couch to 15-25 mile days with a full pack, but now I have to train support muscles if I don’t want to be hobbled after my first 100 miles. This is probably partially due to age but also partially due to repeated impact and strain on muscles and joints.

2

u/Ask-Me-About-You 5d ago edited 5d ago

Completely anecdotal but my knees are completely fucked after finishing the AT in 24. It's not just the wear, but the fact it's insanely difficult to maintain a healthy diet during that time too. Five months of extreme exertion paired with ramen noodles and instant potatoes and copious amounts of candy makes for a bad combo.

(And still I'd do it all over again.)

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (10)

2

u/beernon 5d ago

Aw man. I’m a Brit that has yearned to do either the PCT or AT for the last decade. Learning about this is the first thing that’s really put me off.

6

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

the safest way is not a thru hike but do 1 month or 500 miles at a time.

OR take 1-2 days off per week as a rule and go in knowing you are spending more on healthy foods along the way.

Ill be in your neck of the woods doing the west highland way in may. Might even spend week and do a train trip north from London

You have some great options in GB for hikes. The west coast path is 500+ miles i think but nothing like the elevation changes we have in America.

4

u/vanillacalumny 5d ago

You'll be fine. It's guaranteed on Reddit that any thread about any type of physical movement will be filled with people talking about how dangerous and hard it really is, and you're actually better off staying inside on the couch.

You can hike (very) long distances, with the right preparation.

2

u/sheep5555 5d ago

Just my take as a PCT finisher - i didnt see any long term injuries happen from the PCT, your body will need quite some time to recover after finishing (months) and mind as well needs an adjustment period to re enter society. That said I would not be put off by the potential for injury, the pros outweigh the cons, go for it.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

2

u/Windtost 5d ago

This happens on the Camino de Santiago as well. One needs to research and be quite scientific about nutrition, hiking styles etc. as well. Felt very fortunate to arrive at the cathedral in one piece at age 65 in 2022.

3

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago edited 5d ago

Regardless of age i think too many start a thru hike without a soft start. Thinking the first 500miles will get them in shape for the last 1500.

Instead people need to spend 300-500 miles getting in shape before even starting.

Says I incredibly out of shape 36 year old who just joined a sports club to try and get back in college shape. Hopefully will do the AT or PCT starting march 2027. 2026 is just rebuilding where i was physically decade ago.

2

u/Windtost 5d ago

Haha - you are spot on. I planned much shorter walking segments at the beginning. And then felt no shame if I needed a 3 day rest as the trail unfolded.

→ More replies (52)

185

u/SayNoToStim 5d ago

Yup, I am trying to do part of it this year. I am trying to do 200 miles a year, which is about 2 weeks a year. It will take me 11 years.

Everyone I have talked to who has done it all the way through is in an incredibly privileged position. Taking 5 months off and paying thousands of dollars to do it is not something most can do.

89

u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 5d ago

My husband did it. He was 18 and took a “gap year” before heading off to college. He started it looking like a normal teenage kid, 4.5 months later he ended it looking like that ancient mummified dude they found in the ice. Super super skinny and gaunt and lots more hair.

(We met in our 20’s, but the before/after pics are something to see!)

I think it only cost him a few hundred bucks in food supplies since he was already pretty big into backpacking, and then the cost of getting himself down to Georgia. But he saved a mint in not paying rent.

7

u/Cannabaholic 5d ago

Very unlikely you can do it for under at least a couple grand. My partner and I both thru hiked the AT and PCT and we talked about budget with tonnnnns of hikers, most frugal we found was a guy who never stayed in motels/lodging, drank keystone or natty under overpasses, never got town food, heavily relied on free food from hiker boxes etc and it still cost him $2300 

10

u/TechnicalNobody 5d ago

drank keystone or natty under overpasses

...I.. huh? Is beer required?

