Which of the Triple Crown races is the most difficult? 82 hikers give their opinion

doCompleting the Triple Crown of hiking means hiking three of the longest trails in North America: the Appalachian Trail, the Pacific Crest Trail, and the Continental Divide Trail. Most people would consider completing even one of these a once-in-a-lifetime experience, as each requires a significant investment of time and money.

Fewer than 800 registered people have completed all three, a total distance of nearly 8,000 miles. How did they make it possible? We surveyed 82 Triple Crown participants about everything from their favorite of the three trails to how much money they spent in total to what advice they would give to someone hoping to one day finish the Triple Crown.

In this third installment of the Triple Crown Survey, we look at the challenges Triple Crowners faced throughout their journey, which trails they found most difficult, and how they were able to overcome their toughest moments.

How difficult is the Appalachian Trail?

First, we asked Triple Crown hikers to rate how difficult they found the Appalachian Trail on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most difficult.

Most hikers tended to agree that the Appalachian Trail was difficult, with most responses falling into the 5/10 and above group. On average, hikers rated the challenge of the AT a 7.3/10. When asked what made the trail so difficult, one Triple Crowner explained that it was “mentally difficult to almost always walk through ‘the green tunnel.’ I struggled with the permanent heat and humidity, (and) “The trail itself was challenging with little reward as the views were often overgrown.”

Another hiker said, «The AT has sections that are more of an assault course than a trail. In bad weather, the chance of injury is high.»

When we look at all the responses about what made AT so challenging, we see four main themes recurring.

The vast majority of comments about the challenges of the AT came from mental exhaustion from overcrowding and fewer views compared to other trails. Many mentioned the intense heat and humidity as particularly challenging, and surprisingly, people pointed out the physical demands of the AT’s notoriously rugged terrain.

How difficult is the Pacific Crest Trail?

Compared to the Appalachian Trail, Triple Crowners tended to rate the Pacific Crest Trail as much easier. Most responses fell into the range of 5/10 to 7/10, with an average difficulty score of 6.3/10.

One hiker lamented the mental challenge of the trail, saying, “It was to be expected, but the trail was nothing but brush and burn most of the way.” Another noted the technical challenges of hiking in the Sierra: “With a record year of snow, I almost died many times.”

Similarly, when we break down the answers to what made the journey difficult, we see four themes emerge.

The vast majority of comments explaining the difficulties of the PCT focused on trail saturation and the technical snow travel required in California. A handful of Triple Crowners mentioned storms above the treeline, and some also pointed out the mental toll that long burn scars and fire detours can cause.

How difficult is the Continental Divide Trail?

The CDT was rated the most difficult of the hikes among our Triple Crowners, and our respondents gave it, on average, an 8/10 for difficulty. The most common answers given were an 8/10 and above. When asked what made it so difficult, one hiker described: “Longer hauls of food and water, more route finding/building, more logistics in general, more hiking on trails, more elevation changes/steeper grades than expected, more boring terrain in certain areas… (and) unpleasant sources of water.

Another described how, even if the terrain on the CDT isn’t the most physically demanding of the three, the trail’s high consequences can take its toll: «The CDT is by far the most dangerous if you don’t make good decisions. Extremely stressful the entire way.»

When we looked at the things that make the CDT so challenging, the lack of established trails, technical snow travel, dangerous weather, and lack of a social scene on the trail came up. Some hikers also mentioned the logistical challenge of the trail being so remote, including complicated resupply, long hitches, longer water carries, and the lack of trail magic and established support.

Which Triple Crown trail is the most difficult?

When we compare the responses we got from our Triple Crowners, we see that, on average, the PCT is considered the easiest of the three trails, followed by the Appalachian Trail, and finally the Continental Divide Trail as the most difficult of the three.

For all three trails, our hikers tended to identify a fairly even mix of physical and mental challenges when asked what made the trail so difficult. Lack of reward in terms of views, crowds and community support was mentioned on all three trails as mental challenges. Poor trails, snow travel, burn scars, and frightening weather were other difficulties hikers faced on all trails.

However, as one hiker aptly said when asked which trail was the most difficult, «They are all my children and I love them equally.»

Conclusion

That’s all we have for now on the demographics of the Triple Crown, but we have a lot more to discuss! In upcoming articles, we’ll take a look at the Triple Crowners’ favorite team for the Triple Crown, how much it costs to hike all three trails, and much more.

If you have any comments, let us know in the comments! A big thank you to the Triple Crowners who took the time to complete this survey – we couldn’t do it without you.

Cover image: Graphic design by Chris Helm.

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