When people ask me why I hike and I don’t have a short answer

It is a truth universally recognized in He Emigrate that a hiker who wishes to successfully complete the hike must No Being lacking a «why.» The prevailing wisdom is that having an answer to this question will help you persist when things get tough: the weather changes, the days become monotonous, or you miss the comforts of home and civilization. It’s also helpful when someone you’ve told about your plan to walk for several months in a row stares at you in disbelief and asks why you’d sign up for this kind of «fun.»

For me, the “why” behind my 2026 walks on Te Araroa and the Pacific Crest Trail can be broken down into three questions.

Why Thru-Hike?

Over the past two and a half years I have fallen in love with long distance hiking. It began with the Camino del Norte and Primitivo, an experience that turned out not to be as expected. I thought it would be a moment of deep self-reflection on who I was and what I wanted out of life. Instead, I spent virtually no time reflecting on these questions. What I found was an incredibly social experience and proof that I was much more physically and mentally resilient than I gave myself credit for.

Since then I haven’t been able to stop walking. Almost every annual vacation, holiday and weekend off has been spent hiking long trails across or in sections. Each one seems to give me an experience I need at that moment and teach me something new about myself.

On the road, everything comes down to the essentials. My immediate priorities are to navigate, get to shelter for the night, eat and drink enough, and avoid injury. These require a surprising amount of mental energy, leaving little room for anything else. I don’t have the bandwidth to spend overanalyzing something stupid I once said, second-guessing decisions made off-track, or mulling over a problem that needs solving at work. Perspective comes easily when your top priorities are the immediate essentials.

Then, once my brain has adapted to ignoring the unimportant, something changes. There is an expansion and I feel more authentically myself. Immersed in nature, moving at a slow pace and slowly passing through local communities, I become more observant and curious about the world, the landscape, the flora, fauna and the people around me. Hiking is the best form of slow travel and I fear it has ruined my ability to enjoy any other type of vacation. Relax on the beach? I don’t know her.

Why now?

On a purely pragmatic level, I want to tackle these trails while I’m young and fit, and it now turns out that it’s a sensible time in my career to take an extended break. I’ve spent the last two years living in London, and with my visa coming to an end, I have a clear choice: leave now or find another job and hope to negotiate a leave of absence in a few years.

But if I’m honest, the most important reason for “why now” is more personal. I’m in my early thirties and I’m starting to feel like I should put down more permanent roots. However, at least to me, that seems incompatible with hiking these trails. At this moment I have no mortgage, no partner, no children. While none of those things technically preclude a hike, I know myself well enough to understand that leaving these commitments behind for a long vacation would weigh heavily on me.

Sure, I could plan to tackle these paths during my retirement. But life is not guaranteed. An injury, illness, or just bad luck could make hiking impossible for me in the future. At this point in my life I can afford to take a few months to walk deliberately and without restrictions. It is a privilege worth using.

Why Te Araroa and the Pacific Crest Trail?

The PCT has slowly moved from a vague interest to a concrete goal. I had read Wild and a handful of other PCT books while preparing for the Camino, but never seriously considered doing it myself.

Then a friend I met on the Camino recommended Elina Osborne’s PCT YouTube series, which I quickly devoured in one sitting. I got hooked. I became fascinated by the trail in an almost academic way. In my free time I researched the trail and what it takes to complete it, from mental, physical and equipment preparation, to the practical aspects of the trail. I devoured books, audiobooks, podcasts, and blog posts. Little by little I found myself wanting to experience the landscapes, the challenge, the community; all so different to anything I’ve experienced walking in Australia or Europe. “Maybe someday,” I told myself.

But last year I was offered my dream job opportunity. I rejected it. Because accepting it would have meant delaying the PCT for several years. It seemed, without me consciously realizing it, the PCT had become a goal with a timeline.

The decision to increase technical assistance was less premeditated. I had considered it a post-PCT goal, but in late 2025 a confluence of circumstances left me with a few months of free time in early 2026. I could spend them at home not doing much, or I could go on an adventure.

Like the PCT, the main draw for me on the TA is the scenery, along with the trail community and the opportunity to experience New Zealand culture slowly and on foot. Starting late in the SOBO season also has a practical advantage, as the summer temperatures should help me prepare for a late start in the desert on the PCT.

More than that, though, TA now seems like a fitting prelude to the PCT, to a hiking-filled 2026.

What I say to unbelievers

So what do I really say when people look at me like I’ve lost my temper and ask me why I’m doing this?

I usually offer something two-dimensional about the physical challenge or the incredible landscapes that are so different from what I’m used to. It’s easier than trying to explain everything else.

But now that I’ve written it all down, I think I’ll send you this link.

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