For our fourth and final trek we planned an extended time in the forest, as we created a 71-mile, five-stage route combining sections of two different GR trails. Our trek under the trees could not have come at a better time, as a heat wave made each day more challenging.
Brittany has over 1,650 miles of shoreline, and for our third trek in France we chose to roam along its Emerald Coast. Our trek on the GR34 would take us 50 miles over four stages, beginning from the city of Saint-Malo and ending at the island of Mont-Saint-Michel.
During our first five days of GR3 trekking we encountered numerous medieval chateaux. Even though we only had two days and 21.2 miles of hiking left, we had three more Loire Valley chateau visits planned. Each one would provide us with a unique glimpse into the culture and history of the region.
We chose to trek 88 miles of the GR3 through the heart of the Loire Valley, home to famous wineries and historic castles (chateaux). With hundreds of chateaux to visit in the area, it is no wonder that the valley and the river were registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
As we rejoined the trail after a rest day, we would continue our trek along the Massif Central. During our final six stages and 73.5 miles we would hike through a nature park, make a long descent to the Lot River, and traverse through several more idyllic medieval villages before ending our trek in Conques.
The GR65 route originating in Le Puy-en-Valey is known as the Via Podiensis in Latin. We were intrigued by trekking through medieval French villages and the tranquil countryside while experiencing a part of France not normally on the tourist path. So we planned a 10-day trek taking us from Le Puy west to Conques.
Europe is one of our favorite places to trek in the world, with a rich variety of hiking options. But perhaps no country in Europe captures the diversity of trekking opportunities like France. During our new Trekking France adventure we plan to hike 340 miles on five long-distance GR trails in four different locations.
After finishing our five-day, 50-mile Pacific Crest Trail / John Muir Trail trek a few weeks earlier, we realized that we had just a few stages left to complete the entire 211-mile JMT. So we returned to the Sierra Nevada Mountains for a final six stage trek.
We are back in California’s Sierra Nevada Mountains to hike on one of our favorite sections of the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). In June 2016 we last hiked this portion of the PCT, encountering high water crossings and snowy passes. So we looked forward to a much different trail experience in August 2025.
The California Coastal Trail (CCT) is a 1,230-mile proposed route that, when complete, will traverse the entire state’s coastline. We incorporated a five-day, 60-mile hike on the Monterey Bay section of the CCT into a road trip north to visit family in Seattle, Washington.
We spent two months in 2024 trekking 700 miles of the Via Francigena. Our video provides an overview of our 52-stage hiking journey in Switzerland and Italy.
During the Roman Empire a vast network of routes to Rome were built. These roads totaled more than 250,000 miles and were said to be an origin of the phrase, “All Roads Lead to Rome.” After over 600 miles of trekking, we had six stages left until our own hiking “road” led us to Rome.
