01Himalayas · High route
Great Himalaya Trail
1,700 kmAbout 150 days
High, cold, wildly beautiful and a little hardcore. Exactly the sort of unreasonable idea that refuses to go away.
The Great Himalaya Trail is a route across the Himalayas from east to west. The original concept of the trail was to establish a single long distance trekking trail from the east end to the west end of Nepal that includes a total of roughly 1,700 kilometres (1,100 mi) of path.
There is a proposed trail of more than 4,500 kilometres (2,800 mi) stretching the length of the Greater Himalaya range from Nanga Parbat in Pakistan to Namche Barwa in Tibet, thus passing through India, Nepal, Bhutan and Tibet.
Although an actual continuous route is currently only a concept, if completed it would be the longest and highest alpine hiking track in the world.
I am really intrigued by this trail, as it seems a little hardcore, it has a lot of altitude, it is probably cold and it looks absolutely beautiful, so great opportunity for some amazing pictures 🙂
I haven’t really researched it yet, but for some reason it usually takes around 150 days, which seems quite crazy, taking into consideration that it is “only” 1,700 kilometers (1,056 miles).
But I will have to look into that, there is probably some logical reason 🙂
Atlantic → Mediterranean
Pyrenean Haute Route
800 kmRoughly one month
Big mountain scenery, small remote towns and just short enough to fit inside actual vacation time. I’m sold.
The Pyrenean Haute Route (or HRP for short) is like a spectacular 800 km adventure through Europe’s most stunning mountain range. Starting from the Atlantic and ending at the Mediterranean, it weaves in and out of Spain and France, following the natural boundary and taking you on a rollercoaster ride of ups and downs.
This is a trail I really wanna do as it is possible to hike it in about a month so I can do it by just using my vacation time.
The scenery looks amazing and hiking in the mountains just have a magical feeling when you look out over the landscape beneath. And hiking through those small remote towns sounds so nice and calm. I’m sold 😉
France · Italy · Switzerland
Tour du Mont Blanc
170 kmHigh-alpine loop
Glaciers, huge passes and refuge dinners. A proper suffer-hike, only with a bed, wine and dessert at the end of the day.
Tour du Mont Blanc (TMB) is a 170 km / ~105 mile loop around the Mont Blanc massif through France, Italy, and Switzerland.
It’s constant high-alpine scenery: glaciers, cliffs, waterfalls, huge valleys, zero boring forest miles.
You spend most days climbing up and over big passes, then dropping into the next country. Legs on fire, brain happy.
It’s not a casual stroll — the elevation gain is real — but the payoff views are ridiculous every single day.
This is basically the opposite of the Appalachian Trail “green tunnel problem.” You’re above treeline a lot, and you can see for miles.
Another bonus: you can stay in mountain refuges, eat real hot food, and sleep in a bed instead of a damp tent.
So you still get a proper suffer-hike, just with wine and dessert.
The vibe is: work hard all day, then sit under Mont Blanc at sunset and feel smug.
It’s also super doable as a one-shot trip, not a multi-month thru.
For me, it’s on the dream list because it’s pure alpine drama with no filler miles.
Southern Appalachians
Benton MacKaye Trail
288 milesThe controlled experiment
A quieter test of East Coast hiking: real climbs and isolation without committing to the full Appalachian Trail circus.
The Benton MacKaye Trail is basically my controlled experiment in “Do I actually hate East Coast hiking, or do I just hate the Appalachian Trail?”
I’ve complained — loudly — about the AT: the nonstop rain, the conga line of hikers, the crowded shelters, the mud, and most of all the endless “green tunnel” with almost no views. I don’t hike to stare at wet leaves for 2,000 miles.
The BMT starts in the same place (Springer Mountain, Georgia) and lives in that same Southern Appalachian world of rhododendron, hardwood forest, mist, and humidity… but it does it differently. It’s quieter. Way quieter. You’re not packed in with thirty people at every tent spot trading ramen hacks. You can actually hike all day without seeing anyone.
