August in Neuseeland – einerseits Winter und nicht ans Wandern zu denken, andererseits öffnete aber am 01.08.2025 die Registrierung für einen Thru-Hike auf Te Araroa, dem 3000 km langen Weg durch Aotearoa Neuseeland. Neu in diesem Jahr ist, dass mit der nun verpflichtenden Registrierung ein Beitrag in Höhe von 1350 NZD von ausländischen Thru-Hike-Aspirantinnen und Aspiranten entrichtet werden muss. Dieser Betrag beinhaltet die Registrierungsgebühr und den sogenannten Trailpass, der es erlaubt, in den zahlreichen Hütten des DOC (Department of Conservation) und auf dessen Campsites entlang des Trails zu übernachten.

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So we decided to hike the 265-km-long Great South West Walk. This is a loop in the south-west of Victoria. It was established as a trail in 1981 by two lively residents of Portland. Later, in 1984, a volunteer group known as the “Friends of the Great South West Walk Inc.” continued to extend, realign, maintain, upgrade, and promote the GSWW on behalf of the Glenelg Shire community and in collaboration with Parks Victoria.

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My partner and I got all packed and ready to leave the United States from Dulles Airport to Melbourne shortly after Christmas. It was right on time as it became significantly cooler at the end of December, and I could not wait to return to summer in the Southern Hemisphere. After a smooth, but long flight that included transits in Charlotte and Los Angeles, we made it to Melbourne.

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Whenever I am with my partner at his home on the East Coast, I also like to get some time in a city. Washington, D.C., is one of my favourite places to spend the day. But at some point, I realised that Philadelphia is also only a relatively short train ride away. So, shortly before Christmas, I decided to go on a little trip and visit the city where the US-American Constitution was born, and which is the home of the famous Liberty Bell. I booked two nights in Philadelphia and got tickets with Amtrak via Baltimore. 

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Spending time in the shoulder or off-season in the Appalachians is much more appealing to me than hiking there in summer. Summers under the canopy of the Appalachians‘ mostly deciduous trees are pleasant and shaded, but it is also quite humid and stuffy. Having hiked the Benton Mackeye Trail in April and June back in 2019, and having done numerous day hikes along the US-American East Coast in summer, gave me a pretty good impression of the specific challenges hiking in this region, beyond the continuous ups and downs of the rolling mountains.

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Jan Bakker is my guest today. He is not just an adventurous spirit and hiker but also the person behind the Pamir Trail that crosses Tajikistan. I’m happy to have him on the show today for many reasons: I am very curious about the Pamir Trail and what it takes to create a trail in Central Asia. I am also looking forward to hearing more about Jan’s story, as he is a very experienced traveler and an outdoor person. 

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