Wandering on, journeys I have in mind
The next big journey in my mind involves a top to bottom of the American continents. From the top of the [Yukon] to the southern tip of South America, including the Pacific Crest Trail down the west cost of the US, and the Route of Parks, a 1700mile/2800km through-hike of 17 of Chile’s national parks.
There are a lot of other journeys, large and small, that I am drawn to, here are just a few of them.
Europe
Spain
Camino de Santiago : The Camino de Santiago known in English as the Way of St James, is a network of pilgrimages leading to the shrine of the apostle Saint James the Great in the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwestern Spain, where tradition holds that the remains of the apostle are buried. Route Descriptions)
United Kingdom
Land’s End to John o’ Groats : 1200mi/2000km traversal of the whole length of the island of Great Britain between two extremities, in the southwest and northeast.
Badger divide route : 200 mile route from Inverness to Glasgow. The Badger Divide route follows well established Rights of Way, Heritage Paths, long distance trails and a mix of estate and forestry gravel roads. Paved roads have been avoided wherever possible but a few remain.
Coast to Coast : 182-mile (293 km)[1] unofficial and mostly unsignposted long-distance footpath between the west and east coasts of Northern England. Devised by Alfred Wainwright,[2] it passes through three contrasting national parks: the Lake District National Park, the Yorkshire Dales National Park, and the North York Moors National Park.
The Americas
Chile
Route of Parks : 1700mi/2700km of pristine landscapes, fragile ecosystems, and diverse local cultures from from Puerto Montt to Cape Horn in Chile.
United States
Pacific Crest Trail : 2650mi/4270km trail closely aligned with the highest portion of the Cascade and Sierra Nevada mountain ranges, which lie 100 to 150 miles east of the U.S. Pacific coast.
Appalachian Trail : 2200mi/3540km hiking trail in the Eastern United States, extending almost 2,200 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine and passing through 14 states.
Further Reading
This Herald article on the Pan American Highway introduces a bunch of other possible ultra-long distance through-hikes across Africa, Russia, China, Europe etc.
