Typically How Long Does Thru Hike Take for Women

[Crumbcakes]

Hi there,

Thought I should put this question out there after telling friends and family that I plan to hike the entire AT in 4 months but see that most hikers say they needed 5-6 months. For a fairly fit and active 35 yo female, is it realistic that I can complete the AT in 4 months without hiking totally insane miles every day? Thanks~

[pauly_j]

That's over 18 miles a day, assuming you have no low mileage or town days.

Sure it's possible but you'd need to be travelling light and be very fit. Consistent 20 mile days for months on end will take a toll on your body and if you aren't already very fit, you're likely to get injured.

Plus you have to ask yourself if you'll really be enjoying yourself if you're crunching those kind of miles. You won't be able to have a break or spend time hanging out at all.

[MuddyWaters]

Being a woman has absolutely nothing to do with it.
The self supported record is held by a woman

An average time is 5-6 months, as you say.
You already have an 80% chance of not completing.
Want to make it worse by attempting a faster hike with no background for it?
The miles are what they are. The math is what it is.

Odds are, you have a 5-10% chance at best of doing that. Id say you cut your odds of completion to 25-50% at best. Thats assuming you are in great shape and plan to carry a very light pack. If neither is true id give you chance of much less might as well say zero for practicle purposes.

[Water Rat]

to White Blaze!

Gender doesn't play a role in who finishes the trail. It is up to each and every hiker to decide how dedicated they want to be to their goal of hiking the AT. The answer to your question cannot really be answered online - it has to come from within. To finish in 4 months you will need to be very disciplined with your town stops, you will have to set mileage goals for each day/week (depending on weather and your ability to make up the miles for any days you stop short of your goal).

I don't mean to in any way dampen your enthusiasm - But there are some things you should know as you embark on this journey. The fewer surprises you have, the better to roll with the punches as the trail doles them out. Going into this endeavor being physically fit is a bonus, but not a guarantee you will finish the trail. 80% of those who start do not finish. Roughly 25% of hikers are female (though, I think that statistic is changing in a good way!).

With those facts aside, your hiking/backpacking background might also be in your favor. If you have already completed the PCT, or CDT, then you know what it takes to be a long distance hiker. If you have very little backpacking experience, then you have a bit more (mental) work ahead of you. If you have not already done so, I would suggest by reading Zach Davis' "Appalachian Trials" to get an idea of how to gear your brain for this hike. Here is a link to that book: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/098...g=thegoobad-20 (You can also purchase the online version via iTunes)

I would also check out a journal kept by Wired. She has hiked the PCDT, CDT, & AT (to name a few) and her blog is a tremendous resource for information. She writes pretty much daily from the trail and gives good descriptions of the trail. She also has honest gear reviews for products she has tried and will answer questions. For each trail, she begins writing with the planning phase and takes her reader all the way through to the gear review after the trail. If you want a solid idea of what it is all about, this is the place to start for a thorough answer. http://www.walkingwithwired.com/p/at-2014.html

*Note - There are MANY other amazing journals out there. I just choose to use Wired as an example because her site contains so much information.

[4eyedbuzzard]

I agree with the others that gender has very little to do with what you ask. Many of the fastest long distance hikers are women - Jennifer Pharr-Davis, Heather Anderson, Liz Thomas, et al. But, if you have to ask this question, it somewhat points to you not already knowing your own hiking capabilities, pace, etc., which also basically says, "inexperienced", at least to some degree in so far as long distance hiking goes. A four month thru-hike would be very difficult even for most seasoned hikers.

At an 18 mpd overall average (2200 miles / 120 days) means if you only take 10 zero/nero (near zero) days, 1 every 11 days for resupply, laundry, bathing, town meals, minor injuries, rest, avoiding weather, etc. you would actually need to average 20 mpd when hiking to make up for the days off. But most hikers will take more than one day off the trail in 11 due to the need to resupply more often than that, as carrying more than 5 to 7 days food is not very efficient. An 11 day load of food is heavy and bulky (more weight and volume + bigger heavier pack = slower travel). More likely is one day off a week and resupply every 4 to 5 days on average. Even just doing quick in and out resupply stops will take away hiking time - you still have to get into town, shop, get back to the trail, etc, and avoid the temptation of a meal, hot shower, and needed rest. Except for those willing to endure the punishment for whatever reason, hiking long miles day after day takes a toll on joints, muscles, and often even the mind, and your body needs time to rest and heal. More realistic is doing a zero or nero (near zero day) once per week. That would mean approximately 17 zeros and then averaging 21.5 mpd when hiking. Now add to this that you will not likely be able to start off this quickly due to needing to acclimatize your body to hiking long days and the fact that the southern Appalachians are more rugged than many anticipate. Then add that you will likely not be able to maintain this pace in NH and ME simply due to the rugged terrain. Which means doing 25+ mpd through the 1000 miles in the middle of the trail. Doable? Yes. Enjoyable? Well, that's subjective.

