With travel restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic, Singaporeans have been heading to the great outdoors to satisfy their wanderlust. Kenneth Koh, a local hiking enthusiast, took on the 4,265km US Pacific Crest Trail on foot in 2018.
He’s the 2nd Singaporean to complete the trail, but his pictures of breathtaking landscapes may inspire more of us to take on this gruelling adventure.
You may need to save 5 months of leave though.
In his YouTube photo montage of the journey, Kenneth shared that completing the Pacific Crest Trail was one of the most fulfilling experiences of his life.
He started the 4,265km journey at the Mexican border and worked towards the Canadian border.
The journey meant traversing deserts…
scaling mountains…
volcanoes…
and exploring forests….
One would usually encounter these environments on multiple overseas trips, but Kenneth saw it all along the Pacific Crest Trail.
The hike which started on 7 Apr and ended on 7 Sep 2018, took him 153 days, which is just about 5 months.
According to Kenneth, he walked an average of 28km a day and climbed a total elevation of 149,000m — that’s like climbing the height of Mount Everest 17 times.
On his back were his clothes and belongings, nutrition, shelter and a trusty camera.
This hike is no walk in the park and would have required an immense amount of preparation and mental fortitude.
According to the US Forest Service, the Pacific Crest Trail covers the states of California, Oregon and Washington.
The trail is enjoyed by hikers and horse riders. Some may choose to travel a few kilometres to catch scenic spots while others have chosen to experience every inch of it in one season.
In case you are planning to take on the Pacific Crest Trail yourself, REI Co-op says the trip would take some serious planning and budgeting.
The hike may cost around S$5,500 to S$10,900 to complete depending on the gear you bring, your daily expenses, on top of a contingency fund.
This is understandable as some of us may choose to rough it out at campsites while others may splurge on the occasional AirBnB.
Shopping, however, will be out of the equation. There doesn’t seem to be any malls along the way anyway.
Kenneth’s Walter Mitty-esque journey is an inspiration for avid hikers and weekend warriors alike.
It’s no small feat to plug out of the working world to take on this gruelling journey. But there is much to enjoy on a trip like this, such as exploring grand sights and making new friends.
For us, the Pacific Crest Trail is now on our bucket list. The only question left is whether we mere mortals can match Kenneth’s amazing feat.
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Featured images adapted from YouTube.
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