And so it begins...
2015. A year (almost) of ADVENTURE!
It it all kicks off in April with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and ends in October high up in the Himalayas.
I had never heard of the PCT until April 2014 when I saw a post about it on Facebook. Since then I have thought about it every day and dreamed about it every night (probably). It is all consuming.
I knew I had to do it. Some people dream about it for years, there is no way I could do that, so I am starting almost exactly a year after the dream began.
"The Pacific Crest Trail spans 2,650 miles (4,265 kilometers) from Mexico to Canada through California, Oregon, and Washington. It reveals the beauty of the desert, unfolds the glaciated expanses of the Sierra Nevada, travels deep forests, and provides commanding vistas of volcanic peaks in the Cascade Range." pcta.org
The trail was proposed in 1926, designated a protected national scenic trail in 1968 and completed in 1993. The first thru-hike was completed in 1970 and it is estimated that around 1000+ hikers will be on the trail in 2015. It passes through 26 national forests and 7 national parks, taking in 4 national monuments.The trip should take around 5 months, although with the 6 months - a year of planning, the whole experience feels like it's a lot longer. I am SO EXCITED, and I am absolutely terrified. But life begins at the end of your comfort zone right?A couple of weeks after completing (hopefully!) the PCT I will be off to the Himalayas to climb Mera Peak with my mates. At 6,476m it's going to be around 800m higher than I've been before. I love being at altitude, but unfortunately altitude doesn't like me much! So the 3 week trip up the big hill may be the bigger challenge of the two! Only time will tell.
Stay tuned...
My inspiration. I have to make it to Oregon because I have to see this. Photo credit: www.christopher-miller.net
The trail