First hike in Central Virginia

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#1

Hello all. I’m preparing for my first hike along the Appalachian Trail; I’m looking to start in May 2011. I’ll be covering approximately 128 miles, from Roanoke to Rockfish Gap, VA. I’ve done a lot of reading over the last few weeks, but I still have many questions; it would be great to start an email correspondence with someone who has already walked this area of the trail. I have 2 main questions:

  1. What kind of terrain will I encounter, and how many miles per day on average can I expect to cover (27 yr old male in excellent physical condition with a 6-day-a-week workout schedule)?

  2. Any tips or warnings about doing the trek solo? I can’t find anyone to go with, so I’m expecting that it will just be me.

Thanks first any information you can provide!

Ryan Jarrell

#2

#1 terrain is never flat on the AT …you will always be going up and down, over and over

#2 you will not be alone…Thru hikers going north will be in the same section you are planning to hike in May…

mike

#3

Sounds like you are in good shape, however unless you are doing a lot of walking or long distance running, your workouts will not prepare your feet. It would be better to start slow and not try to put in 15-20 mile days. Let your body adjust to the train and the stress. You will have less chance of over use injury and you will enjoy your hike a lot more. That route is part of the most strenuous part of Virginia. Enjoy your hike. Moon man

Moon man

#4

I agree with Moon Man on taking it easy as you hike, let your body and feet tell you how many miles to do each day not your brain or ego. You’ll be in a pack with thru hikers who have already been hiking two months and they’ll be in in great shape, don’t try to keep up with them. You’ll have a number of long climbs in that section, you will do fine if you take your time. This section is a really nice section take time to enjoy it.

Old Goat

#5

oh man!..this is one of my favorite sections!..on every level!..i don’t know what your time frame is, but if you can jump on the trail at say, catawba, your trek will also include the very awesome mcafee knob and tinker cliffs!..i have to say, though, i agree very much with the posts above…this section, though beautiful (ESPECIALLY in may) also has some challenging terrain (it can be steep sometimes and there are PLENTY of rocks!)…and just a reminder that hiking can be very different from other types of workouts (though i suspect your conditioning will help)…keep in mind that you can run into other sorts of problems while hiking long distances (if you’re not used to walking all day)…like chafing and blisters…so…go as lightweight as possible…take it slow and easy at first…and try to do some hiking around town before may…have fun!

maw-ee

#6

Thank you all for the insightful posts. What a great forum this is.

Ryan Jarrell

#7

…i am reminded how quickly leif got on a little problem i had with one of my pages just this week!..thanks to zip and leif for the great job they do here!..and merry christmas to everybody who is connected by this site!

maw-ee