Thru hikers know that the adventure is not for the faint-hearted. Thousands embark on thru hikes each year, but just one in four make it to the very end of the trail they set out to conquer, according to the Appalachian Trail Conservatory.
In 2019, Guy Christen buoyantly completed the 4,270 km Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and is now set to go on another iconic long-distance trail nicknamed “America's most challenging trail” for its rugged nature. With just two months left to prepare, Christen and his partner--who he met while on the PCT--will soon embark on the 5,000km Continental Divide Trail (CDT), which runs along the Canadian to the Mexican border and cuts across five US states--New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho and Montana.
The why
A police officer with over 25 years of experience in the field, Christen says the main reason for tackling these thru hikes is founded on a noble aspiration. He aims to raise funds for children diagnosed with cancer. His solo PCT journey in 2019 raised €13,500 which was donated to support projects by the Fondation Kriibskrank Kanner in Luxembourg.
Christen has been hiking since his teenage years, but it was in his early 30s that he began going on longer hikes mostly in Europe. “I did the GR20 [which crosses Corsica] and portions of the GR10 [in the French Pyrenees]. Five years ago, I was in Mallorca on the GR221 [hiking trail]. That was where I met a hiker from the UK who told me about the PCT, and it was the way she was talking about it with passion that made me say I have to really look into that.”
“I wanted to combine it with fundraising because it’s part of who I am and maybe why I wanted to become a police officer. I wanted to help people. It’s how I was raised. To show respect and help people as long as I have the possibility. And so it was just clear that I would do it for a good cause and that's how it all started.”
It's like you do the dishes in your head and your soul, and you just get rid of a lot of stuff that's been stuck on your mind.”
Fulfilment in serenity
Nevertheless, the trail legend admits that the most fulling part of these thru hikes is “the solitude, the inner peace and happiness that comes automatically with being alone.” It might sound very strange, he adds. “But that's what happens. All hikers experience this. A lot of people who have been through a hard time in life and have gone on the PCT say that by the time they reached the Canadian border, they were someone else. It's like you do the dishes in your head and your soul, and you just get rid of a lot of stuff that's been stuck on your mind.” Just before reaching the Canadian border and completing the PCT adventure, Christen explains that he felt peace and a rush of energy that he hadn't felt in ages.
Surprising lesson from the PCT
But the most surprising thing he discovered and one of the reasons he was happy to have undergone the PCT experience was found along the trail.
“I got back my faith in humans. During the whole PCT journey, every single person I met on this amazing adventure, from the hikers to the people in town, they were all so happy to help the hikers and it was more than a family. It was amazing. You're sitting together with people you've never seen before in your life, and you're sharing your story. I mean, you have very deep and intense discussions with people that you didn't know. Religious views, political views, skin colour, gender, it just didn't matter. We were all the same. I miss that community a lot and maybe it’s also the reason why we're going for the next bigger trail.”
Preparation and expectations for the CDT
It may not be far-fetched to wonder how the pandemic might impact the next thru hike considering the world was a different place just about two years ago. Nevertheless, Christen says he made the decision to go on the new adventure much faster because “we had made so many plans to go on different trails and it just didn't happen for more than two years. We had to stay home. At some point, I just decided to go for it.”
Moreover, people’s interest in nature may have been re-ignited by the lockdowns as “a lot of people found their way back into nature,” he explains, adding that “people I’m in touch with told me that some national parks they know were overrun by people just last year.”
Apart from being equipped with vital hiking gear—not to forget his famous mascot, Poldi—paying attention to intricate details and mentally preparing for the journey is essential. For example, sharing water with cattle is an experience he expects to have on the CDT, especially in New Mexico. “You’ll have to take the water out, filter it, and depending on the water quality, add some disinfectant drops. That's kind of dangerous, but at some point, it becomes a normal daily routine.”
Rattlesnakes, on the other hand, may seem scary at first but the fear fades away with time. “The first rattlesnake I encountered made me jump back like a cat [laughs]. In Luxembourg, we're not used to that kind of animal but at some point, and after a few weeks on the trail, you get used to it.”
To face the grizzly bears, which he expects to encounter from the middle of the trip until the Canadian border, Christen will be equipped with bear spray. “It’s pepper stray but just stronger and you can spray from about seven meters. It's very rare that grizzlies attack humans, but I’d be prepared.”
So no worst fears?
“Maybe tripping or getting a leg broken for a long-term and being unable to hike. That would be disastrous for me!” he exclaims.
Timeline
The six to seven months journey will officially begin toward the end of March or early April. However, to avoid dealing with unforeseen circumstances and delays, the duo will head to the United States in advance to begin the new adventure. “We will fly a bit earlier because of covid especially as the numbers are getting high again in the States and I wouldn’t want the US to close its border again before going as it would be a disaster for this project,” he explains.
Going down memory lane: first hike
“It all started in 1992 in Italy, we were in a camp where all the Luxembourg Boy Scout groups were… I don't remember exactly where it was, but it was somewhere in Tuscany, and that was my first real hiking experience. Since then, I was always looking forward to spending time with the other guys and just enjoying nature.”
Most intriguing hiking trail for the future?
“Errm… that was the PCT. There are so many beautiful trails. Now it’s the CDT. There’s the Aurora Trail in New Zealand, which is apparently very beautiful too. Here in Europe, we have a very new trail called the Hexatrek that goes through France all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. It's about 2,500km. There are so many beautiful places on this planet to explore that’s for sure. But I don't like snow anymore. Since I was on the PCT. I have to say, it was a little too much snow for me [laughs].”
Dealing with harsh and sometimes unpredictable weather
The good…
“I really liked Southern Cal because it was pretty dry. I expected the desert sections to be really dry, sandy and rocky. But it was a very high snow year in 2019 and so Southern Cal. was green and bloomy. Actually, the desert was called the super bloom. And it was like a football field full of flowers. It was so beautiful. It was so unreal.”
The bad but not so ugly…
“Another experience I remember was when I and two other hikers had our tents out one night. We had checked the weather and there was supposed to be a lot of rain. So we thought, well that's ok. But there was also a major thunderstorm that creeped up on us and I remember in a moment there was a lightning bolt so close that I thought I felt the pressure of the lightning. That was the first time we thought, what am I doing here? [laughs]. With mother nature, we are so small. The weather conditions is the only thing I'm a little concerned about with the CDT too.”
Most likely to become Luxembourg’s first triple crowner…
In 2023, Christen says he plans to explore the Appalachian Trail, which will likely make the police officer, hiker and outdoor enthusiast the first Luxembourger to wear the triple crown of hiking awarded in to thru hikers, who have officially been recognised as completing the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide trails .
However, he remains cautious. “A lot can happen [along the way], a lot of injuries can happen but it's actually my long-term goal. I’m already planning on leaving for the AT in March or April of 2023,” Christen reveals.
Any special requests from friends and strangers?
If you’re yearning to experience the CDT through the eyes of Christen, today may be your lucky day. “Well yeah, if people have a request and by fulfilling it that makes them happy, and if it’s possible for me, I will certainly try to do that,” says Christen.
“Especially right now during the pandemic, if I can reach one kid, or people who are having a hard time with one picture, and if I can put a smile on their faces with my story, then to me, I would have reached my personal goal.”
Check out the project’s Facebook page, , to follow the CDT, learn about how to support the fundraiser, and make special requests. A picture report will be made available on Delano during his adventure.