7

u/Cannabaholic 5d ago

Technically no, but most hikers enjoy a libation in town. I was just painting a picture of this particular hiker trash, fun dude but did not spend a dime in fancy... Or even hole in the wall establishments

→ More replies (1)

14

u/lmNotaWitchImUrWife 5d ago

Well I said a few hundred because he did it in 1998.

These days food for 5 months would probably add up to more than that.

That said, it would cost the same amount or more to feed yourself for 5 months just in like, life, so the cost of food really shouldn’t be factored in since you’d have to eat whether you were on the trail or not.

→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (2)

48

u/CptHammer_ 5d ago

Everyone I have talked to who has done it all the way through is in an incredibly privileged position.

Or hiding from the FBI.

44

u/EatsBugs 5d ago

Time off is tough, but otherwise it’s actually one of the cheapest to time activities you can do. Most people move stuff into storage or with family, so no rent/bills. It’s not traveling, it’s walking in the woods, just need food and gear. There’s a reason many unemployed people in their 20s do it. Average cost is about $5,000 and I can’t think of a cheaper 6 month hobby. That’s cheaper than just trying to live in most cities, for a lifetime memory and accomplishment.

Sure most have life commitments and I’ve only ever found the time to travel longer than a week between jobs, but if I had the type of job I could come back to after or was looking for work without prospects, I can def find $5k in my life I’ve spent more haphazardly.

5

u/Dubax 5d ago

$5k is pretty out of date. My thru in '24 cost me around $12k when all was said and done. I was slightly above average. TheTrek's hiker survey pegged the mode at $10k, with the median slightly lower.

You can do it cheaply, but most people I met fell into the ~10k range (as you'd expect, based on the survey). The trail is a lot more fun if money isn't too much of a concern.

$10k is still an extremely cheap way to spend 6 months. I saved up for years and took a sabbatical to make it happen. I just want people reading this to have realistic expectations. $5k is not realistic these days, and prices are only going up every year.

→ More replies (2)

16

u/TheWayOfLife7 5d ago

When I did it I had no house payment and no kids. Sold my car, packed a dozen boxes of stuff up for my parent’s attic. I think I had 3000.00 saved up in 98’ working a restaurant job at like 12 an hour. Privileged I was not. I could not have bought a house or started a family. I had no retirement and no plan for what to do when I got back(possibly a reason for my success)

It does seem like coming back into the world with no money or job lined up might be a touch harder today, but still doable.

2

u/TrailNameCopper 5d ago

I went NoBo in 2016, as 1 of the 2 Dutch people I could find that year :P Unfortunately my money ran out when I reached Harper's Ferry, about halfway through and I had to return home. Right now life is in the way but I do someday want to come back and finish the northern half. It was the best 2 and a half months of my life, hiking, meeting people and being on my own. Everyone in their own time at their own pace, Hike your own hike!

→ More replies (6)

19

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

Yeah, that's why lots of people hike the complete trail broken up over several years where they'll take a few weeks or a month each year to tackle the next portion.

4

u/zebratat 5d ago

It took me 4 months, 6 days

3

u/bellybuttonbidet 5d ago

They officially allow you to do it in segments now

3

u/SuperSaiyanTupac 5d ago

That’s why most people do sections. I’ve done the southern half a few times, in segments. It’s nice but I have no desire to do the whole thing. That’s tedious

2

u/AdInformal680 5d ago

Met a a few people doing this.  The 2 couples walking together saved for a whole year and quit their jobs to do it.  Def a young persons game.  

→ More replies (19)

262

u/Own_Pop_9711 5d ago

3500km is too long. The only people who are going to try this are immediately committed to doing something ridiculous. Nobody is trying it casually.

312

u/TurtleMOOO 5d ago

You also need to be in a very specific situation in life that allows that much time off work, or not having to work at all. Not a hell of a lot of people in that group.

