The Mountain climbing Triple Crown consists of three long-distance thru-hiking trails, the Pacific Crest Path, the Continental Divide Path, and the Appalachian Path.
These trails journey via 22 states within the USA and canopy round 7500 miles. The mixed elevation acquire of all of the ‘Mountain climbing Triple Crown’ is greater than climbing Mt Everest 41 instances. It’s a uncommon membership of hikers which have hiked all these three trails. Some have even hiked the ‘Triple Crown of Mountain climbing’ in a single calendar 12 months.
Hikers who full all 3 trails are referred to as ‘Triple Crowners’. The American Lengthy Distance Mountain climbing Affiliation, referred to as ALDHA-West, acknowledges such an achievement. Solely a few hundred hikers have accomplished the Mountain climbing Triple Crown.
Some individuals have accomplished the climbing triple crown in a single calendar 12 months. I’ll make a daring prediction and say that I believe the extremely match freaks of the climbing and ultra-marathon world will probably be lining as much as ‘Full the Calendar 12 months Mountain climbing Triple Crown’ sooner or later.
Triple Crown of Mountain climbing
Pacific Crest Path
Intro
- The Pacific Crest Path is 2650 miles
- Traverses 13 mountain ranges
- It runs via the western states of California, Oregon, and Washington
My expertise
The Pacific Crest path was my first long-distance climbing path, you possibly can solely do issues for the primary time, as soon as. I hiked the path northbound (NOBO) from the Mexico border to Canada however an rising variety of persons are climbing southbound to flee the crowds. The path weaves it’s manner via the California desert earlier than climbing as much as the spectacular Sierra Nevada mountains. It continues via northern California and previous the volcanic mountains of Oregon to the spectacular Cascade mountains of Washington. It’s a powerful lengthy distance path.
In some ways that is the simplest of the three trails. The grades of the climbs are hardly ever too steep because the path additionally caters for horses.
Risks
- Excessive snow within the Sierra Nevada
- Very excessive likelihood of fires closing elements of the path
- Quick flowing rivers within the Sierra Nevada
- Lack of water within the deserts
- Rattlesnakes
- Early season snow within the Cascades of Washington
- Should end in Canada earlier than 1st October, or threat an opportunity of loss of life
Highlights
- Desert dawn
- Kings Canyon, Sierra Nevada
- Cascades of Washington
Additional Data
Continental Divide Path
Intro
- The CDT is between 2700-3100 miles lengthy (there are various alternate routes)
- It traverses the size of the continental divide watershed
- New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, Montana
My Expertise
The Continental Divide Path was the second of my lengthy distance thru-hikes. Rated by many as one of many hardest thru-hikes on the planet. Actually, there have been powerful days and difficult sections however I felt that finishing the Pacific Crest Path earlier than this hike ready my thoughts and physique for all of the trials and tribulations of the path. Sickness, damage, and fatigue nearly pressured me to stop the path however I continued and succeeded.
Navigation is barely tougher on the Continental Divide Path however anybody with primary navigation abilities will probably be high quality. Good maps and GPS routes exist for the path. If the quantity of images I took are any indication, then that is essentially the most scenic of the three trails. The path isn’t but full and there are various lengthy miles of street strolling, that is positive to alter sooner or later.
Risks
- Lack of water in New Mexico, consuming from cattle ponds
- Rattlesnakes
- Harmful snow circumstances and thunderstorms in Colorado
- NOBO hikers should end in Montana earlier than the winter snows arrive in October,
- SOBO hikers should full Colorado earlier than the winter storms arrive
Highlights
- Dawn within the Desert
- All of Colorado
- Glacier Nationwide Park
Additional info
Appalachian Path
Intro
- The AT is 2160 miles lengthy
- Follows the Appalachian Mountains
- Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine.
My Expertise
Arguably the most well-liked of the three lengthy distance through hikes however surprisingly the path is the hardest. The Appalachian Path has essentially the most elevation acquire of the three trails, often on steep rocky terrain lined in slippery tree roots. At instances the path makes use of ladders to ascend and descend the mountains.
The logistics and resupply for the Appalachian Path are simple and require little or no planning compared to the opposite trails. It’s the best of the path to navigate with easy-to-follow markers, referred to as ‘White Blazes’, on bushes and rocks alongside the path. The principle unfavorable of the path is the various days, even weeks of slightly uninteresting surroundings, it actually might be described as a stroll within the woods. It was additionally the path with essentially the most quantity of trash left by hikers!
Risks
- Early starters face the potential for late season snow storms and hypothermia
- Listening to the hikers with 50 pound backpacks as they offer out gear recommendation!
- Rogue Hurricanes can deluge the path as they push inland
- Massive rattlesnakes, primarily round Pennsylvania.
- Getting caught within the social facet of climbing and working out of money and time.
Highlights
- All of Maine
- Straightforward resupply and planning
- Pleasant locals
Additional info
Would you want to finish the ‘Mountain climbing Triple Crown’?
What path would you prefer to hike?
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The writer, Brad McCartney from BikeHikeSafari is a small unbiased adventurer and out of doors gear tester who owns and runs BikeHikeSafari.com.
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The writer, Brad McCartney is a really skilled triple crown thru-hiker, adventurer, and bike tourer having spent 1000s of nights sleeping in a tent and sleeping bag (Learn extra). He was a supervisor of an out of doors retail retailer and may be very skilled in what’s necessary when utilizing and testing gear for critiques like this.
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