bootandtrail

[bootandtrail]

As many of you will know, I took on the 2653 mile trail to help raise money for British Blind Sport + my two nephews! • I want to say a HUGE thanks to everyone that has donated...not just because it helped me push north but because of the real contribution it will have to my nephews + BBS 🙌🏼 • Amount raised: British Blind Sport ~ £403 Josh + Andy ~ £1,207 • ***The fundraising site will be closing tomorrow evening so if you would still like to donate you have some time + I will be seeing the boys this weekend and can give you an update from them 😊

[bootandtrail]

It feels a while now since now since trail life and it has been quite the shift into real life...how I miss a one trail mindset! 👣 . When I first had the goal to take on a big adventure before I reach 30 I knew that this would probably be the only time for decades/ever that I would be able to take such a long time out of work with no income or huge responsibilities. I wouldn’t say there was ever going to be a perfect time to do the trail, there were lots of hurdles that could have stopped me but it was so worth it and I am grateful it worked out and for those that supported me! . I decided to go on-trail for a number of reasons, not solely to see how my body would cope with the challenge of a long distance hike but also to block out some real-life noise. On trail there was only one thing to do and that was to head north! 🏔 . My goal when I set off was to be fully immersed in the great & wild outdoors. Take some time away from the endless ‘to do list’ and enjoy the physical benefits of moving all day! • I also had a few future goals to try and think about...I thought I would have lots of time to think about my goals and aspirations but that actually wasn’t the case. There were no huge epiphanies, just lots of small but important realisations! . I have been reunited with my laptop so I will be sharing some writings and photography to share my time on trail and some of my experiences and learnings 🤓 . What’s next? . I am preparing to head out to New Zealand to make the most of the upcoming summer season (and use the working holiday before I hit 30 next year!) I will be returning to work in the outdoors to be amongst some pretty places 🌱 (at Pacific Crest Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/B4AtMakgmej/?igshid=1gw5b624s8wwn

[bootandtrail]

Its been a few days since I completed my biggest adventure to date and as I hiked north I thought it would be fun to record some random statistics...🏔🚶‍♂️📝 • Trail Name: Tootsie (-Toe Knife-) Weight before trail: 95kg (209.4lb) Post trail: 68.5kg (151.2lb) • 2,653 miles...4.4x the length of the UK, 489,418ft in elevation change, 48 Wilderness Areas, 57 major mountain passes ⛰ • Desert miles ~ 702.2 miles/49 days Sierra miles (Kennedy Meadows South to KM North) ~ 314.7 miles/23 days Norcal miles ~ 674.8 miles/30 days Oregon miles ~ 455.8 miles/20 days Washington miles ~ 505.5 miles/22 days • Longest day: 36.9 miles Longest time without a shower: 16 days Earliest wake up routine (bar Mt Whitney all night hike): 4.45am 🏔 Sierra times! Heaviest (known) pack weight: 21kg (47lb) • 🐍 Snake count - 15...(7 rattle snakes) 🐻 Bear sightings: 1...(x2 bears in campsite but just the noise and running of the bear, did not see them 😰) 🐾 Mountain lion: 1 🦌 Elk: 0.1 ~ seen in Washington whilst eating brekkie from high cliff into the valley 🐕 Coyote: 1 🐿 Pikas, chipmunks, marmots • Attacks by flying stinging creatures: total 12 (x2 arse, x3 in boot, x1 eyebag, x4 through socks on achillies, x1 calf, x1 wrist) 1 dead big toe nail (held on to the end despite worrying of infection in the final 3 weeks 👏🏻) Rolled/cracked ankles: 3 • Never, EVER again food: mac & cheese, instant mash potato Longest food carry: 9 days Pairs of shoes: 3.5 pairs (1x boots lasting 2000 miles 👌🏼) • I couldn’t have completed the hike without the support from all my family & friends. The list is long of those that have helped and it made my journey a great one! • It’s been a blast and I will continue to feel a bit lost for a while but I know that adventure and nature while always have a place for me to play & push my limits. Dayum, I’m excited for what the future has lined up! 🌎🏔🥾 (at Pacific Crest Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3Tg3JeARnw/?igshid=172y90vlyauhc