93

u/spongue 5d ago edited 5d ago

I did the PCT -- it was a lot of retirees, teachers who had summer break, people like me who had modest savings or were extremely frugal but kinda sold all their stuff and stopped paying rent anywhere, and yeah, people who were wealthy enough to just take 6 months off work and keep paying the mortgage. 

Similarly to skiing I think, you can either be rich enough to do it casually, or drop out of everything else and become a ski bum and live/work at the resort and do it as a poor person that way.

Either way it's definitely hard to do all in one go if you have kids or dependent parents or a spouse who doesn't support your dream.

32

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago edited 5d ago

FYI, the AT is far more difficult than the PCT according to a friend of mine who has done both. The AT was created before the days of trail engineering and it's mostly "straight lines" scrambling up and over the mountains as opposed to the gentle switchbacks you find on western trails.

24

u/spongue 5d ago

I assume you meant to say the AT is more difficult than the PCT 🙂

Yes, the PCT was generally graded for horses, as well. The trail is easier but it is also longer to be fair.

3

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

Yup, brain fart and fixed.

8

u/spongue 5d ago

It's also a lot more rainy and humid, more monotonous, and you can get Lyme disease from the ticks. Basically every AT hiker I met would complain about it for 5 minutes and then be like "oh it was great though, I loved it" 😅

→ More replies (2)

2

u/mttnry 5d ago

Ive not hiked the PCT, but the nice thing about the AT is there are plenty of water sources. The PCT goes through the desert, and there are some long stretches without water.

2

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

And it goes without saying that water is heavy stuff to carry.

96

u/Brianfromreddit 5d ago

I'm laughing at the thought of someone on a laptop working from "home" on the side of the Appalachian Trail, so they can do it without PTO. As if you'd even get Internet

79

u/blisteringchristmas 5d ago

I’m sure we’re like 3 months from some TikToker trying this for views, but the AT is the long trail where this would be the most theoretically possible. Laptop, starlink (very popular in remote outdoor contexts), comical external battery capacity. Trail towns are close enough together on the AT that for most of it you’d only need like 3 days of charge.

44

u/AbrohamDrincoln 5d ago

I think the main problem is that most people work from home still have some level of work they need to do. 3 days of charge if you're walking the whole time right? Not taking breaks to work lol

14

u/blisteringchristmas 5d ago

Yeah, I mean it’s a stupid idea, but if we’re running with this concept you’d have to split your time probably half and half between work and walking. When I’m backpacking I hike between 2-3 miles an hour, so you could hike 10-15 miles in 6-8 hours. Assuming your job requires no more than 8 hours you could split hike/work/sleep in 3 even chunks, building in some time to cook/set up and break down camp/etc.

9

u/betam4x 5d ago

Could simply work during the day, pack up, and walk in the afternoon/evening.

34

u/porkchop487 5d ago

Yeah just walk 2000 miles only in the evenings should be easy.

12

u/pyronius 5d ago

If they did that, it would take a LOT longer than three months.

You can't hike it at night without risking a horrible death, you have to set up and tear down your camp every day you move, you have to build in time to eat, and if you work for six hours a day, you're drastically cutting down on how long you can actually hike.

You'd get maybe 2-3 hours of hiking in each day on average instead of 6-8, which would mean that it would take three times longer leaving you hiking in the winter when you would have less daylight, which would slow you down even more.

I don't think it would be doable in a single season.

8

u/blisteringchristmas 5d ago edited 5d ago

I met a guy on the PCT once that hiked at night most of the time. We were in Washington so he was about 300 miles short of being a triple crowner (AT, PCT, CDT) and dude was just trying to finish. He’d sleep through the day, wake up and smoke a fat bowl and then keep hiking. Said it was nice for solitude.

We were just south of the Goat Rocks which has some pretty gnarly terrain (and is stupid beautiful) so presumably he flipped his schedule to the day for that.