Either way, you will need not only the ability to hike at a good average pace (2+ mph including breaks), but most important will be hiking as many hours as possible in a day. This is how most "fast" hikers do it. They don't run - they just hike long hours every day. To accomplish this means being very skilled, quick, and efficient in setting up and breaking camp, cooking meals, resupplying, etc. Likely you will need to be up, eat, pack, and on the trail at first light and hike until dusk every day. Note that hiking pace is much slower than walking pace due to elevation changes, terrain, and challenging footing. To maximize available hiking time you likely choose to start as close as possible to two months before the summer solstice to maximize daylight hours throughout the hike. Note that it gets darker earlier in the woods, so you need to take this into consideration as well. This would optimally be a late April/early May to late August/early September hike, which would maximize daylight and avoid late season winter conditions in the southern Appalachians if going NOBO.

EDIT: I noted in another thread that you are considering starting mid-February NOBO. That would even further reduce your chances due to weather and weather delays, carrying more (winter) gear, shorter days, more food + fuel, hiking in snow/ice, etc. through the southern Appalachians. Add that even if you could maintain that pace, your schedule would put you in VT in early May. NH in late May, ME in early June. Not a good plan due to mud/melt in VT, snowpack/snowmelt, mud, black flies, raging streams, in NH and ME. VT Parks Dept and the Green Mountain Club pretty much tell (strongly request/suggest) that hikers stay off the AT in Vermont in April/May until after Memorial Day. Add that many hikers who start that early (mid Feb) wind up sitting out (off the trail) bad weather in the southern Appalachians in towns for days - or even longer.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/show...onth)-schedule

http://theatguide.com/index.html follow links to hike planning and modify as needed to fit your schedule

[Pedaling Fool]

I also agree with others about being a female is a non-issue WRT finishing time in a thru-hike. Seems like women are just as capable, if not more so, in endurance events and a thru-hike is definitely an endurance activity. The advantage men have is when speed (power & strength) is factored in; a good example of this is that a high school male sprinter can out sprint professional female sprinters, including distances exceeding 1-mile courses.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United...and_field#Boys

http://www.usatf.org/statistics/reco...=open&sport=TF

However, when you remove the speed/power factor women excel http://www.runnersworld.com/trail-ru...e-ultrarunning

[firesign]

Hi there,

Thought I should put this question out there after telling friends and family that I plan to hike the entire AT in 4 months but see that most hikers say they needed 5-6 months. For a fairly fit and active 35 yo female, is it realistic that I can complete the AT in 4 months without hiking totally insane miles every day? Thanks~

As others have very rightly stated, the gender has nothing to do with it. I was one of the first SoBo starters in 2014 and met Road Runner in the 100 mile wilderness. She was one of the first NoBo finishers in sub 100 days. So it is doable.

I finished in 4 months, averaging a little over 19 miles a day. How did I succeed? I gradually built up distance and weight carried; completed a 550 mile thu hike in Scotland which conditioned me physically and mentally for the task ahead; this got my body fat down and I invested the best (ZPacks) lightweight equipment avsilable. I took two weeks off and started in Maine. I am not saying that the AT was easy because the first two states were brutal, but there is no way that I could have succeeded without the preparation.

If you really really want to succeed, then prepare for success and make your own luck from day one.

I wish you well.

[Slo-go'en]

The only way you can complete the AT in 4 months IS by doing insane mileage every day. Plus nothing can go wrong. Having an extra 30 days to complete the hike makes a big difference.

I believe woman have a some advantage over men in terms of endurance and tolerance to pain. I've meet more then a few old ladies who can hike me into the ground. I don't even think about trying to keep up with the young ones. If you happen to be lean with long legs, that helps a lot too.

[CarlZ993]

Gender doesn't really matter. Experience, conditioning, & mental fortitude count. But, 18 MPD on the AT is a tough hike. Doable... but still tough. Awol lists 12, 15, & 18 MPD itineraries on his website (www.theatguide.com). I utilized his 15 MPD itinerary to plan my hike (actual hike is in my signature of this post). Assuming a NoBo hike, you might plan for a slower average at the start (getting your trail legs under you) & the finish (NH & ME are really tough) & try to get some bonus miles in the bank in the middle.

Regardless of your decision, good luck on your hike.