[bootandtrail]

Halfway Milemarker Reflections ~ Pacific Crest Trail (Challenge 2650)

Some of you may have seen or read bits about my journey so far on other media platforms which, admittedly hasn't been updated as often as hoped due to the craziness of trail life. Initially, I was recording videos and stitching them together so family and friends could have a visual journey of the trail and the environments I was travelling through. Unfortunately after a few weeks it became difficult to keep up with the software lapses and the time that I actually had spare in towns amongst setting up for the next stretch. This meant I fell behind hugely on keeping you all up to date on my hike. It is not to say I won't stitch them together in future...I will. But for the remainder of the trail I will share my journey through my blog and photography. You can check out more through my instagram ~ @bootandtrail

It has now been 3 months since starting this adventure of a lifetime and it is safe to say that it has been a mixture of all things from environments to emotions since setting out from the Mexican border over 90 days ago. I have experienced a number of feelings and have had to use lots of mental strategies as I regularly tackle tiredness, fatigue and hiker hunger. Despite the body being sometimes a little angry, I know the reasons why I am taking on this personal challenge and I am pretty determined to step over the border into Canadian land following all the effort pre-trail and up to now.

The seed to search for a big adventure was planted a few years ago when I gave myself the goal to do a big adventure pre-30. The last few years have been a bit of a blur but I have been lucky enough to squeeze the big adventure into my 29th year!

Since I was 21 I have spent time working in the outdoor and travel industry, this has more then anything developed my lust to see more, do more and enjoy getting out there to try something new.

For the most part I have lived a fairly cheap life with priorities sometimes in the wrong places but I have been surrounded by like-minded people who also thrive off an adventure big or small. When I hit 25 I had the modern day dilemma of 'it's time to settle down', get a 'proper' job (whatever that is) and establish myself into society a little more. However, after only a few years it became clear that stress and time was really consumed by work and that my lifestyle wasn't quite what I pictured with time being spent in wrong places and not with those I really cared about. I was working excessive hours every week and always had something on my ever lengthening to do list.

It came to a point where my health was taking a battering and all I could think about was being in the outdoors to recuperate. This time last year I was having blood tests due to my constant tiredness which got to me mentally and physically. I had put on weight and was struggling to loose it despite trying to train when I had the time. After having a fairly active lifestyle from a short stint in the Royal Marines at 19 and then leading outdoor journeys until I was 25 it just didn't feel right that my body felt like it was 10 years older then my actual age.

It was clear that although I enjoyed the atmosphere of the company I worked for, I needed to get back outside to get my outdoor fix. I needed a challenge, one that would make me feel alive and healthy as someone in my twenties should.

I first saw my friend do this very cool hike in 2016, I had never heard of the PCT at this point or known that such long trails existed (despite working in the outdoors). His story and pictures had inspired me to dream and I knew that one day I had to take on a similar journey.

After reading a little more about the trail it sounded pretty epic.

1. A border to border hike...pretty cool!

2. Mountains...I am a big fan of all things mountain landscape!

3. Desert...I had never really been to or hiked in a desert. My kryptonite is the heat, this would be my challenge and one of my biggest concerns (the other being meeting a bear or mountain lion).

4. And lastly it's a pretty sociable hike...thousands apply to do it every year (there is a low completion rate but still many make it through!) I had worked remotely for 3 years and hadn't managed to create many friendships due to having little time so I was sold!

It was time to start the mental cogs moving and slowly begin to commit which probably started with investing £30 into an app that provides a map of the whole route. Then deciding which year I would be standing on the border. There were a lot of questions but mainly my head was filled with apprehension and excitement.

The planning took a lot of effort, lots of reading, printing, applying, confusion in permits and visas and resupplies and gear...on top of this I decided to meet Abbe in Vietnam for 6 months before heading to California which in theory would be easier to work and save and give me more time to plan. Things didn't all go to plan in Vietnam but the main thing was that I had a start date and I would be standing at the Southern Terminus on my permit start date.