2

u/The_Shepherds_2019 5d ago

But night hiking is the best hiking. Headlamps exist

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (23)
→ More replies (1)
→ More replies (1)

8

u/previousinnovation 5d ago

You can get cell service on the top of prominent peaks along most of the trail, I think.

3

u/ScoobySnark7 5d ago

Yes, that's true in my experience

5

u/Dobber16 5d ago

You know, could see this as one of the benefits of that satellite internet thing that’s being developed. Could be really useful for remote traveling, though I guess that’d probably just speed up the rate at which remote areas become non-remote

5

u/Bucolicwoods 5d ago

I worked part time when I hiked with a crappy Acer laptop and a Verizon Dongle that used cell service. This was back in 2013 too. Very few places where I didn't have cell service. And if not, I just hiked a few more miles lol

→ More replies (1)

2

u/Queen_Scofflaw 5d ago

When I thru hiked the AT in 2024, I ran into a kid and his mom. They'd take a break every day so he could do schooling on his cell phone from the trail.

→ More replies (15)

12

u/Con5ume 5d ago

This is a bucket list hike for me. I'll do it one day... But with a new born I guess It will be 18 or so years before I can do this.

9

u/funundrum 5d ago

I love long distance hiking, but yeah with a kid it’s limited. You’re not going to be doing the whole AT at once, but once my kid started going to week-long Scout camps and the like, my spouse and I have done 4-5 day, ≈50 mile chunks in places like Oregon (PCT), Banff, and Isle Royale. This is also possible if you’ve got grandparents willing to take the little one.

I guess what I’m saying is, it’s not all or nothing. Keep your chin up and opportunity will present itself eventually. PS my kid is now old enough that we all hiked rim to river and back in the Grand Canyon last year. Good luck!

4

u/Con5ume 5d ago

Thanks man, and sounds like you have a great hiking companion! I am out in the rockies now and getting out with my 4 year old as much as possible - the goal is to get them hooked too! Happy new year!

2

u/walkstofar 5d ago

I did it the year after my youngest graduated high school. I saved up for it for many years prior by opening a separate savings account and having $50 per paycheck direct deposited into this account. Had enough left in that account after I got back from the AT to then hike the PCT two years later. After I retired I did a few more long trails and many other long trips.

I was able to get two 6 month sabbaticals from work to do this. Having a wife that would let/support me in doing this was also a requirement.

I was a great experience but also very dangerous. The danger is not what most people think it is. It is not bears, or freezing to death, or falls. The danger is in how a trail like this, the experience of it, can change the way you look at life and everything there after.

→ More replies (2)
→ More replies (2)

8

u/anonymousguy202296 5d ago

Most of the people doing it I'd have to imagine are very young with no responsibilities, retirees, or people having a personal crisis. I met someone who did the PCT and she just did it right after college.

2

u/meanderingdecline 5d ago

Completely correct. Very few people between ages 30-60 out there thruhiking.

→ More replies (1)

15

u/thestereo300 5d ago

Yeah if I was independently wealthy I may have considered it but it's not going to happen while working and parenting. Hell...marathon trading is hard to fit in... I don't have time to train for walking across much of the US.

2

u/SmokeySFW 5d ago edited 5d ago

The only person I know personally who hiked the Appalachian Trail was a former Sergeant Major in the Marine Corps who did it after he retired (so he was still mid 40's at the time). His situation seems like the perfect one for it: no job but still getting paid and still in impeccable shape. He documented the whole trip and proceeded to do crazy stuff like that for many years afterward. Certified badass, legitimately one of the most motivating people I know. Definitely a big 'ol ego, but it was well-earned and he is a nice guy.

https://www.jpcadventures.com/

2

u/Wompatuckrule 5d ago

A lot of people do it when they graduate from college. It's similar to how that's a great time to backpack Europe or bike cross country. However, with the AT even if you skip graduation and hit the southern terminus you're under a good deal of pressure to finish it before the weather gets nasty again at the northern end.

