- How long is the trail?
- How long does it take to Thru-hike the trail?
- Is it dangerous?
- What kind of training is needed?
- What kind of training did you do?
- What is your thoughts on Maine
- Is there such a trail in South Africa
General
Q. How long is the trail?
3500 kilometers
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Q. How long does it take to Thru-hike the trail?
Depending on how far you are hiking a day, approximatly 5 to 6 months.
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Q. Is it dangerous?
It would depend on what scares you and the level of skill one has. I do think that other hikers may qualify as dangerous to a certain degree at times. :-)
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Q. What kind of training is needed?
Any or all of the following knowledge is beneficial:
- Navigation - stars, moon, sun, vegetation, wildlife and bird habits.
- Medical - snakes, fractures, medications, evac, international distress and info signals.
- Nature - geography, climate, temperatures.
- Health - 60% fitness level beneficial. (you get the rest on the trail)
- Common sense.
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Q. What kind of training did you do?
According to Jaine of the AT Lodge, I walked up and down main street barefoot a couple of times. :-)
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Q. What is your thoughts on Maine
The trail as per history was planned to end on mnt Wasington. Trail design perhaps dictated that Maine should at least end as the @ start. Making the trail 'difficult' creates a challenge and this is perhaps what appeals to sportsmen. The more difficult the more hikers wants to hike it. The trail could easily been flat with views on the two highest mountains, but allas this is not the case. At times you will summit up to three 4000ft mountains going strait up and down them!
Once you have seen all that there is on the list of things to see - animals and views the trail becomes boring. The only interesing part that remains is to have a look at what the next trail town has to offer.
The trail is very wet and more slippery than a snail in places.
I have not used hiking poles, but in maine between route 4 and 17, gaters and poles may have been a good option. Having to use your feet to determine if a log/rock is solid/save to step on is decididly more risky than using a stick to determine a footholds feasability, by poking it.
Using my technique as mentioned above resulted in calf and kneedeep sinking into water and mud, the precieved solid rock/log 'floating on top the water' and disapearing into dark oblivion under hiker weight!
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Q. Is there such a trail in South Africa
Best explained:
I have a dream. So do you. Mine is to follow in the footsteps of
others who have walked a long time, enabling others to follow. Below please
find my thoughts and opinions expressed in vision of the next 50 years.
Having walked the Appalachian Trail (AT) in the United States of
America (USA) in 2008, I have learned from them the value of collective
information amongst others and dream to apply these to the cape to kosi route
(K2C).
The Appalachian trail conservancy (ATC
http://www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.mqLTIYOwGlF/b.4805391/k.245D/Who_We_Are.htm
) is the protective organization keeping the AT alive in the USA, in my opinion
perhaps not textbook applicable to the south African counterpart route (the
cape to kosi bay trail), since over management has its drawbacks.
One positive result of information availability resulted in a guide (appropriately
called 'the companion' http://www.aldha.org/comp_pdf.htm
) that supports a hiker with distances, resources, tides, water, shelters and
routes. This is my aim.
The American Long Distance Hiker Association's (ALDHA) yearly awards
a certificate to those completing the AT. And I'm jealous that it's not the
same in South Africa, yet. This is above and beyond that the reason for hiking
the cape to kosi is not about a certificate. Mindful of the fact that you could
create your own, if needed. Your family might want you to have one though.
The AT has evolved with information in abundance. GPS information is
available for mostly all of the beacons needed en route. http://www.travelbygps.com/z_links/appalachian_trail.php
,http://www.cs.utk.edu/~dunigan/at/
, http://guymott.com/atgps.html
Below some aspects that may be applied to the K2C route in the next
50 years.
Differences/similarities between the AT and the C2K are that the AT
has:
- Nature conservation, recreation and education.
- Shelters (not needed on the K2C!) 99.? % of the AT is located on government property (bought out by the ATC over the years, to ensure its existence)
- A Micro economy evolved on the AT that supports the hikers in the form of house stays for donation or transport to trailhead. 4-8 days walking to the next town for resupply.
- Mail drops has their own format of label, that the post office recognize (mail kept for longer) Over usage/erosion result in route changes.
- Micro economy results in route changes, profit minded detours. Approximately every 400 meters is marked with a white stripe. (don't paint the beach!) GPS information available.
- Friendly locals support hikers in need.( some even have business cards)> Section hikers, day hikers and through hikers. Mail lists, forums and websites.
- One USA state has declared hitch hiking illegal.
I welcome and invite positive feedback on any and all aspects of
this letter, in order to make the C2K route free, safe, enjoyable and
accessible with the availability of shared knowledge as to amongst other distances, resources, tides, water, shelters ,routes and resupply.
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State of Maine
Q. Where does all the water come from?
In Maine all is snow in winter, therefore the water replenish itself during summer. A local noted that Maine has not had so much rain and snow since the 60's. This season is really, really wet. Making the trail a river and real slow to hike in.
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Q. Why is Maine coined as the most difficult?
Its not difficult as such. The mud holes 'Bogs' and water makes hiking slower, since its slippery as hell. This breaks a comfortable pace or tempo. Boulderhopping on granite and in semi vertical places on all fours makes for an intesting experience.
The lack of countours on the trail, instead straight up and down mountains does make for a monotinous ride. A lot of mountains are summited and the view is the same after a while.
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