Now that I’ve been home again for a few weeks, have mostly finished my videos about Patagonia and have been able to think a few things about my future, I would like to tell you about my future plans.
As some of you may have already noticed, I would like to start another long-distance hike in the USA soon. This time I chose the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT for short, officially Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail). Below I would like to give you a little impression of this long-distance hike and show why I chose this hike.
The PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)
The PCT in the western United States runs approximately 4,265 km from the Mexican border through the three states of California, Oregon and Washington to the north into Canada. Along with the Appalachian Trail and the Continent Divide Trail, the trail is one of the three best-known long-distance hikes in the USA and is a so-called National Scenic Trail, i.e. a long-distance hike that leads through landscapes with a special charm. This includes, for example, Yosemite National Park, which is known for its impressive granite rocks, giant sequoias and its biodiversity. With the Forrester Pass, the highest point of the hike is reached at 4009m and the route continues for a long time through deserts, forests and mountains.
In contrast to the European long-distance hiking trails, the PCT leads most of the time through the wilder areas of the USA and the hikers are therefore on their own for a longer period of time. Most of the time you will spend the night in a tent, so rice with tuna will probably be on the menu more often on this hike. Since the distances between the individual towns and villages near the trail are greater than in Europe, hikers have to carry 4-7 days’ worth of food before they can replenish their supplies. On average, a complete hike across the USA on the PCT is expected to take 4.5 months, although this can be longer depending on weather conditions.
Thru-Hiking
Since the path leads completely through the USA, it is also referred to as a thru-hike. What may not sound so spectacular to us Europeans (after all, I walked completely through the three countries of Switzerland, France and Spain on my Way of St. James) is of course much more interesting in other parts of the world. While I traveled to 4 different countries on my 3000km long Way of St. James, the PCT only runs through the USA at 4265km.
Long-Distance-Permit
As on most long-distance hiking trails, very few people walk the entire route at once. But thruhiking is becoming increasingly popular, especially on the PCT, and so many people start trying to complete the entire route every year. Even if less than 10 percent of people actually make it to the top, the rush is now so great that the starting places are regulated. Permits, so-called long-distance permits, are issued every year with which you can walk the entire route. 50 starting places will be awarded every day between March 1st and May 30th. Getting one of these coveted permits is more like a game of chance. Using an online system, you are randomly assigned a time at which you can log in on a specific day and select your desired start day. If you’re lucky, you’re still free to decide. People with less luck have to choose one of the worse dates where there are still places available or don’t even get that. If the start time is too early, there is still so much snow in the higher areas that it is hardly possible to get through. If you start too late, it could happen that you don’t get to the north until the onset of winter and therefore won’t be able to reach the border with Canada.
My preparations
Even before I set off on my Way of St. James last year, I had been thinking about running the PCT. Since it takes an average of 4.5 months, a 6-month visa for the USA is required. With foresight, I got this at the beginning of 2023 so that I didn’t have to worry about it any further.
As mentioned above, in addition to the visa, a long-distance permit is also required. After I registered online, I was also randomly assigned a time. I was really lucky again. Not only did I get an early time with many appointments still available, but the appointment was right on my stopover from Milan to Buenos Aires in Frankfurt. So last year I sat in the terminal in Frankfurt, reserved a take-off permit for April 27th and was back on the plane to Argentina less than 15 minutes later. So I already knew at this point that I really wanted to start the PCT.
In addition to the permits, there are of course many other preparations to be made. Many hikers send each other food packages to specific stations or plan the individual stages from home so that they know exactly when and where to buy food and fill up on water. But since I preferred to fly to Patagonia and now have some experience in trekking, this planning is largely canceled for me. I’m also looking for information about watering holes in the desert and a map of places to buy food, but overall I’m taking a more relaxed approach to the whole thing. I had read on some blog articles how people meticulously prepare for the hike for six months. For example, we also practice setting up tents and completing training hikes. On the other hand, my preparation seems a bit poor, but at least I’m used to running 30km a day with a backpack and know how and where to set up my tent.
Anyone who knows me to some extent also knows that I don’t approach the hike completely unprepared 🙂
What do I do until April 27th??
As some of you may have noticed, I’m still a few weeks away from my PCT start day. Since I wanted to save the 6 months of the visa as much as possible for the hike, I will only fly to San Diego in the USA a few days beforehand and so the question remains what I will do until then.
Since unfortunately (or fortunately) I am not allowed to stay in Germany until my flight due to my international health insurance, I spontaneously chose a short hike in Europe. In order to escape the bad weather here in Germany, I’m going to Portugal soon, where I want to go on the Rota Vicenta (some may know the Fisherman’s Trail), a long-distance hiking trail on the coast of Portugal. I will then use the time there to break in my new hiking boots and, if I can find some time, prepare for the PCT.
I will probably provide more detailed information about the route when I arrive in Portugal and start the hike. I will tell you again about my experiences both in Portugal and on the PCT. So you can expect some reports from me again soon.
If you would like more information about one of the trails, you can either write it in the comments or contact me directly (me@flo-hikes.com or in Whatsapp). Then I may be able to provide you with more information.
Leave a Reply