Postpone southbound thru-hike one week to run with the bulls?

[Andrew Ferk]

I already have my plane ticket, bus tickets, and reservation at AT Lodge on July 4th and my reservation for Katahdin Stream on July 5th. But now I ran into this opportunity: http://runningofthebulls.travel/runn...through-glass/. Roundtrip airfare, 5 night stay at a 4-star hotel, and a bunch of other VIP features to participate in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Unfortunately, this is July 5th through July 10th, so if I happened to be accepted, I would need to start my hike a week later and hope that I don't get injured. Running of the Bulls and AT thru-hike could make one exciting year. I think I'm going to apply just to see what happens.

[Feral Bill]

Surely some farmer in your area has some bulls you can run with.

[Andrew Ferk]

Surely some farmer in your area has some bulls you can run with.

That's like me saying I'm going to thru-hike the AT and someone saying, "Surely some woods in your area has a hill you can climb."

[Feral Bill]

That's like me saying I'm going to thru-hike the AT and someone saying, "Surely some woods in your area has a hill you can climb."

Well, the Canadian Rockies aren't far.

[Lone Wolf]

i love when bull riders, bull fighters and runners of bulls get gored and stomped.

[Andrew Ferk]

i love when bull riders, bull fighters and runners of bulls get gored and stomped.

You are so violent, and your words wound me more than a bull ever could.

[Lone Wolf]

You are so violent, and your words wound me more than a bull ever could.

i wish you no harm but the bulls are tortured.

[Andrew Ferk]

i wish you no harm but the bulls are tortured.

You are right. All the bulls are killed in bullfights afterwards. I did go to a bullfight when I visited Spain for my AP Spanish class. We also discussed the topic of them being tortured. I'm not sure exactly where or how far I lean on this subject, but I am aware of the arguments for both sides. I'll reflect about it more.

But I did run into an article from 2011 that may make me reconsider. Here's the first paragraph:

"At least 41 people suffered injuries during Pamplona's San Fermin festival this year. One runner from Pamplona remains in the hospital after he was gored so deeply that his diaphragm ruptured. An Australian teenager fractured three vertebrae, and an Australian man was gored in the leg, piercing his femoral artery, after he taunted a bull. Then there was the man who thought it was a good idea to run naked at a bull while waving a red handkerchief. Not surprisingly, he wound up on the wrong end of a horn."

Full source: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/a...s/default.aspx

[hikerboy57]

You are right. All the bulls are killed in bullfights afterwards. I did go to a bullfight when I visited Spain for my AP Spanish class. We also discussed the topic of them being tortured. I'm not sure exactly where or how far I lean on this subject, but I am aware of the arguments for both sides. I'll reflect about it more.

But I did run into an article from 2011 that may make me reconsider. Here's the first paragraph:

"At least 41 people suffered injuries during Pamplona's San Fermin festival this year. One runner from Pamplona remains in the hospital after he was gored so deeply that his diaphragm ruptured. An Australian teenager fractured three vertebrae, and an Australian man was gored in the leg, piercing his femoral artery, after he taunted a bull. Then there was the man who thought it was a good idea to run naked at a bull while waving a red handkerchief. Not surprisingly, he wound up on the wrong end of a horn."

Full source: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/a...s/default.aspx

you can run with the ponies in the grayson highlands.

[adamkrz]

i wish you no harm but the bulls are tortured.

I gotta agree, It's 2013 and people still torture animals to pleasure themself.

Good luck on your hike though.

[Lone Wolf]

You are right. All the bulls are killed in bullfights afterwards. I did go to a bullfight when I visited Spain for my AP Spanish class. We also discussed the topic of them being tortured. I'm not sure exactly where or how far I lean on this subject, but I am aware of the arguments for both sides. I'll reflect about it more.

But I did run into an article from 2011 that may make me reconsider. Here's the first paragraph:

"At least 41 people suffered injuries during Pamplona's San Fermin festival this year. One runner from Pamplona remains in the hospital after he was gored so deeply that his diaphragm ruptured. An Australian teenager fractured three vertebrae, and an Australian man was gored in the leg, piercing his femoral artery, after he taunted a bull. Then there was the man who thought it was a good idea to run naked at a bull while waving a red handkerchief. Not surprisingly, he wound up on the wrong end of a horn."

Full source: http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/a...s/default.aspx

no sympathy from me

[bfayer]

you can run with the ponies in the grayson highlands.

You beat me to it. All he needs is to tie a couple of apples to his back side and he will get the same experience without having to miss his start date

[chief]

Andrew,

You decided to chuck it all and do a SOBO thru-hike after a conversation at a bar and some internet research.
You tell us you'll be working some while hiking - an arrangement with your employer or something.
You tell us you have been selected and might become a "Google Glass Explorer" for $1,500.
Now you tell us you're entering a contest for a free trip to Spain for the bulls. We have to presume you did spring for the Google thing since the contest requires it.

So which is it? You gonna be a software engineer, a thru-hiker or Hemingway?

[rocketsocks]

Undalay Undalay arriba arriba....sometimes you get the bull...sometimes the bull gets you.....The two activities seem contradictory. In one you hike for life, in the other, you run for your life.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QV6FpYfbn0

[Autumn A.]

So which is it? You gonna be a software engineer, a thru-hiker or Hemingway?

Keeping an open mind here, he's entitled to hike his own hike... Or live his own life, as it were. What's to stop him from being all three?

[RED-DOG]

I wouldn't take the chance of getting HURT, forget about the bull's and concentrate on your hike.

[T.S.Kobzol]

Makes no sense to me. You made all the reservations to a major life changing event - a thru hike

Now you are considering bleeding money or inconveniencing those with whom you made the reservations only to fly to Spain to participate in a foolish activity that results in video clips of men getting their a$$ impaled by a bull horn?

[BirdBrain]

I already have my plane ticket, bus tickets, and reservation at AT Lodge on July 4th and my reservation for Katahdin Stream on July 5th. But now I ran into this opportunity: http://runningofthebulls.travel/runn...through-glass/. Roundtrip airfare, 5 night stay at a 4-star hotel, and a bunch of other VIP features to participate in the Running of the Bulls in Pamplona, Spain. Unfortunately, this is July 5th through July 10th, so if I happened to be accepted, I would need to start my hike a week later and hope that I don't get injured. Running of the Bulls and AT thru-hike could make one exciting year. I think I'm going to apply just to see what happens.

Forget the bulls (for all the reasons and sentiments expresses above). Take the hike. The former is an illogical flash in the pan that makes a mockery of animals. The latter is a lasting appreciation of all of nature. The 2 cannot be more polar. Some times I think things are posted on here just for the reaction.

[fiddlehead]

We went to San Fermin on our way to the Pyrenees hike in '99.
Thought we were going to stay the 7 days but, only stayed 2.
Got tired of seeing kids puking all over the place every night and the town was so crowded we had to sleep on a little patch of grass in the median strip.
Glad I got to see it but, I won't go back.
You are young. Most of the people were your age and drunk as skunks every night.

I'd go do some hiking over there instead of running.
The hiking is incredible.
Go down to the Basque country and do some foothills.
Good stuff.

[BZ853]

Running with the bulls would be fun. I would try to do both. You can always thru hike another year.