I am now over 90 days in to the thruhike and yesterday I made it past the halfway marker (1,325 miles). The next half of this journey will be the some of the hardest as I now have to do the same distance that I did in 3 months in around a third of the time. It will be a marathon a day but I am excited for every day that is about to come. Each day has been different, each checkpoint gives a new, refreshing rush of adrenaline to get to the next and it is pretty great fuel. It isn't a race but it is a question of beating the turn of the weather in Washington and I plan to keep you updated as I progress over the next two months.

🗺 Next checkpoint: Cali/Oregon border - mile 1691.7 (360.6 miles to go!)

Thanks for taking the time to read and if you have any comments or questions about the trail then do just drop me an email or comment below. 😁

[bootandtrail]

Getting into camp and having some time to take in the stars and mountain silhouettes after cooking dinner 🏔🌵⛺️ • First time playing with the long exposure on my @sonyalpha, didn't get my tripod out this time but plenty of time to enjoy more shots along the Trail 📷 • #pct2019 #pct #hike #thruhike #exploremore #getoutside #findyouradventure #nightphotography #stars #camping #sonyalpha (at Eagle Rock Warner Springs) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5RhrqgPUO/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1n87wokrlofgp

#pct2019 #pct #hike #thruhike #exploremore #getoutside #findyouradventure #nightphotography #stars #camping #sonyalpha

[bootandtrail]

Days on the trail have started to merge + my body has really started to adjust to long daily hiking hours. Joints and muscles that haven't been used for years have been shaken up with each day bringing a different ache. 7 days in I am now feeling stronger in the legs and mind as I get used to trail life. I am now managing to take in more of the surroundings and enjoy taking in the journey as I make my way north 🏔🌵⛺️ • Photos from day 4 climbing out of Penny Pines on the first 18 mile waterless stretch camping at mile 66 on a ridge surrounded by wild desert flowers 🤙 • #pct2019 #hike #pacificcresttrail #exploremore #getoutside #findyouradventure #thruhikesyndicate #sonyalpha (at Pacific Crest Trail) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5P7K2AfmB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=jm97p4vpl68d

#pct2019 #hike #pacificcresttrail #exploremore #getoutside #findyouradventure #thruhikesyndicate #sonyalpha

[bootandtrail]

It's been a week since starting the Pacific Crest Trail, a trail that climbs 2650 miles through the western states from Mexico to Canada. Here are some shots from the Southern Terminus that lies next to the Mexican border! • Day 1 ~ mile 0 • #pct2019 #exploremore #hiking #thruhikesyndicate #thruhike #findyouradventure #getoutside #sonyalpha (at Campo, California) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bw5Ndn3gBtU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=hkq00jawin57

#pct2019 #exploremore #hiking #thruhikesyndicate #thruhike #findyouradventure #getoutside #sonyalpha

[bootandtrail]

Last month I met 'Grandma' whilst cycling through some small island communities along the Mekong Delta in Southern Vietnam! 🌾 🚣‍♂️ 🚲 • #vietnam #travel #findyouradventure #adventureculture #explore #community #mekong #traditions #culture (at Mekong River, Cai Be (Delta)) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwUpNVHFPrb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1m9xh5fi98ur1

#vietnam #travel #findyouradventure #adventureculture #explore #community #mekong #traditions #culture

[bootandtrail]

One of the many beautiful horizons I've come across whilst living in Northern Vietnam...a must see, even if rain is coming! ⚓️ 🎣 🐙 • #vietnam #halongbay #boat #horizons #sunset #travel #findyouradventure #adventureculture #explore (at Halong Bay, Vietnam) https://www.instagram.com/p/BwR_1IylNQ4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=15teqhfgiwq1b

#vietnam #halongbay #boat #horizons #sunset #travel #findyouradventure #adventureculture #explore

[bootandtrail]

