Reviewing 'Appalachian Trials': Mental Strength For Hiking

Inside this article Coach Andrea shares her review of the book Appalachian Trials, and how she used it to improve her mental strength for her first solo, multi-day hike.

​Exploring Mental Strength For Solo Hiking

​​I had a 7-day solo hike coming up, and even though I'd never done more than one solo overnight hike, I felt confident that I'd knock this over with no problems.  After all, I'd trained my body and prepared it as best as I could for the upcoming physical challenges.  I was looking forward to those challenges on the trail, almost willing them to throw their best at me!  

Also, I would only be carrying a daypack, so how hard could it be, right?

But then I got talking to a friend who solo hikes quite a bit. 

She heads into the wilderness for days on end; she's a highly competent hiker with all the right gear and first aid training for remote areas.  And what she told me gave me pause for thought;  

"What can often be a struggle isn't just the physical side of things. It's with your own thoughts, day in, day out for days or weeks on end. Your head can go to places that it might never go to in normal life".  

Her comment stayed with me.  I absolutely love solo hiking.  But I've only ever done it on day hikes and the one overnighter.  I love the serenity, the opportunity to really connect with nature, to see and hear things that you often miss when hiking with others.  

But more than that, I love how solo hiking allows me to completely disengage from the world and be alone with my own thoughts.  It gives me time to process things that might be going on in my life with no distractions.  For me, it's cathartic and rejuvenating!  And it's also empowering.  Knowing you're out there alone, relying on only yourself and keeping your composure when things turn to crap or a scary situation arises is incredible for personal growth and confidence.  

But hearing my friend's comment, I wondered if that 'alone time' would start to wear thin.  Would I start going loopy?  How would I deal with it if all that solitude actually became an issue for me?  

One or two days of it is awesome.  

How would a week go?  

Their ability to be self-reliant for long periods of time without going barmy is one of the reasons I rate solo hikers so highly.  

All this pondering got me thinking about the psychology of hiking and adventure.  

There are endless books, forums and groups dedicated to the practical side of hiking; gear, food, pack weight etc. etc. And whilst this stuff is important, it personally doesn't float my boat that much. Gram-counting seems to be a thing for a lot of people.  

I started to get caught up in that but then realised that I like certain creature comforts too much to continue down that path. I'd rather train harder to carry that extra 2kg for a piece of gear that will make my experience nicer for me than potentially have a less fun experience because I felt the need to cut weight from my pack.  

Saying this, I have total respect for the gram-counters and how they manage to cull stuff for a lighter journey! And I've definitely learned a lot from them and managed to get my pack to a reasonable weight due to some of their fantastic suggestions. But I'm not about to go cutting the handle off my toothbrush or going without some beloved treats for the sake of 100g!  

I guess what I'm saying is that this stuff isn't my jam. But the stuff that goes on inside our heads is the stuff that really gets my juices flowing! All that gear stuff won't matter one iota if you struggle at that first psychological hurdle.

​Physical preparation is crucial.  And it is something that I have experienced from both ends of the spectrum. 

I have been physically underprepared for the trail (in a major way) and experienced what it is like to struggle through a day-hike...

And, after working through my training for hiking with Summit Strength, I experienced the difference the proper preparation can make towards stronger and pain-free hiking!

So I can attest to how vital fitness has been for my enjoyment and success on the trails.  

But fitness aside, I love the psychological side of sport and adventure.  

What is it that makes one person push through a seemingly impossible obstacle whilst another will crumble and give in?  

My recent studies in Life Coaching helped explain some of these things to me. I've used some of the strategies I learned from that course in pushing through some of my own challenges that I probably would not have before. 

But I was keen to learn more.

Not just from an academic viewpoint but from the real-life experience of a hiker. 

And that is when I discovered Appalachian Trials.

​I'd heard about the book Appalachian Trials before but never went as far as actually buying it.  After all, I had no plan to hike the 2,190 miles (3424 km) Appalachian Trail.  Ever!  

I doubted that this book would have any relevance for the 'average' hiker like me. But I ended up buying it anyway.

I saw the words, 'A psychological and emotional guide to successfully thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail' on the front cover and the 'psychological' bit grabbed my attention.   ​

It turns out there are lots of lessons, ideas and suggestions in that book that are not only transferable to much shorter hikes but life in general.  

We all have our own 'Everest'.  It doesn't have to be a six-month-long thru-hike.  

It could be taking on a new job, undertaking studies or throwing in the towel with your life and becoming a nomad!  

And there were strategies in this book that could be used in any of these situations.  So, this was right up my alley!   

I absolutely loved this whole book.  

