The World’s Craziest Hikers, and What They Have to Teach Us All

Here are some stories about the world’s most unusual hikers — you’ll see why! In the 1920s, Englishman George Mallory attempted to summit Mount Everest, aka the peak of the world, for the third time. When asked why he wanted to do it, he simply answered, “Because it’s there.” Unfortunately, Mallory couldn’t reach the peak.

But since then, many have succeeded in climbing Mount Everest! But even though Everest is the top of the world, it’s accompanied by 14 other mountains standing above 26,000 ft tall. These mountains are recognized by the International Mountaineering and Climbing Federation as “eight-thousanders” — in reference to their height in meters. To climb one eight-thousander is difficult enough — but imagine climbing to the top of 14 of those!

The first person to reach all 14 peaks was Italian super-human Reinhold Messner. The man was no doubt a pioneer, accomplishing the feat in 1986 without an additional supply of oxygen. As you may know, the air gets pretty thin above 26,000 ft. It took Messner 7 years to establish this world record. And this was the fastest anyone had done it until a couple of years ago — that’s when Nims Purja came along. The Nepalese mountaineer appeared suddenly on the hiking scene, saying he would climb all 14 mountains over the span of 7 months! The hiking and mountaineering community worldwide was shaken by this statement alone: could a person achieve such an impossible feat?

Well, Nims seemed to prove that nothing was too far outside his reach. He named his adventure “Project Possible” and successfully led a team of four men to summit the world’s most difficult mountains: Everest, Annapurna, 2K, and so on. There were weeks where he climbed two eight-thousanders back to back. Impressive? I’m not sure that’s even the word for it. Nims completed the circuit in 6 months and 6 days and broke over 6 mountaineering world records. It’s safe to say he established himself as one of the world’s greatest — and maybe craziest — extreme hikers.

Now, hiking doesn’t need to be this extreme. But, of course, it’s something that will most likely get you out of your comfort zone. Exactly like it did to our next hiker. Around 1955, Emma Rowena Gatewood left her home in Ohio with nothing but a pair of Keds sneakers, a blanket, and a raincoat inside a homemade denim bag. She had read about the famous Appalachian Trail in an old copy of a National Geographic magazine she had found at home. The article might have painted a rosy picture of the trail, but it was enough to prompt the woman to go hike it. The only detail — Mrs. Gatewood was 67 at the time. And this was her first hike.

In several interviews, the lady, who soon became known as Grandma Gatewood, said that if she had known how difficult the trail was, she probably wouldn’t have done it. But since she was already there, she convinced herself she could finish it. Well, maybe she was bit by a hiking bug because after that first time, she hiked the Appalachian Trail another two times and also covered the 2,000-mile Oregon Trail. All before turning 85! What an icon!

Well, if Grandma Gatewood shows that there is no age limit to being an outdoors adventurer, so does Buddy Backpacker. Christian Thomas, aka Buddy, is the youngest person to hike the so-called “Triple Crown.” Buddy was 4 when his parents moved to Boulder, Colorado. There, surrounded by mountains and nature, Buddy began to hike 14,000 ft high peaks. He loved being outdoors and insisted on tagging along with his stepdad to attempt to hike the 2,000-mile Appalachian Trail.

On the trail, Buddy got faster and faster by the day, breaking his own personal records and, of course, world records as well! Hiking up to 22 miles per day, Buddy became the youngest Appalachian hiker in 2013. And he was ready for more. Two years later, he traveled to the Mexican border to begin the Pacific Crest Trail. It took him 7 months to finish it and break another world record! Yup, he was the youngest person ever to achieve that feat as well. Then, at the age of 9, he completed the Triple Crown by hiking the Continental Divide Trail, which took him two years to finish. This won him his third world-record title. What this little man achieved in such a short time is surreal!

If you’ve ever tried hiking the Pacific Crest Trail in the past thirty years, you might have come across this guy: George “Billy Goat” Woodard. Billy Goat retired from his job as a railroad conductor in Maine and ever since has been hiking an impressive amount of 150 days a year. He has hiked the PCT over 8 times and then some other paths, adding up to 32,000 miles. To any PCT hiker, Billy Goat is a legend. He inspires hikers to complete their treks since he knows the trail like the back of his hand. Each year, about 300 people attempt to hike the PCT, but only around 30% of them make it. For Billy Goat, hiking is not exercise or part of an outdoor vacation; it’s his way of life. Hiking is the best way to connect to nature and everything around you.

As an experienced long-distance hiker, Billy walks at a steady pace of 2 mph and only stops to eat. Oh, yes, and he follows the golden rule of long trails: he makes sure he keeps everything he needs under 10 lbs. If you’ve always wanted to cross the PCT or even the Appalachian Trail off your bucket list, make sure to follow Billy’s simple tip. Even if you don’t do it at the beginning, I bet somewhere along the way, you’ll need to make your backpack lighter! Hey, if there are some bookworms out there, you’ve probably heard of “Into the Wild,” right? The book was written by Jon Krakauer. It tells the story of Christopher McCandless and his attempt to travel and hike most of the US by himself. McCandless left his house in Texas and traveled all the way to Alaska, where he attempted to hike the Stampede Trail.

Due to poor planning, McCandless was surprised by a harsh winter, which he spent mainly inside what is now known as ’the magic bus.’ Oh, yes, this is another golden hiking rule: plan thoroughly in advance, especially if the hike you’re going on is tricky. Some hikers will plan up to 3 months ahead of time to get the best out of their experience. Mapping the most difficult spots and trying to pinpoint where things might go south is essential for a safe experience. Unfortunately, McCandless’s trip didn’t end well: he ran out of food and — as you probably know — ate a plant he shouldn’t have. And speaking of famous hikers, you might also have heard of Cheryl Strayed, the woman who solo-hiked the PCT and turned her adventure into a bestselling book called “Wild.” The PCT has risen to stardom lately mainly due to the success of the movie adaption of this book.

Many inexperienced hikers are now attempting to undertake this 2,650-mile track — just FYI, that’s about 5 months of non-stop walking! In case you do attempt to spend that long on a walking spree, be sure to prepare your muscles! Cheryl’s account in “Wild” challenges us to try new experiences in life. But it also shows that you might have a better time if you prepare yourself beforehand. Cheryl decided to go hike over 2,000 miles on a whim. And she describes how harsh a long-distance hike can be to an underprepared body.

A good option for someone who wants to begin hiking but doesn’t know how to do it is to hike the closest trails and check how they feel about it! You might love it and find out you have a new favorite activity. Or you might just want to leave hiking for all Cheryls and Billies of the world. If you do feel like getting out into nature, pack up your lightweight backpack and enjoy the best of what the world has to offer. See you out there!