The Triple Crown of Hiking
AT 2022 PCT 2023 CDT 2024
What is the Triple Crown?
The Triple Crown of Hiking: A Journey Through America's Iconic Trails
For avid hikers and outdoor enthusiasts, the "Triple Crown of Hiking" represents the ultimate challenge and accomplishment in the world of long-distance hiking. This prestigious title refers to completing three of the most famous and demanding hiking trails in the United States: the Appalachian Trail (AT), Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Each of these trails offers unique experiences and challenges, covering diverse landscapes, ranging from dense forests and rugged mountains to arid deserts and alpine meadows.
The Challenge of the Triple Crown
Completing the Triple Crown of Hiking is no small feat. The total combined length of the AT, PCT, and CDT exceeds 8,000 miles, and thru-hiking each trail can take months of preparation, endurance, and mental fortitude. Only a select number of hikers have completed the Triple Crown.
Hiking each of these trails demands different skills, as the terrains vary dramatically. From the muddy, root-filled paths of the Appalachian Trail to the snow-covered peaks of the Pacific Crest Trail and the remote, high-altitude terrain of the Continental Divide Trail, the challenges are many. Most hikers take several years to complete the Triple Crown, often working on section hikes before tackling a full thru-hike of each trail.
I am fortunate to be one of these hikers, completing the trails in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
The realisation of a dream
Reaching the northern terminus of the Continental Divide Trail brought 20 weeks of hiking to a close. I traversed 3100 miles through a diverse range of landscapes and environments, struggling with extreme temperatures and weather conditions.
In this video, you see my final footsteps, and relive a snapshot of my experiences from start to end.
Nothing like this
My time on the Pacific Crest Trail was unforgettable. The challenges I faced were some I had never faced before. Sleeping on snow, crossing raging rivers, the heat of deserts, scorched earth of burnt forests, and more.
This video shows a handful of highlights from my time on this 2655-mile hike, alongside my final hours on the trail.
The start of something epic
It might seem odd to call the end of a 2200-mile expedition, “The start…”, but this was the first of three successive hikes across North America.
As a solo hiker, this was my first time hiking within a group for more than a day. It was a life-changing experience.
This video celebrates the time I spent with my hiking partners and the odds we overcame to complete the trail together.