So I have been working on some updates over the months and the first obvious one is the name. It pretty much came down to its uniqueness and I liked the ring to it summing up what I love doing and what I am about to undertake over the next 7 months 🥾⛺️🏔 • Boot + Trail will be my central hub in which I will share my travel and nature photography. Inspired through many UK mountain days over the years and my love of getting outside 🗺 • I created this page to share my adventures as I prepare to thru-hike 2660-ish miles along the Pacific Crest Trail in less then 29 days! • Check out why I decided to take on the trail and the chosen cause close to my heart...my nephew, Josh and British Blind Sport. Donations can be made through my website in bio 💻 • #adventure #getoutside #explorecreateinspire #exploremore #natureinspired #timetoplay #findyouradventure #adventureculture #wilderness #lifeofadventure #thejourney #pacificcresttrail https://www.instagram.com/p/BvPWjzYH6NI/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=w8kizx56moui

#adventure #getoutside #explorecreateinspire #exploremore #natureinspired #timetoplay #findyouradventure #adventureculture #wilderness #lifeofadventure #thejourney #pacificcresttrail

[bootandtrail]

Driving through the Scottish highlands to get to the camp spot never disappoints ⛰ ... ✍️ I recently did an interview for @bex_band about my journey to getting the Mountain Leaders Award (+9 other folks)...grab a quick coffee and check my bio for the link and check out Bex's blog ☕️ 👌 ... #visitscotland #highlands #naturephotography #colours #naturephotography #naturalbeauty #roadtrip #mountains #landscape #canon #canonphotography #getoutside #exploremore #explorecreateinspire #mountainleader #mountaintrainingassociation (at Scottish Highlands) https://www.instagram.com/p/BplvxLUl7Pc/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=175chj6cp13xx

#visitscotland #highlands #naturephotography #colours #naturalbeauty #roadtrip #mountains #landscape #canon #canonphotography #getoutside #exploremore #explorecreateinspire #mountainleader #mountaintrainingassociation

[bootandtrail]

Sunrise and fresh snow over the Annapurna! ❄️ 🏔 🙌 📍 Poon Hill (3,210m), Nepal • #naturalbeauty #naturephotography #canon #canonuk #bluesky #mountainlife #visitnepal #nepal (at Ghorepani) https://www.instagram.com/p/BpGgGCeBhBY/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1tc16i2rhjfov

#naturalbeauty #naturephotography #canon #canonuk #bluesky #mountainlife #visitnepal #nepal

[bootandtrail]

So much colour on the island! 🏝 📍 Gili, Indonesia • #neverstopexploring #canonphotography #canon #naturephotography #colour #flowers #island #indonesia (at Gili Trawangan) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bovzqt-h3jm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1oarka96d0mbx

#neverstopexploring #canonphotography #canon #naturephotography #colour #flowers #island #indonesia

[bootandtrail]

Switching up the autumn season for the tropical, humid kind of weather! 🍁🍂 📍Nara, Japan #neverstopexploring #canonphotography #travelphotography #naturephotography (at Nara, Nara) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoYjUcSHWs3/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1r716covkqof

#neverstopexploring #canonphotography #travelphotography #naturephotography

[bootandtrail]

The beauty of Japan is not just in the nature but also in their culture! 🙌 • 🇯🇵 • 🌸 •🗼 📍Kyoto, Japan #thetravellife #neverstopexploring #canonphotography (at Kyoto, Japan) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoXfwx-HRUL/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1g6dkormxgt2i

#thetravellife #neverstopexploring #canonphotography

[bootandtrail]

Welcome to my instagram account...my website will be live soon so you can follow my journey through the lens of my Canon and GoPro! 🎬 ✈️ 🌏 📷 #getoutside #neverstopexploring (at Ghorepani) https://www.instagram.com/p/BoXcig_nWlF/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=lu05n8zv3yds

#getoutside #neverstopexploring

[bootandtrail]

Some travel quotes that are worth a read...

www.roughguides.com/gallery/50-inspirational-travel-quotes