Episode #467 - Al Marriott (Lookout) Triple Crowner

Mighty Blue On The Appalachian Trail: The Ultimate Mid-Life Crisis

Steve Adams

Sports, Wilderness

4.8 • 599 Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2025

⏱️ 55 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Today, we welcome back a friend of the show, a fellow Brit, Al Marriott. Al has already been on for his AT and PCT adventures, but last year he went and completed the CDT to complete his Triple Crown.

He is always good value, with some wry observations about these trails and stories to share along the way. Here, you can check out his last day on the CDT. https://youtu.be/UbVsTHWtg5I

Al has a thriving YouTube community with his channel, Adventure Together TV at Adventure Together , as well as a beautiful website, Adventure Together , where all his travels, along with some spectacular photos, are featured. You can also see more pictures on his Instagram, at Instagram (@advtgt) .

Our book reading, Happy Hiking, by my friend, Emily Leonard is–of course–written from a woman's POV and a woman's voice. I hope you enjoy listening to my reading of it. If you'd like to buy the book, you can find it on Amazon at Happy Hiking: Falling in love on the Appalachian Trail, or on Emily's website, at Happy Hiking.

Our new sponsor for the New Year is TSX Challenge, who turn one week into inspiration for a lifetime. And I should know. Chris at TSX told me he could get me to the top of Mt Whitney…and he did. Check out their incredible group hikes at TSX Challenge - Guided Backpacking Trips to Mt. Whitney, Grand Canyon & Beyond, and save 10% at checkout by using the code MIGHTYBLUE.

I used my hike earlier this year on the South West Coast Path in the UK to help raise money for my absolute favorite charity, Parenting Matters, on whose board I've been privileged to serve for over a decade. You can learn more about the hike and the organization–and donate–by visiting Hike with Steve - Empowering Parents, One Step at a Time | Parenting Matters %. I hope you want to support this critical mission.

Don't forget. Our entire series of videos from our Woods Hole Weekend in 2022 is now FREE and available at my YouTube page at Woods Hole Weekend - Trailer There, you'll find all sorts of tips and tricks that our guests took away from the weekend that helped them with their own hikes this year. Check it out.

I often ask listeners for ideas on who to interview, and I'm sure several of you say, "I could do that. I've got an awesome story to tell." You're the person we need to hear from. If you'd like to be interviewed on the podcast, just register as a guest on the link below, and I'll be in touch. Come on the show!

If you like what we're doing on the Hiking Radio Network, and want to see our shows continue, please consider supporting us with either a one-off or monthly donation. You'll find the donate button on each Hiking Radio Network page at Hiking Radio Network .

If you prefer NOT to use PayPal, you can now support us via check by mailing it to Mighty Blue Publishing, PO Box 6161, Sun City Center, FL 35751. Any support is gratefully received.

Additionally, you can "Zelle" me a donation to steve@hikingradionetwork.com. Or "Venmo" me at @‌Steve-Adams-105. They both work!

If you'd like to take advantage of my book offer (all three of my printed hiking books–with a personal message and signed by me–for $31, including postage to the United States) send a check payable to Mighty Blue Publishing at the address just above.

Transcript

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0:00.0	You are listening to the Hiking Radio Network, where we talk the walk with shows by hikers
0:05.3	about hikers for everybody. Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis, joined Stephen his guests every week as he staggers from Georgia to Maine.
0:33.5	Hey guys, welcome back to the podcast. You're listening to episode number 467 of Mighty Blue on the Appalachian Trail, the ultimate midlife crisis. I am Mighty Blue and we've got another excellent show for you today. We met our main guest, El Marriott, a couple of times before. He's a fellow Brit and has recently completed his triple crown ofiking by completing the Continental Divide Trail.
0:55.3	We interviewed him after his Appalachian Trail hike and his Pacific Crest Trail hike.
0:59.4	I thought it might be quite nice to get him back on to complete the set.
1:02.8	Funnily enough, I've got another returning guest in a couple of weeks who also completed his
1:07.3	Triple Crown on the CDT last year. It's going to be interesting to see how
1:11.4	their stories compare and contrast their experience. We'll hear from Al in a moment. After Al, in
1:17.4	Emily Leonard's happy hiking, Emily celebrates Father's Day with her husband Bruce, instead of
1:22.8	celebrating Hike Naked Day. What a small spot. But before we hear from Al, there's this. A couple of years
1:30.1	ago, I did something I'd never done in the past. I gave up booze entirely for about three months.
1:37.0	If you know me well, that was a sacrifice. I had a big goal though. I was trying to reach Mount Whitney
1:42.6	with TSX Challenge and was particularly
1:44.8	aware that I'd been dehydrated on each of my prior three John Muir trail attempts. So I knew that
1:50.7	cutting out my normal couple of glasses of wine each night would help. I also lost weight. I went
1:55.9	for a walk each morning for about 45 minutes to an hour, sometimes more. That really kickstarted my metabolism,
2:01.7	and I lost around 15 to 20 pounds. Having that big goal on the horizon, something I really wanted
2:07.9	to do, helped to focus my training and preparation. It also didn't hurt that I was preparing
2:12.9	for an extreme challenge, though I think I may not have focused on the extreme part in my preparations.
2:19.8	If you're in need of that New Year goal, give TSC Challenge a look.
2:24.0	They organise backpacking trips in the Sierra, Grand Canyon and Beyond for all ages and
2:28.0	experience levels. Use the code Mighty Blue to check out for 10% off a 2025 experience.
	...

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