Nero at Vermillion Valley Resort. Mosquitoes continue to make themselves known. Headnet a necessity. VVR is a compelling resort, in hiker terms a vortex. They setup a tab for you, pay at end. Meals are $19-24 which is pricey. I had 4, and haven’t eaten so well since I left England. I chose to walk Continue reading

Reached Seldon Pass after a 3000ft climb, my body complaining from the rigours of last two days. Thunder clouds built overhead, I raced to get over. Greeted by the most splendid view on the other side; the clouds seemed benign; I found a sun-warmed sloping granite slab and stretched out my back; listening to Closer Continue reading

Cross that river or Skurka over the top route? I thought yesterday was my toughest day; how wrong I was. Arriving at the creek before that river I looked in dismay at what seemed to me an in-crossable torrent of water. Others were doing so, both Nobo PCTers and Sobo JMTers, men and women, taller Continue reading

A mega day across Muir Pass – 3200ft of ascent then descent including plugging away across 3.5 miles of snowfields. Snowfields from late morning onwards are a slush-fest following boot track in an unfamiliar gait of length and tightrope foot positioning. Exhausting work. I stopped at the first tent site I found and collapsed into Continue reading

I take a nero in Bishop. The motel I was planning to stay at is getting bad vibes from hikers milling around outside. I divert to another one. My first motel experience. I can’t work out how to lock the door so jam a chair under the handle. Yesterday before the hitch in I stopped Continue reading

I bumped into two hikers I’d started on same day as. Lucy and James. Both big milers who I’d only caught up with by skipping 230 desert miles. After my experience of Whitney I’ve decided to skip the next three passes. Vertigo isn’t pleasant when you vomit from uncontrollable fear! I come off the PCT Continue reading

Up and over Forester Pass. Used microspikes for 15 minutes to get to rock again. Ice axe not drawn – the snow was so slushy there was no crust for it to dig into if I fell and slid down. Hands and feet would’ve been enough to arrest my slide. Videos of Beans and SnackDaddy Continue reading

I feel much better today – no quitting for me! I’ve decided I’m still happy to skip sections which I’m not comfortable with, after all I’m doing this only for myself. For the next ~200 miles the PCT runs on the same trail as the John Muir Trail (JMT). The JMT runs between Yosemite Valley Continue reading

Today I did my Whitney attempt – a popular side quest to gain the highest point in lower 48 states. I’d had 2 hours sleep. Up at 0.30am, out at 1am. 4000ft to climb in 8 miles. At 5 miles, 12700ft with 1700ft to go I stupidly, literally stared into the abyss with my head Continue reading

Sounds of the trail I’ve heard over last 7 weeks:- Too late start today while I waited for my shared lift back to trail from Lone Pone. The perceived 9am start turned into 11am. This caused problems later on. 20 miles done hiking into the night until 9pm. I set up my tent on a Continue reading