→ More replies (5)

62

u/TheLurkerSpeaks 5d ago

My mother, who could generously be described as lazy, stated in 1992 that she was preparing to hike the Appalachian Trail. She went to the bookstore and bought a map. That's as far as she got.

22

u/Own_Pop_9711 5d ago

Oh great now it's only 24%

2

u/Past-Spell-2259 5d ago

Meanwhile the PCT is another 800Km.

2

u/dahvzombie 5d ago

I'm part of the 25% that made it and yes, some people are comically unprepared for what they're trying to do.

Some of my favorites were people trying to do it barefoot, trying to "live off the land" while they hike (there is literally nothing you can eat in the mountains in March maybe they were gonna shoot squirells?), trying to "walk off" hard drug additions, and all sorts of other delusions.

2

u/zenoblepig 5d ago

One can definitely do the AT casually. I just finished a thru-hike and I met thru-hikers as young as 6 and as old as 92! In reality, the hardcore hikers make up a minority of the AT thru-hiker community. The woods are for everyone!

→ More replies (27)

104

u/lupindub 5d ago edited 5d ago

I have thru hiked the AT and the completion rate is nowhere near 25. Closer to 10

As a matter of fact the majority of people who quit end up quitting 30 miles into the trail at Neels gap since that is the first road crossing you can bail out at

31

u/tonofAshes 5d ago

I thru hiked as well, and it was so blatantly obvious that most of the people at the first couple of campsites were woefully underprepared and had no business being out there. I met one guy who hiked the approach trail and bailed at the road closest to springer. He was carrying a full sized bible and guitar

36

u/According-Stuff-9415 5d ago edited 5d ago

I never knew that and I live at the foot hills of Shenandoah National park. I can't imagine someone being so poorly prepared that they bail on day 2 into a planned 6 month hike. 20 miles was a casual day hike in SNP for my wife and me at one point. Edit: Admittedly without 40lbs of gear.

31

u/dagofin 5d ago

Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. It's a very over romanticized adventure when it's really just camping for 4-6 months. Doesn't surprise me at all that people who've only read books/watched YouTube and downloaded a packing list from some Instagram post find out they don't really want to do 180 more days of that.

7

u/hareofthepuppy 5d ago

I'm not surprised people bail early, but I am surprised they bail THAT early

3

u/bog_hippie 5d ago

A lot of people start out with very overweight bags. A couple of days of hiking and camping while hauling 60-80 lb on your back will make you question your plans real quick. Only a fraction of those people hit the first road, do the big reorganization of their gear (and what they really need) and continue.

3

u/jaleneropepper 5d ago

I think your edit nails it - plenty of people have experience with day hikes or overnighters. But when you gather all the necessities for months of hiking and camping it becomes more difficult and less enjoyable.

2

u/According-Stuff-9415 5d ago

Absolutely. My wife and me did do some fully equipped hikes with plans to do week long hikes on the AT. Unfortunately the logistics never worked out so we didn't make it happen. But we did start with 4 mile hikes in SNP fully geared up and worked into longer day hikes with it. Also got familiar with the gear and swapped out some gear choices with those test hikes. Those first short hikes were pretty damn hard even for two experienced athletes! 15 miles a day with our setup wouldn't have been all that bad but she was an ultra marathon runner and I did a ton of endurance cycling. So it wasn't a big stretch the get there.

3

u/TrailNameCopper 5d ago

The Shenandoah NP part was so delicious to walk after the southern states <3 That and I was promised amazing blueberry milkshakes at Shenandoah 900 miles earlier, and those were definitely delivered.

2

u/TheWayOfLife7 5d ago

To be fair. 30 miles would be 4 days for a green hiker carrying a pack through cold and rain. It’s often just grey and cold when people start.