Zach Davis writes in a style that I find appealing, like I'm sitting down with a mate over a cuppa and having a good old chinwag.  I really could write something positive about every page!  

But in the interests of readability, here's an overview of some of the parts that really resonated with me. Things that I'd definitely take on board before any challenging hike or challenging situation.

Mental Strength For Hiking

Why do we choose to do the things we do? If you're sitting there and thinking to yourself, "I want to hike the Appalachian Trail, the Bibbulmun Track or New Zealand's Te Araroa", what thought process went into that? Or if you decide you'd like to climb a super-tough peak or take on a challenging traverse, why did you decide that?  

Sometimes that part comes easy. Sometimes not; it's just a 'feeling' you got. Either way, you've decided you're going to take on that challenge. Don't then dismiss the reasons why you chose to undertake this challenge.  

Those reasons are super important.  

Then consider this; what happens if you don't succeed?  

A few years ago, my 20yo daughter set off on a trip to Africa to climb Mt Kilimanjaro.  

She asked, "Mum, what if I fail to submit? What do I tell everyone?" 

I'm sure I offered some lame platitude about how it doesn't matter what others think, which is true but not really helpful in hindsight.  

So, if you don't succeed, what do you tell your friends and family? 

You've pumped this trip up to everybody, and despite what others may say, it does matter to you what others think. 

And what does your inner demon tell you about yourself if you don't succeed? 

That demon is often way off the mark, but we give it so much power. And what do you do if you want to throw in the towel along the way?  

Really, really important questions!

I wish I'd known about the Appalachian Trials at that time. The strategies for success are all in there, in the mental work that needs doing before you tackle your big adventure. Rather than feeling unprepared when the inevitable obstacle arrives, you'll know what to do because you've done your mental prep work beforehand.  

Don't underestimate the importance of this. I wish I could've given my daughter this book back then. The answers are in there. You have to put in the homework, but that's where the magic happens.

Challenges And Personal Growth While HIking

​Are you the sort of person who thrives on challenge, or would you prefer to stay within your comfort zone?  

Does an unexpected obstacle throw you into a meltdown, or do you relish the opportunity to work through it?  

Let's face it; we've all been on an adventure where something has gone wrong either because of something beyond our control or through our own lack of preparedness or stupidity. I'll put my hand up for the latter!  

These things can make or break you.  

In this book, Zach Davis gives insight into what these challenges mean for you for life on the trail but also for your life in general.  

He talks about how to harness a different mindset for positive outcomes.  Awesome skills that are transferable into almost any challenging situation.

Hike Your Own Hike

Most of you will have heard this saying before. And on the surface of it, we understand what it means. 

Throughout your 'hiking life,' you will come across people who are self-proclaimed 'experts' in everything hiking-related. You only need to read bushwalking forums to see that everyone has an opinion and that their opinion alone is the right one. Take these people and their opinions with a grain of salt. Sure, they might offer some helpful, practical advice, and you might want to take some of that on board because this is how we learn. But beware the people who 'know everything and, more importantly, tell you how you should be doing things. 

Your journey is yours alone.  

You come at it from a unique background with unique life experiences. Your reasons for why you hike and how you hike are yours alone. The person telling you that you're doing it wrong because it's not how they do it has no understanding of you.  

You will come across these people.   

In Appalachian Trials, there is a whole chapter dedicated to the premise of hiking your own hike. I found this invaluable. It delves into topics such as social dynamics, technology on the trail and much, much more. You'll learn how to not get bogged down in definitions or the opinions of others.  ​

Again, not only great insight and ideas for life on the trail but transferable into your 'other' life. 
​

So What Do I think About the Book?

​
​There are so many valuable insights in this book that I can't possibly go into them all.  Mindset, post-trail blues and weight gain, goal setting, deprivation lifestyle, pacing yourself, the honeymoon period are just some of the topics covered. Plus so much more. Every page in that book is gold!

And for those who are interested in gear, there's even a chapter for you!  

I never got to do my seven-day solo hike due to Covid-19 restrictions. But having read this book now, I know I'll be better prepared for my next challenging adventure.  

I highly recommend Appalachian Trials for anyone who wants to arm themselves with ideas and strategies for better chances at success on their next adventure! 

​About The Author

Andrea is a coach with Summit Strength, who  specialise in helping hikers get strong and pain-free for their adventures. 

At the age of 54, she discovered a real passion for hiking. But she also discovered just how limiting physical fitness and pain can be on the trail.

After signing up to one of the Summit Strength signature programs, she discovered just how much of a difference the right training can make to a hiker's enjoyment and comfort on their adventures. 

These days, she helps hikers all around the world get fit, strong and resilient for their adventures.