Return to a Country I Never Left

Return to a Country I Never Left

by | Jan 13, 2016 | Hiking

Fresh off not dying in my previous post, my final post on the Drakensberg Grand Traverse covers the climb up Giant’s Castle Pass, an ascent to the highest point in southern Africa, and my return to a country that I never left. Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part...
“You’re Going to Die.”

“You’re Going to Die.”

by | Jan 4, 2016 | Hiking

In this third post about my thru-hike on the Drakensberg Grand Traverse, I tackle Tseketseke Pass, court disaster near the Ship’s Prow, climb to the highest point in South Africa, and prove wrong an overly dramatic naysayer. Take a look at Part I and Part 2 to...
Would I Recommend the Te Araroa?

Would I Recommend the Te Araroa?

by | May 12, 2015 | Hiking

This is a really tough one to answer and maybe that’s why I feel compelled to do just that. I’m not long off the trail and I suspect that my thoughts will change as the toil of the hard miles recedes into the rosy glow of memory. Furthermore, I didn’t actually...
A Moment of Bliss on Waiau Pass

A Moment of Bliss on Waiau Pass

by | May 6, 2015 | Hiking

It was 4:50 pm. I stood at 1,385 meters, staring up at the 500 meter scree slope looming over me. The trail up to Waiau Pass, the second highest point on the Te Araroa, is nestled deep in a high alpine valley surrounded by a bowl of 2,000 meter peaks. The...
Trail Stories from the Te Araroa

Trail Stories from the Te Araroa

by | Apr 23, 2015 | Hiking

What an adventure! My trek across New Zealand’s South Island had nearly everything a trail can offer. Great new friends, grindingly hard trail, delicious food, near disasters, and beautiful scenery. For anyone who has never completed an 800+ mile thru-hike (I...