Tough Girl Podcast Arlette Laan aka “Apple Pie”. First woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in USA. 35,000+ miles hiked!
Join us for an exhilarating journey into the world of long-distance hiking with Arlette Laan, affectionately known as "Apple Pie."
In this episode, Arlette shares her awe-inspiring tale of becoming the first woman to hike all 11 National Scenic Trails in the USA, covering over 35,000 miles on foot. From her childhood adventures in Holland to navigating the rugged terrains of America's most iconic trails, Arlette's story is one of perseverance, passion, and the sheer joy of exploration.
Tune in as she delves into the essence of long-distance hiking, the challenges she faced along the way, and the profound lessons she learned from her epic adventures. Whether you're an avid hiker or simply someone who loves a good adventure story, this episode is sure to leave you inspired and itching to hit the trails!
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Show notes
- Who is Arlette?
- Being born in Holland
- Living in Boston, USA
- Getting the trail name ‘Apple Pie’
- Growing up in Holland and having a typical childhood
- Moving over to California after college
- Visiting Switzerland and getting into backpacking
- The hiking culture in the Netherlands
- Starting with the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in America in 2003
- Learning more about the long distance trails
- What she loves about long distance hiking
- Being empowered after reaching her goals
- How hiking has changed over the years
- The social aspect of hiking
- Not being an ultra light fast packer
- What a typical day hiking looks like
- Having dinner at 5pm and then carrying on hiking
- Finishing up the 11 National Scenic Trails
- Not giving her body the rest she needed
- Pushing harder while hiking
- Dealing with the heat and humidity and struggling to hit the 25 miles per day needed
- Advice for recovery and why taking time off is a good thing
- Eating well while hiking
- Cooking v cold soaking
- Food chat!
- Wearing dresses while hiking
- Hiking through all seasons
- Tips for winter hiking
- Feet and shoes for hiking
- Road walking with a pack
- Hiking with poles
- Fitting hiking into her life and working as a hiking guide
- Hiking all of the 11 National Scenic Trails in the States
- Putting a plan in place in 2018
- Speaking with ‘Buck 30’ (Brian Tanzman)
- Planning and preparation for the final few hikes
- Dealing with aggressive barking dogs
- North Country Trail (4,600 miles)
- Advice for when it gets tough on a hike
- Making her goals smaller
- Keeping track of expenses while on trail
- Paying for breakfast as it’s a better deal than dinner
- Advice for hiking the Te Araroa (TA), New Zealand
- Skipping the road walks in New Zealand
- Hiking in Nepal
- Hiking in Europe
- Preferring to hike in the wilderness
- Going back to hike the Arizona trail
- Wanting to thru-hikes the trails that she section hiked
- Wanting to ‘redlining’ the White Mountains guide book (1,440.4 miles )
- How to connect with Arlette on social media #ApplePieHikes
- Selling sock dolls (only sold/shipped to the US)
- Redline Guiding
- Final words of advice
Social Media
Website: www.arlettelaan.com
Instagram: @arlette_laan