Hello and welcome to today's independent travel podcast. It's Friday the 2nd of August,

and I'm delighted to say that I am at Land's End, of which there are many in the world,

but this particular one is Cap Gaspe at the end of the Gaspe Peninsula in Quebec, eastern Canada.

And there goes a mountain biker. I wonder where he is heading for, possibly Georgia.

Yes, the one in the US. Because this is the start of the International Appalachian Trail.

It runs 1,000 kilometres from here through the mountains of Quebec into New Brunswick.

Then it crosses into the state of Maine in the US and runs all the way down the

Appalachian Trail, which ends in Springer Mountain in Georgia. Having proceeded very beautifully

through New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, giving a bit

of a wide berth to New York City, but going through New York State, Pennsylvania, a bit of

Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Tennessee, and then finally through to Georgia. It's a heck of a walk.

That's 3,500 kilometres.

Almost goes through six national parks.

And it's the sort of hike that you might want to consider doing in bits.

And if you were, I would urge you to start here.

Because this is done up to the Grand Rondonnet standards what's that you may wonder well it's all about the very good marking that

you have of the paths it's also about the way that they are constructed to the,

well, the same specification as the Grand Rondonnes in France, which I've brought along a few of,

in particular the Grand Rondonnet Dice. And it's a great sense that you are,

even if not necessarily,

walking all the way today,

but you are embarking on a walk

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