GORP Guests Chris Townsend - Long-Distance Walker GORP Guest from Sept. 4 - 18, 1998
Chris Townsend
Chris Townsend not only has completed some of the most exciting long-distance hikes in the world, including the Continental Divide and Pacific Crest Trails, he has also achieved an impressive list of"firsts" in the process. The British-based hiker was the first to walk the entire length of the Canadian Rockies, from Waterton Lakes to the Liard River, a distance of 1600 miles (1988). His 1000-mile hike in 1990 from the Chilkoot Trail in Southeast Alaska to the Richardson Mountains, north of the Arctic Circle, was also a first, as was his summiting of the 517 3,000-foot Scottish peaks in a continous walk (1996).
The author of nine books and hundreds of articles, the Chris currently writes regular features on gear and other subjects for TGO (The Great Outdoors) magazine and leads ski tours in Norway and other countries for Mountain & Wildlife Ventures. His honors include the Outdoor Writers' Guild Awards for Excellence for The Backpacker's Handbook, and for a photo piece on the Grand Canyon called "Below the Face of the Earth."
Chris was a GORP guest in September of 1998. You can read the responses to the questions he received by viewing the Chris Townsend - Long-Distance Walker thread in GORP's Hiking Forum.