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The Hiking Story

Journals, trip reports, gear reviews and musings from my long distance hiking adventures

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  • My HikesA list of the trails I have hiked, including a link to their journals.
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    • My 6.7 lb Gear List
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    • Enlightened Equipment Enigma (20F / -6C) Long Term Review (8,000+ miles / 450 nights)
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    • The Best Hiking Apps
    • Editing Photos During A Hike (Lightroom)
    • 5 Meaningful Reasons why you should Thru Hike a Long Trail
    • Good vs Bad: Expectations When Thru Hiking
    • The 4 Rules to a Perfecting your Thru Hiking Resupply Strategy
    • 4 Meal Ideas to add Variety on a Thru Hike
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A different view of Zion NP. It is such an incredible park! I was heading down from Observation Point and across to Angels Landing as part of the Zion Traverse. The clouds were rolling through all day and it started snowing / sleeting not long after this. The crappy weather meant that I did get to experience the valley and Angels Landing without the notmal crowds. #thruhiker #longdistancehiking #hikertrash #thruhiking #ziontraverse #zionnationalpark #zion
Looking back at Haute Route Pyrenees, and it's talus fields while planning my next trip. New bike equipment and flights are purchased, but I'm a little nervous about bike touring. It's the unknown, and the same feeling as before my first long hike. I have no idea how my body will handle cycling for 10-12 hours a day as I've never done it, or even if I'll enjoy this trip. It's a new, exciting adventure. Whatever happens, I will learn new things and see so much of Australia's South East coast.
Haute Route Pyrenees @evancharlton and I got to walk along this epic natural cliff band overlooking Odessa Canyon for a couple of hours. It was such a magical experience and do worth leaving the HRP to go see. Swipe right to see GQ standing under the mountain, which was how most of this trail was. I found the Pyranees a geological marvel. Six hours before walking along this limestone cliff I was in France and gazing up in awe at a 1000m (3000ft) granite cirque with glaciers, waterfalls and meadows. It only took one pass to the Spanish side for the whole landscape to dry up and the glaciers and meadows disappeared while the waterfalls were replaced with dry falls.
Haute Route Pyranees I found the HRP one of the more physically demanding trails that I have hiked. This photo was taken just before a 1200m (3950ft) decent in 5km (3 miles). And then it was straight back up the other side. I didn't even find the constantly steep gradient the toughest part, this is just fitness and our body can adapt to it eventually. I found the loose rocks, occasional very steep sections and huge steps to semi jump up or down meant it was hard to build up a hiking rythmn. The lack of consistency on this trail was an eye opener, and until this point I never realised how much easier hiking is once we have found our groove for the a section. In this regard, I found the HRP in total contrast to the PCT with its world renowned PCT grade.
Haute Route Pyrenees: I may have lost the remaining journal entries, but decided to post the pictures anyway. This picture is of Cirque De Gravarnie. I made my own route that took in this, Bresh De Roland and Odessa Canyon. It did not make any forward progress towards the Mediterranean as we basically did a big loop, but it was the most visually stunning day of the whole trail. The Haute Route is fantastic. It is an extremely varied but consistently stunning hike. For example, there were numerous passes that were totally granite on the approach and completely change to limestone on the decent. I also got to eat great cheese every day and got to experience plenty of culture. I had a ball, and thoroughly recommend adding this route to everyone's wish list.
Haute Route Pyrenees - Day 8 (33km / 20 miles) I woke up to the wind howling above me. A few minutes later it changed angles enough to smash into my tarp. It ripped my only shepherds hook stake out of the ground, and flung it into the distance. The windstorm lasted for only 5 minutes but caused some havoc. I was up searching for that damn stake but could not find it. I now wish I had remembered to pick up a groundhog before I left as they held. I gave up and went back to bed, but an hour later it started to rain. I skirted up to tge head end and against the solid wall and managed to remain dry even with a corner stake missing. The rain continued all morning and for the majority of the time it bucketed down with some of the heaviest sustained rain I have ever seen. All we could do was put our heads down and march forward. At 11.30 I had wrinkly hands like I was swimming in a pool for an hour. We arrived at a ski resort and found some great protection from the elements. I see why people live in houses... We had finally settled in for an extended lunch to wait out the storm (lightning that had gotten within a mile of us), when the sky parted and the 7 hour storm broke. GQ and I were surprised but packed up quickly to make the most of our change of fortune. It turned into an amazing afternoon. Just enough cloud remained that it created a continually changing landscape as the clounds and sun highlighted small sections of the surrounding mountains, forests or meadows. It was also an afternoon of climbing with over 2000m (6600ft) gain. This trail does not know about an easy time! It constantly goes straight up, hits the pass and then plunges back down to the river valley. The HRP will repeat this a few times each day. Tough world but these mountains are special and the extra effort is so worth it. It was 8pm and I saw this wonderfull grassed area with some natural rock wind breaks. I was only 100m gain from our designated camp spot but this was to good to be true. I pitched my tarp (rocks instead of that shepherds hook) and ate dinner as I waited for GQ to arrive. I helped GQ set up and then went to bed.
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