We did the thing.
Backpacking is a weird pastime. Walks in nature? Everyone agrees they’re great. Long walks in nature, day after day, regardless of the weather, carrying your food, bedding, clothes and all the other things you need while forgoing basic hygiene? Through hiking? Weird.
But weird is where challenge is. And where challenge lies, there lies the chance for growth and transformation. Yes, there’s basking in the majesty of the natural world. Eating lunch by a creek or on top of a mountain and discovering moose prints and new fungi, but there’s also pushing through the mental slog of hours of rain and mud and the miles of rocks and roots. And then there’s spending 24 hours a day with your partner, unbathed and unvarnished. And in there is a serious metaphor for relationships and life.
We did the thing.
The thing we did:
📍La Traversée de Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada
🗓️ 7 days, including three of rain
🚶109 km (68 miles) end to end
📈 3,336 m (10,945 feet) of gain
📉 -3,686 m (12,093 feet) of drop