The case for why trekking on foot is the best way to embrace slow travel

“I will wake up at 7am and think to myself, ‘Why am I doing this?’ But then I get on the trail and I’m meeting people and seeing things that are just so beautiful, that I never would have seen unless I was walking. When the day ends I’m always thankful that I made that decision to get up and just go.” –Forrest Mallard

In this episode of Deviate, Rolf and Forrest talk about how they know each other, and how Forrest got into travel (4:00); the time-honored tradition of walking, and why hiking is a fantastic way to travel in and experience other countries (9:45); the tradition of the Camino de Santiago, and Forrest’s humbling early experiences with international trekking on the West Highland Way (21:30); Forrest’s further adventures and counterintuitive tips for how to prepare and what to pack on a trek (37:00); the appeal of hiking in Slovenia (45:00); and advice for getting started, saving money, meeting people, and getting in touch with yourself while trekking (49:00).

Forrest Mallard is the founder of Tramposaurus Treks, a camping and adventure-travel planning community that aims to show people just how accessible, affordable and doable international hiking excursions can be. Forrest currently splits his time between Dubai and far-flung destinations and backcountry trekking trails around the world, including – in recent months – Pakistan, Hunza Hanging Bridge, Fairy Meadows, Chilas, Granada, and Valencia.

Notable Links:

• Werner Herzog on “The Portal” (podcast episode)
• Flâneur (French concept of an urban wanderer)
• Camino de Santiago (pilgrimage route in Spain)
• The Pilgrimage, by Paulo Coelho (book)
• West Highland Way (long-distance path in Scotland)
• Europe on a Shoestring (travel guidebook)
• Caminho Português (Camino route starting in Portugal)
• Camiño francés (Camino route starting in France)
• Slovenian Mountain Hiking Trail (long-distance trail in the Julian Alps)
• Alpine Association of Slovenia (hiking club)
• Simien Mountains National Park (Ethiopian hiking area)
• Tiger Leaping Gorge (Chinese hiking area)
• Torres del Paine National Park (Chilean hiking area)
• Hostelworld.com (lodging booking service)

This episode of Deviate is brought to you by Tortuga Backpacks, which set the standard for the best, most durable, organized, and comfortable travel backpacks. Tortuga products also include daypacks, duffels, and other travel accessories, which are all made with the traveler in mind and have been featured by Wirecutter, The New York Times, Travel + Leisure, Business Insider, Carryology, and many other industry outlets.

This episode is also brought to you by AirTreks, an industry leader in multi-stop international travel. If you’ve ever planned a trip with multiple stops, you know that finding the right flights can be difficult. Between balancing travel logistics and cost, it often becomes impossible to build an itinerary that matches your travel goals.  AirTreks is a distributed travel company with employees working from all corners of the world to help with your flight planning, specializing in complex routes with up to 25 stops. The AirTreks website offers suggested pre-planned travel itineraries to help you get started, but can customize to fit your journey.

The Deviate theme music comes from the title track of Cedar Van Tassel’s 2017 album Lumber.

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