[Crumbcakes]

Thanks for all the info, tips and encouragement, everyone! I have changed plans to 5-6 months to be more realistic about rest days, early mileage and inevitable injuries. And hey, however long it takes is just fine with me as I'm aware that the odds are stacked against most hikers unless they prepare, prepare, prepare. So, I'm doing my best with researching, core strengthening, hiking, running, snowshoeing, etc. I should never have mentioned the "woman" part in my original question because I understand that sex has nothing to do with mileage- I more wrote it to identify myself.

[Christoph]

Just my observations (and maybe it was a fluke or whatever) but I saw more women pass me like I was standing still going up hills. The women (young to old) always seemed to have better stamina. Interesting posts here.

[twistwrist]

Active 37 year old here. It took me 6 months and 2 days. I could have done it faster, but I took my time to soak in the experience more knowing it was probably my only chance ever to take 6 months off work.

www.appalachiantrailclarity.com

[rainydaykid]

Gender doesn't really matter. Experience, conditioning, & mental fortitude count. But, 18 MPD on the AT is a tough hike. Doable... but still tough. Awol lists 12, 15, & 18 MPD itineraries on his website (www.theatguide.com). I utilized his 15 MPD itinerary to plan my hike (actual hike is in my signature of this post). Assuming a NoBo hike, you might plan for a slower average at the start (getting your trail legs under you) & the finish (NH & ME are really tough) & try to get some bonus miles in the bank in the middle.

Regardless of your decision, good luck on your hike.

I'm not a woman, but it took me 5 months to do my thru, and I averaged 26 a day, dropped to 18-20 thru the Whites. I took a few double zeros and a week off in Dalton to let my knee recover, though. Also 2010 had a really nasty winter, and I started March 5th, first 300 miles was snow.

Longest day was 37 miles, hiked 7AM to 1AM thru Pennslyvania, had too much coffee at an early town stop and couldn't sleep, so I kept hiking.

I did do short miles for awhile in the beginning after the snow, 15 to 17 mile days, but I wondered why I was stopping at 5pm, and started hiking longer. I was doing 25 or so every day by Pearisburg.

Nothing impressive, I just hiked all day. I took plenty of long breaks when I felt like it.

[LindaJesse]

Completing a thru-hike will be one of the most profoundly rewarding achievements of your life. It’s a completely transformative experience. You’ll spend months communing with nature, and develop lasting friendships along the way.

[BonBon]

I started the trail 50 pounds overweight myself and with a heavy pack and no experience. It took me 6 months and 5 days. I did meet many women who did the trail in 4-5 months. They all were in terrific shape at the beginning of the hike. That is a better way to start

[Mouse74]

As a female Army vet and hiker i can tell you for a fact I out performed MANY men on 20 mile ruck marches. I took pride in passing those hard men crying on the road mile 18. Yes our geared weighed the same BUT it was all in technique, socks and gumption. One time in Arizona I had a SGT tell the running formation that we needed a slow run and find a female to lead the formation. I batted my eyes and raised my hand. "I will give you a slow run. See these wide hips?" I ran those boys into the dust of the desert with a grin on my face hoping I killed a stereotype (or pissed them off). My message, dont judge the a hiker/runner by the size of the hips or gender.

[MuddyWaters]

My message, dont judge the a hiker/runner by the size of the hips or gender.

Agreed. I have a 6' female friend that is not a stick figure, she could even be called pudgy. Easily 200 + lbs. Scandinavian heritage. She runs 50 mile ultras. And loves everything about running. She has the lungs and the genes, its not that hard for her.

If she dropped 50 lbs or more, she might be really really good.

[Marta]

More important than the miles per day calculations are the days of hiking versus days off. Among the fit young men who started SOBO around the same time I did, zero days or lack thereof, were the main difference between the 3-4-month finishers and the 8-month finishers, and the non-finishers who ran out of money.

I was talking once to a couple who thru-hiked NOBO at the age of 26, in great physical condition. They started the same day as a couple of retirees. The retirees had a goal of 12 mpd. The young couple didn't pull ahead of the older couple until NH. Yes, they hiked many more miles per day, but they also took much more time off.

The serious question you need to ask yourself is what are your reasons for attempting a thru-hike. The struggle of the thru-hike is the clash between the expectations/fantasies and reality. The more expectations you bring to the hike, the more of a mental struggle the actual hike will be. There's absolutely no theoretical physical reason you can't thru-hike in four months. You may find, however, when you get out there that you don't want to rush along. Or maybe covering a lot of ground each day feels right to you. Until you've done it, you can't know.

Good luck on your hike!