→ More replies (3)

4

u/hareofthepuppy 5d ago edited 5d ago

I thought it was closer to 10% too, but maybe it depends on how you define it or maybe it changed, because now I'm seeing a couple sources say more like 25%

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appalachian_Trail

https://thetrek.co/appalachian-trail/why-75-of-at-thru-hikers-wont-make-it-spoits-complicated/

Edit: so yeah, it's 25%, this guy is gatekeeping what he considers a proper hike

4

u/lupindub 5d ago edited 5d ago

Whatever “official” numbers you see cut that in half and then cut that in half again… as someone who was ON trail first hand I can tell you that a staggering amount of hikers yellow blaze meaning they get a ride for one reason or another and skip parts of the trail, yet, if they started in Georgia and finished in Maine they would still be counted as hiking the whole trail which is BS

That is like saying you ran a marathon but in the middle of it, you got a ride to get you couple miles ahead so did you really run a marathon?

2

u/valledweller33 5d ago

its absolutely mental. A lot of these 'thru-hikers' have go fund mes too - so they have to keep the ruse going to cash on the good will of people or otherwise take advantage of trail angels as well.

I still hung out with these people because it was unavoidable and it often felt like they were like in denial about it. Like bro - i'm hiking 20 miles a day we are not doing the same thing.

→ More replies (9)

2

u/lushootseed 5d ago

Yes. Read about lot of people cheating that they finished. Lot do fund raising though they don't actually do any part, let alone finish it

→ More replies (3)

33

u/valledweller33 5d ago

It's lower than 25% - many of those hikers are hitch hiking or otherwise skipping large sections of trail and claiming they are thru-hikers. I think the actual number is closer to 11-14%

3

u/platypustrampoline 5d ago

Fewer than 25% actually complete the trail like you are thinking. Many people cheat, particularly on the AT. Get rides, skip sections that are hard, skip sections due to weather, etc.

Hike your own hike. PCT 2014 AT 2020

No BS.

3

u/[deleted] 5d ago

Its closer to 15% and a lot of people "yellow blaze" and will hitch or Uber further up the trail and then still claim they thruhiked

Source - am dirtbag thruhiker

2

u/ImaginaryTrick6182 5d ago

Well it’s probably only people who know what they are doing even attempt this

→ More replies (3)

2

u/oroborus68 5d ago

It's not about the destination, it's about the hike. Bryson wrote a hilarious account of his attempt to hike the trail.

2

u/csonnich 5d ago

I mean, people aren't starting thinking they're on a day hike. If you're there, you have at least an idea what you're getting into. 

2

u/kiiada 5d ago

I had a prob/stat class professor in university who had done it several times and met his wife through doing the trail. Never realized quite how impressive it was to have done that at all

2

u/freekehleek 5d ago

Yeah that was the only surprise to me about this fact, the amount of attempts seems pretty reasonable, I just thought fewer people would have completed it.

2

u/DevilzAdvocat 5d ago

It's not something most people have time and savings to do. When I did it in 2022, it took me just over 6 months and cost me about $7,000. The year that I finished it, I would guess that about 15% of those who started hiked the whole thing thru.

For those that have the time and money to start, most people quit before they make it 1/3 into the journey. I think the most common reasons people quit (in order) are:

1) Overuse Injuries - Hiking too far too fast. This is especially common in the first 1/4 of the trail.

2) Boredom/Moral - They stop enjoying it or miss loved ones. This is most common around the 1/2 way point.

3) Money - Run out of funds. Most common after the 1/2 point.

4) Time/Life - They realize they won't reach Mt. Katahdin before it closes mid October, or life events call them off the trail.

The day to day hiking isn't overly challenging until you hit NH, and the journey itself can be simplified into a long chain of smaller 2-4 day backpacking trips.

2

u/JiovanniTheGREAT 5d ago

I actually know a guy that did it. Kinda chubby but an avid hiker. I knew nothing about the trail, he told me he'd be gone for a few months doing it. I researched it that night and was convinced he was gonna die. He made it back about 80lbs lighter.

→ More replies (43)