It’s still mostly forest and ridgeline walking — so yes, a lot of “corridor of trees” instead of big western-style open ridgelines — but that’s kind of the point for me. The Benton MacKaye Trail lets me test that environment in a smaller, 288-mile hit: real climbs, real weather, real isolation, but without committing to the full AT circus.
If I end up loving the BMT, maybe there’s a version of “eastern hiking” I can make peace with. If I hate it, cool, data confirmed: put me back in the desert and give me my views.
Georgia → Maine
Appalachian Trail
2,200 milesThe Triple Crown question
Rain, crowds and thousands of miles of trees are not exactly my dream hike. But finishing the Triple Crown keeps the door slightly open.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail, generally known as the Appalachian Trail or simply the A.T., is a marked hiking trail in the Eastern United States extending between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine. The trail is about 2,200 miles (3,500 km) long, though the exact length changes over time as parts are rerouted or modified.
The Appalachian Trail Conservancy describes the Appalachian Trail as the longest hiking-only trail in the world.
I would love to get my Triple Crown (you get that title by thru-hiking The Pacific Crest Trail, The Continental Divide Trail and The Appalachian Trail).
That means that I need to hike the Appalachian trail as well 🙂
Even though it is the least interesting trail of the three (at least in my opinion as I don’t really find hiking in woods especially interesting), I think it might be an awesome experience because of the social aspect of the trail, and because all the trail towns seem to have really integrated with the whole trail culture.
Only time will tell if I manage — it will probably take me another year to save up the money, so before I am ready it will be 2030 🙂 but it’s always good to have something to look forward to.
It will probably NEVER happen! 🙂 Rain, 10000s of people, and nothing but trees is not my idea of a good hike. But some day I might be out of trails to hike, and then — who knows 🙂
Victoria → Australian Capital Territory
Australian Alps Walking Track
655 kmAlpine parks and remote high country
A long line through Australia’s alpine landscapes, over major peaks and across the Bogong High Plains and Main Range.
The Australian Alps Walking Track (AAWT) is an incredible 655km long-distance walking trail that spans across the majestic alpine regions of Victoria, New South Wales, and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Prepare to embark on an unforgettable adventure, starting from the charming town of Walhalla in Victoria, all the way to the picturesque Tharwa near Canberra.
Immerse yourself in the breathtaking beauty of Australian national parks, including the renowned Alpine National Park and the dazzling Kosciuszko National Park. Along the AAWT, you will conquer exhilarating peaks such as Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Bogong, and Bimberi Peak, each offering awe-inspiring vistas and unforgettable accomplishments. Traverse the vast and awe-inspiring landscapes of the Victorian Bogong High Plains and the Main Range in New South Wales, where the sheer beauty of the surroundings will leave you speechless.
Embark on this extraordinary journey along the Australian Alps Walking Track and unlock a world of natural wonders and exhilarating challenges that will fill your heart with joy and your spirit with optimism. Let the AAWT be your guide to new heights, both literally and metaphorically.
Tennessee → Kentucky
Sheltowee Trace Trail
343 milesRidges, gorges and old forest
A quieter path through cliffs, protected forest, former settlements and the complicated overlap between wilderness and working land.
The mesmerizing Sheltowee Trace Trail awaits, calling adventurers to embark on an exhilarating journey spanning an astounding 343 miles (552.00 km). Picture yourself setting off from the enchanting Burnt Mill Bridge Trail Head in the heart of the magnificent Big South Fork National River and Recreation Area in Tennessee. As you venture forth, the trail will accompany you, weaving its way through breathtaking landscapes, until you reach the northern landscapes of Rowan County, Kentucky.
Prepare to be captivated as you traverse majestic ridges, meandering through narrow paths and delving into awe-inspiring gorges embraced by towering cliffs. Along the trail, glimpses of history await, revealing vestiges of past settlements, oil and gas wells, and the legacies of the logging industry. The trail also leads you across private lands, immersing you in the coexistence of nature and human habitation. Embrace the wonders of this extraordinary pathway, as it guides you through alternating stretches of tranquil solitude and vibrant intersections with road corridors between tracts of protected national forest land.
