No 419 – Chris Townsend Pt2

This is the second part of my interview with Chris Townsend where we get to hear more about his camp routines which keep him busy, what it feels like to walk across a desert, his thoughts on remote safety, a close encounter of the Bear kind and gear review. This is a proper back to basics trip in many ways, where he was off the established paths and in exceedingly remote places. We also discuss how easy it is to plan, research and undertake a 450 mile walk in the US, when tucked away in a small house in the middle of remote Scotland.

He is also one of the best known and probably best loved and most respected, long distance hikers who has experienced not only ‘the trail’ all over the world, but also the development of associated equipment of the last 30 years.

He is the perfect commentator on the environmental changes and our relationship with it and has witnessed much that we everyday hikers take for granted.

This podcast is mainly based around his most recent 32 day 450 mile walk from Yosemite Valley to Death Valley in September and October 2016. It is a very interesting observation in the diverse terrain and experience of the high sierras compared with the vast great heat and flat landscape of the death valley desert.

What gear would you take to cope with both, how would you feel heading totally off the trail? This is bushwhacking at its most basic and he tells the story as casually as he might a walk to the local peak.

A wonderful and a very interesting man. It was a pleasure as always to chat about our favourite subject.

All photographs supplied by Chris Townsend. More information, stories and images can be found over on his website.

Items discussed in the podcast;

Lowest to the Highest – Website and resource

Tom Harrison – Maps

Executive producer for the show – Eduardo Dourado

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