Outdoor Adventures with Ancient Brit
PCT 2002 - Epilogue
Epilogue
How did I feel at the end of the walk? I wasn’t looking forward to the next few weeks.
On a walk like this days are predictable routine. There is none of the stress and
uncertainty associated with modern living. I still hadn’t organised a flight home and,
once I got home, I would find 6 months post and many jobs I should have done in the
summer to deal with.
Although I had spent a lot of time on my own I had been part of a “family” of thru-
hikers and I would miss this family. I was surprised, but very appreciative of how helpful
and friendly the average American was towards the thru-hikers. Scruffy dirty walkers
don’t always get such a welcome in Britain.
When I started I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had had to give up in the first
week. I learnt a long time ago that if I waited until I was free of pain before taking
physical exercise, I would never take any exercise at all. I had a number of old injuries
that hadn’t really cleared up from the winter. As it turned out the only old injury that
gave significant problems was a shoulder problem, which made carrying the rucksack
uncomfortable at times. I didn’t get any significant foot problems except for soreness to
my Achilles tendons and my knees were a lot stronger at the end when I left home. The
most painful injury was the bruising I got on my hips as I tried to keep weight off my
shoulders. Pain is something any serious athlete has to learn to cope with and at times it
is a matter of “mind over body”.
It is much more important to be mentally strong than physically strong to complete a
walk such as this. Most of the hikers who gave up did so because they couldn’t cope with
the wilderness (heat, cold, rain, snow, discomfort, mosquitoes) or couldn’t manage
without the “luxuries of civilisation” or girlfriends/ boyfriends or family, rather than for
physical reasons.
I haven’t got any firm plans for any more Ultra-long Distance Walks, but I’ve an idea
for a round Britain walk, joining up some of the official Long Distance Walks with local
footpaths, and possibly canoeing sections of canal. In the USA I’ve no enthusiasm for the
Appalachian Trail, which looks as if it lacks variety, but the unfinished Continental
Divide Trail looks attractive.
On the last day “Billy Goat” asked me whether I would do it again. My reply was
“Yes, but not next year. Perhaps in 9 years time to celebrate my 60th birthday!
How did I feel at the end of the walk? I wasn’t looking forward to the next few weeks.
On a walk like this days are predictable routine. There is none of the stress and
uncertainty associated with modern living. I still hadn’t organised a flight home and,
once I got home, I would find 6 months post and many jobs I should have done in the
summer to deal with.
Although I had spent a lot of time on my own I had been part of a “family” of thru-
hikers and I would miss this family. I was surprised, but very appreciative of how helpful
and friendly the average American was towards the thru-hikers. Scruffy dirty walkers
don’t always get such a welcome in Britain.
When I started I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had had to give up in the first
week. I learnt a long time ago that if I waited until I was free of pain before taking
physical exercise, I would never take any exercise at all. I had a number of old injuries
that hadn’t really cleared up from the winter. As it turned out the only old injury that
gave significant problems was a shoulder problem, which made carrying the rucksack
uncomfortable at times. I didn’t get any significant foot problems except for soreness to
my Achilles tendons and my knees were a lot stronger at the end when I left home. The
most painful injury was the bruising I got on my hips as I tried to keep weight off my
shoulders. Pain is something any serious athlete has to learn to cope with and at times it
is a matter of “mind over body”.
It is much more important to be mentally strong than physically strong to complete a
walk such as this. Most of the hikers who gave up did so because they couldn’t cope with
the wilderness (heat, cold, rain, snow, discomfort, mosquitoes) or couldn’t manage
without the “luxuries of civilisation” or girlfriends/ boyfriends or family, rather than for
physical reasons.
I haven’t got any firm plans for any more Ultra-long Distance Walks, but I’ve an idea
for a round Britain walk, joining up some of the official Long Distance Walks with local
footpaths, and possibly canoeing sections of canal. In the USA I’ve no enthusiasm for the
Appalachian Trail, which looks as if it lacks variety, but the unfinished Continental
Divide Trail looks attractive.
On the last day “Billy Goat” asked me whether I would do it again. My reply was
“Yes, but not next year. Perhaps in 9 years time to celebrate my 60th birthday!
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Bighorn Plateau Lake