I will hike 4,200km of the Pacific Crest Trail

It’s a dream, a wish, that has been lingering in my mind for years now. Which started as a little seed planted in my head when I was traveling the USA in 2018. Then visiting a couple spots along the trail in 2019. Which in turn evolved into a ‘maybe I could do that’ in the last few years. And earlier this year I made the decision to turn it into an ‘I WILL do this’.

For those who are not familiar with the Pacific Crest Trail, it is a trail on the west-coast of the United States that runs all the way from the Mexican border (South California) to the Canadian border (Northern Washington) and it is roughly 4,265km / 2,650mi long. It takes 5 to 6 months to complete the trail.

My legs work, my mind is still somewhat capable and I’m still young. I don’t see any reason to wait for a ‘better’ time to do it. And I’m not going to be the I-wish-I’d-done-that person later in my life.

And I’m terrified. But also super excited! It’s going to be a mental challenge just as much as a physical one. Everything will hurt, I’ll be hot, cold, hungry and exhausted but hopefully strong enough to push through that and enjoy the nature there that I so very much fell in love with!

Where will I sleep? Outside, or in a tent that I’ll carry the whole way. Most of the trail is in the middle of nature, with sections where the next signs of civilization will be days away. It goes through the desert, high mountains, deep valleys, dense forests and ends with alpine mountains.

I will start in late April and already have a permit (which you need to enter or sleep in the national/state parks). So that’s only a couple months left to go! The more I see the start approaching the more I get both excited and scared. Can I do it? won’t I have to stop because of an injury, can I handle the heat? What about thunderstorms when I’m on a mountain….? All things I can mitigate or prepare for, so that’s just what I do. It’s not an undertaking that’s without risk, but I’m sure as hell that these are the kinds of risks I’m willing to take to do fulfilling things!