The “thru” in thru hiking means “through”. A thru hike involves hiking an established long-distance trail end-to-end without major breaks. And this long-distance hiking trail can even cover several thousand kilometres! This type of long-distance hiking requires some real commitment. Come what may! If you accept this challenge, you can experience unbelievable beauty but you will also most likely be taken to your personal limits.
But before lacing up our hiking boots, let’s get an overview from the comfort of our sofa first.
Attempts at a definition
There are various definitions of “real” thru hiking, and the transitions to the “neighbouring disciplines” of long-distance walking and trekking are fluid. And the many different ways of spelling thru hike (thru-hike, thruhike, thruhiking, thru-hiking…) are used quite freely without following a precise system.
Thru hiking generally means completing a long-distance hiking trail from start to finish without noteworthy interruptions, in one go and in a single season. Based on the extreme length of some of these trails, this type of journey can take several months. Long sections in high mountains may even require a certain speed because the time without snow coverage could be limited. A famous example is the Continental Divide Trail which covers around 5,000 km between Canada and Mexico at a height of more than 4,000 metres, crossing crests, summits and ridges.
The motivation behind such an adventure is different for each long-distance hiker. Depending on personal background, it may be the desire for physical and mental challenges, for freedom and adventure, for self-sufficiency and independence, for the beauty of the wilderness and for the connection with nature. Some seek solitude and want to find themselves, others want to connect and grow with a community of fellow hikers. Others, again, are not sure where their motivation comes from. They may either find out during the journey or are likely to give up before the end.
How difficult is thru hiking?
In addition to physical endurance, requirements primarily include mental strength and excellent motivation. Your love of nature should also be strong enough that it doesn’t fade after two days of rain.
The purely physical prerequisites are not superhuman: major thru hikes are also conquered by older adventurers who have never been particularly athletic. Plus, physical endurance, power and resilience can still be increased over the course of the trip, sometimes significantly.
However, most thru hikers are fitter than the average hiker. Starting from scratch without any training will be unlikely to lead to success. Those new to long-distance walking do exist on these major trails but they rarely manage to finish. In addition to experience and fitness, successful thru hikers are characterised by a great deal of passion and enthusiasm.
These mental qualities that could be summarised as “will power” and “commitment” are the key to completing a major thru hike. They must be maintained for several weeks, if not months.
Depending on the region and climate, long-distance hiking trails feature a wide range of risks which may seem insignificant where statistics are concerned, but which must not be ignored. They include heat and cold, snakes and bears as well as torrential rivers and forest fires. In this context, it’s important to find a healthy balance between not driving yourself crazy and being prepared for everything.
It’s easiest to react to unexpected challenges from this middle ground. This may be the case if, on the Appalachian Trail for example, it’s not bears that represent the biggest animal challenge but different, sometimes cute and cuddly-looking creatures. More on this subject in the humorous and eye-opening article 7-harsh-realities-of-thru-hiking-that-caught-me-off-guard.
But isn’t this just long-distance hiking?
Strictly speaking, thru hikers don’t do anything different compared with long-distance hikers. Both hike along a defined, generally well-known long-distance trail. However, thru hikers prefer to take the long, tough and remote paths that are characterised by deprivation. The performance aspect and its documentation with section lengths, times, facts and figures as well as how they compare plays a greater role than in other types of hillwalking.
A long-distance walk only counts as a thru hike when breaks taken and potential interruptions are not too extensive. There isn’t really a set of rules carved in stone that specifies exactly how many days are acceptable to recover and heal from bruises. In the world of thru hiking, there are “hardliners” and “liberals”, too. They have different benchmarks for recognising achievements.
Based on stricter requirements and conditions, thru hiking may provide a more intense personal experience than “conventional” long-distance walking. When hiking several thousand kilometres through the Rockies, the spiritual potential will be different compared with a nice walk of 200 km through the Alps. Of course, a subjective experience can never be generalised, and even the longest thru hike is no guarantee of profound enlightenment. But the probability is much higher than with smaller challenges.
The backpack for a thru hike is not necessarily bigger, even if you will be camping much more often than on a classic long-distance walk where accommodation frequently includes hostels and huts. Over time, many thru hikers will reduce their luggage and will develop impressive efficiency and finesse.
Differences compared with hillwalking
Other special features that primarily distinguish North American thru hiking from all other hiking and outdoor disciplines include the trail names which are given to many thru hikers on a trip and which will then spread. You may become known as “Snake Dancer” if you accidentally stepped on a rattle snake. The “Trail Angels” are also an American thru hike tradition. These voluntary helpers provide water to thru hikers, look after parcels for them or offer food and lodgings. They often don’t even expect anything in return, apart from a small donation perhaps.
In the US, the outdoor genre of thru hiking has its own history, scene and celebrities, some are known all over the world. In 1977, for example, Astrid Lindgren hiked the Pacific Crest Trail at the age of 70.
The three major North American Triple Crown Trails (Pacific Crest, Continental Divide and Appalachian Trail) are therefore the best known and most frequented thru hikes in the world. There are usually several thousands of people attempting these hikes annually. The number of finishers is much lower: according to estimates from the local thru hike associations around a few hundred. But this tendency is rising, thanks to ever improving information and planning options.
In Europe, thru hiking has only become known quite recently, which is why there is no systematic monitoring by clubs and associations. It’s therefore almost impossible to say how many thru hikers are tackling which European long-distance hiking trails.
Is it a fad?