Indulge your adventurous spirit, for the Sheltowee Trace Trail calls upon your heart to embark on an unforgettable odyssey where nature’s symphony shall guide your every step.
Grövelsjön → Treriksröset
Gröna Bandet
1,300–1,400 kmTwo to three months
Sweden’s self-navigated Green Ribbon: choose your own line through fjäll, plateaus, remote valleys and national parks, hit the required waymarks and keep the whole journey human-powered.
The Gröna Bandet — literally the Green Ribbon — is Sweden’s ultimate self-powered mountain traverse: a roughly 1,300–1,400 km long-distance hike that threads the length of the Scandinavian mountain range from Grövelsjön in the south to the tripoint of Treriksröset on the Swedish/Norwegian/Finnish border, or vice versa. Rather than a fixed trail, it’s a self-navigated challenge — hikers choose their own route through wild fjäll, high plateaus, remote valleys and national parks, as long as they hit certain waymarks and stay non-motorized. It’s a commitment of two to three months of backcountry travel, demanding self-sufficiency, resilient planning, and grit, with resupplies and cabins dotted along the way. The vibe? Think big Swedish wilderness, total freedom of route choice, and a lifetime’s worth of mountain days all in one epic journey.
New Zealand · North → South
Te Araroa
3,000 kmA full-country adventure
Beaches, forests, mountains, farmland, rivers, mud and road walks. Messy, beautiful and rough around the edges - the kind of trail where the hard parts become half the story.
Te Araroa feels like the kind of trail that could hit the same nerve as the CDT and PCT, but in a completely different way.
At around 3,000 km, it crosses New Zealand from top to bottom, which already makes it feel like a proper full-country adventure. I loved the CDT for its wildness, rough edges, big landscapes, and the feeling that the trail was not always interested in making life easy. I loved the PCT for its scale, rhythm, mountain beauty, and the way it pulls you through huge changes in terrain. Te Araroa seems to have a bit of both, but with its own strange New Zealand flavor: beaches, forests, mountains, farmland, river crossings, mud, road walks, and weather that probably has a personal grudge.
It does not look as polished as the PCT, and it does not look quite like the CDT either. That is part of the appeal. It looks messy, beautiful, varied, frustrating, and unforgettable. The kind of trail where the hard parts become half the story.
After loving the CDT and PCT, Te Araroa feels like the next big adventure that could surprise me in all the right ways.
Canadian Rockies · Waterton → Kakwa
Great Divide Trail
1,095 kmThe wild northern sequel
The CDT’s colder, steeper and wetter continuation north: remote passes, glaciers, serious river crossings and enough route-finding to keep things “why is everything wet?” spicy.
The Great Divide Trail sounds like the Canadian Rockies took the best parts of the CDT, made them colder, steeper, wetter, more remote, and then quietly removed most of the safety rails.
At around 1,095 km / 680 miles, the GDT runs through the Canadian Rockies from Waterton Lakes National Park at the Canada-US border to Kakwa Provincial Park, crossing the Continental Divide more than 30 times. It even starts where the CDT reaches Canada, which makes it feel like the wild northern sequel to a trail that already means a lot to me.
What draws me in is the same rough, high-country energy that made the CDT so memorable: huge mountain spaces, remote passes, unpredictable weather, and that constant feeling that the landscape is not there to make things convenient. The GDT seems to push even deeper into that world, with more glaciers, bigger Canadian wilderness vibes, serious river crossings, and enough route-finding to keep things spicy. Not stupid spicy. Probably “why is everything wet?” spicy.
Compared to the PCT, it does not seem like a smooth, flowing long-distance trail with a strong rhythm. It looks more rugged, more demanding, and less forgiving. But that is exactly why it is interesting. The GDT feels like the kind of trail where every section has teeth, every view is earned, and the hard parts are not a bug. They are the whole bloody point.
After the CDT and PCT, the Great Divide Trail feels like the next logical step north: shorter in distance, but absolutely not smaller in adventure.
