Mountains, outskirts and open fields are often associated with solace and calmness, where people go to relax and rejuvenate. However, for enthusiasts and professionals such as hikers, cyclists or equestrians, there are some of the epic and longest trails. Read on to know more.
The Great Trail, Canada.
Officially 24,000 kilometres long, this previously known Trans Canada Trail runs through hundreds of local routes spread across the country. This route was conceptualized in 1992 and ran from St. John’s in Newfoundland across 13 provinces and territories all the way to Vancouver, British Columbia. A multi-use trail started in 2017 to connect communities and use abandoned railway tracks as paths!
The American Discovery Trail, USA
This 10,944-kilometre-long trail is known as America’s first non-motorized and longest coast to coast trail; it crosses through Delaware, Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, Utah, and Nevada before ending at California. In 2005, 5 years after opening, a couple,Ken and Marcia Powers, who are also known as GottaWalk, walked 5000 miles coast to coast. Finally, hiker Mike “Lion King” Daniel crushed the 6800 miles long full loop in November 2008.
E1 European Long-Distance Path
At 7980 kilometres, E1 is the longest trail among the 12 European Long-Distance Paths managed by the European Ramblers Association. The trek stretches from the upper reaches of Norway to Sicily, Italy. Running through Norway, Finland, and Sweden, the trail gets into Denmark via a short ferry ride and eventually moves to Germany before navigating through Switzerland and ending with a hike in Italy.
The Grand Italian Trail, Italy
Sentiero Italia is a 7170-kilometre-long trail that is mainly mountainous, running through the whole of the Alpine Arc and Apennine Chain before reaching Sicily and closing in Sardinia. Started in 1983, it was only in 1995 that the full trek was conquered; interestingly, in recent years, there have been no finishers. When you walk down the trail, make sure to not miss the best flavors and natural delicacies from different regions.
The Great Himalayan Trail
For the hardcore enthusiasts, there is an upcoming trail that is proposed to stretch over 4585 kilometres running across the entire Himalayan Mountain belt across Pakistan, India, Tibet, Nepal and Bhutan. This will largely be atreacherous high-altitude trail, with the highest point being ‘Sherpani Col Pass’ in Nepal at a frightening 20,210 feet height above sea level. There may also be a lower trail covering villages and mid-range hills for a cultural experience!
Which one would you choose for your next adventure?