Even though there are increasing numbers of articles and videos as well as the occasional movie, thru hiking is a naturally growing sport, rather than a short-lived and “pushed” marketing trend. There are more and more thru hikers who share their experiences with a growing audience via social media. This, in turn, yields new thru hikers. But the audience and therefore “market volume” is probably too small to be regarded as an artificially inflated hype.
Which trails are there and what makes them a thru hike?
Between North Cape and Cape Horn, there are hiking trails all over the world that can be conquered in the style of thru hiking. The website Thru-Hiking.com provides an overview sorted by continent of major and minor, well-known and lesser known trails. It also features an online community, equipment tips, training instructions and many other details that are useful for planning and completing major long-distance hiking trails.
Well-known long-distance trails
Let’s have a brief look at the most popular thru hikes in the world:
The Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) covers 2,663 km from the Mexican to the Canadian border through the US. It follows the main crests of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade Range, featuring all kinds of landscapes including desert, mountains, forests and lakes.
The Continental Divide Trail (CDT) covers 4,873 km. It also leads from the Mexican to the Canadian border through the US. It follows the Continental Divide, which separates the watersheds that drain into the Pacific Ocean from those river systems that drain into the Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. This trail is very challenging and should not be attempted by beginners as their first adventure.
The Appalachian Trail (AT) is 3,500 km long, crossing the Appalachians. It is usually conquered from the Southwest (Springer Mountain, Georgia) to the Northeast (Mount Katahdin, Maine). It is the oldest and best known long-distance hiking trail in the United States.
The three trails mentioned form the great “National Scenic Trails” of the US. They’re probably the most popular destinations globally for thru hikers. Those who complete all three of them, are awarded the “Triple Crown of Hiking”. This is a distinction awarded by the American Long-Distance Hiking Association – West (ALDHA-West) every year in autumn. According to Wikipedia, 665 thru hikers were awarded the Triple Crown by ALDHA-West between 1994 and the end of the application period in 2023.
Thru hikes in Europe
Europe doesn’t have such great distances and therefore hardly any “official” thru hikes of thousands of kilometres. If you ask Google for “thru hikes in Europe”, the search engine will suggest trips like the Laugavegur Trail in Iceland or GR-20 on Corsica. They may be excellent trips but as a classic trek, they’re too short to count in the thru hike category.
Those who look for great distances and wilderness according to American tradition will find their luck high up in the North with trails like the Kungsleden in Sweden, covering 450 km.
Long-distance trails in Europe
These traditional European trails are known as long-distance walks, covering from several hundred to a maximum of 1,000 km. However, you can turn them into a thru hike by setting ambitious goals and then completing them in one go. As an alternative, you can combine trails and sections and declare them as a thru hike. You can, for example, hike from Germany via different Ways of St. James to Spain. When arriving in Santiago de Compostela, you’ll have easily covered 2,000 km.
You can compose a journey on foot to Bella Italia in the same way. You can, for example, combine crossing the Alps with the Way of St. Francis leading from Florence to Rome. Plus, you can aim for Greece as a thru hike by combining the Salzburg-Triest Alpine crossing with the Via Dinarica. This leads from Slovenia through the Dinaric Alps down the Balkans. It’s not very well known yet so it has the potential for adventure and discovery.
On paper, there are several “European long-distance hiking trails” that cross the continent via the longest possible paths, racking up huge numbers of kilometres. The most extreme example is the “E4”. This covers an enormous 10,450 km from Gibraltar via Portugal, France, Italy, former Yugoslavia, Albania and Greece to Cyprus. However, these “E trails” are just signposted in some sections and only recognisable as such in ideal cases. They largely consist of combinations of many regional hiking trails.
From the North Sea to the Allgäu: the German thru hike
With the “North-South Trail”, Germany also has its own “official” thru hike. Covering 3,620 km, this trail leads from the most northern point on Sylt to the most southern point, the Haldenwanger Eck. Click here for all related information.
Tips and tricks for beginners
Being willing to prepare and plan thoroughly and conscientiously is part of the specific requirements of thru hiking – even if some things will have to be changed or abandoned along the way. Popular thru hikes often require permits that are granted in limited numbers and that must be applied for in time. In the Canadian Rocky Mountains, you may need to apply for a space on a campsite for a precise date well in advance.
Depending on personal biography and financial background, a significantly higher willingness to take risks may be required than on a “normal” trip. This is because the travel expenses may be compounded by a lack of income for several months.
Equipment
The clever composition of reliable equipment is key: it shouldn’t weigh more than needed and mustn’t let you down when you’re in the middle of crossing a river. Thru hiker Emma Gatewood may have reached her legendary status in the 1950s, also based on the fact that she was travelling with insufficient equipment even for that time, but this benchmark is still pretty high.
The core elements of equipment include the big four consisting of backpack, sleeping bag, sleeping mat and tent. They should be weatherproof, robust and neither heavy nor complicated to handle. Plus, they simply have to fit, just like your clothing. In this context, you should rely on brand quality that has high ratings in magazine tests and customer reviews.
Are there suitable trails for beginners?
For beginners, we recommend what is known as “section hiking”. You cautiously approach a thru hike by first trying out individual sections of it. A classic “section hike” is the John Muir Trail. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful section of the Pacific Crest Trail with a length of around 300 km.
Depending on personality and time, jumping in at the deep end may be the best approach. Those who feel the call and are practically pulled out of their chairs even when reading articles should probably get cracking and immediately take what may be the only opportunity to go on a thru hike.
There’s a nice conclusion on Thru-Hiking.com to which we linked above:
“In the end, it does not matter what type of hiker you are. The different ways of hiking have similarities and differences. The most important thing is to choose what works best for you and to enjoy. Hike your own hike!”
