Beth and Will
We’re Beth and Will, two office workers from northern England who would rather be halfway up a hill.
How we got here
We met at uni in the canoe club, where we spent our weekends paddling white water together. Long before we shared a tent, we shared a kayak line down a rapid. These days Will works in IT and Beth works in the environment sector, so most of our weeks are spent looking at screens. We’ve both always been outdoorsy and have hiked on and off for as long as we can remember, but 2020 turned it into a habit: lockdown walks became weekend walks, and weekend walks became the Lakes and the Dales whenever we could get there.
In 2024 we tried our first multi-day route and, slightly to our surprise, didn’t want it to end. We’ve been stringing longer trips together ever since.
Why this trip, why 2027
We’d talked about a long travel break for years, but wanted it to have a purpose. A thru-hike like the Pacific Crest Trail was tempting. Then we both read Solo by Jenny Tough and fell for the idea of something more complicated: a string of big mountain ranges, with the chance to see more of the world in between.
The first plan was a long hike on every continent. The routes we liked in Africa and South America wouldn’t fit into the same year, so they’re saved for another time. And 2027? That’s simply when the budget finally added up.
We’re both taking career breaks for the year. What we’re most excited about is how different each hike will be: the Pyrenees, the Colorado Rockies, the Northern Japan Alps and Te Araroa in New Zealand all ask something different of us, and we can’t wait to find out what.
How we hike
We prefer to camp, though we’ve hut-hiked too. We like to go fast and light, but we’ll always stop for a swim.
- Planning: Shared. Will takes the international trips and Beth takes the UK ones.
- Cooking: Dehydrated meals keep it simple, and Will usually does the cooking.
- Snacks: Beth. Arguably the most important job on the team.
- The tent: Will carries it.
Our hiking so far
Not professional athletes, just fairly stubborn. Our multi-day trips so far:
- 2024: GR5 (a two-week section)
- 2025: John Muir Trail
- 2025: Tour du Queyras (extended a little)
- 2026: Coast to Coast (part of it)
- 2026: Coronallacs Trail
- 2026: Peaks of the Balkans
Plus plenty of shorter trips in the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales.
What you’ll get from following along
- Honest trail guides: Distances, seasons, permits, resupply and what we’d do differently, written once we’ve walked it.
- The kit we actually carry: What went in the pack, what earned its place and what we’d swap.
- Real costs: Rounded totals for each chapter, shared once we’ve finished it.
- Planning around office jobs: How we saved, booked and arranged a year away while working full time.