“What’s your name?” an American drawls as I climb up the bank.
“I’m Katrina. And you?”
He readjusts his pack. “I’m Platypus.”
Ah, my first meeting with a fellow TA walker who has a trail name. Based on his lean frame, muscled legs, small and tidy pack, I can tell he’s done a long-distance walk before – probably the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or Appalachian Trail (AT) in the US (also known as ‘the big ones’). It’s where the name Platypus would have come from.
“I’m guessing that’s not your real name,” I say.
“No.” He grins but doesn’t enlighten me.
“What is your real name?”
He pauses before conceding, “John.”
“So, John, why are you called Platypus?”
He smiles, “Every trail name comes with a story …” He chooses not to elaborate and turns and walks off, leaving the mystery hanging in the dusty air.
During several months on the trail, I also met Chance, Sundown and Mary Poppins. And other characters.
These people add to the road walking, mud, mountain climbing and river crossing that is the TA, and each meeting adds to the trail experience.
So, who might you expect to meet on the TA?
1. The “I’ve already walked the [insert long-distance trail here]” hiker
You’ll meet a fair few of these trampers. They have experience, having learnt the long-distance hiking craft on another trail in a foreign land. They are often lean, generally clock speeds and distances that seem superhuman, and have their kit and backpack sorted (it may feature sew-on badges of where they’ve walked or a T-shirt claiming ‘I’ve walked the PCT’).
They like being called by the trail name gained on previous big hikes. They also like dishing out trail names to others who don’t have one (even if you don’t want one). They’re great in a hut or campsite because they have endless interesting hiking stories, and great tips and advice. They have a tendency to compare trails, and Te Araroa may not rate highly – mainly because of the mud, road walking and tramping-grade tracks that aren’t nicely maintained like the [insert long-distance trail here]. For a patriotic Kiwi who ‘gets’ the essence of the TA, this can grate.
2. The kitchen sink carrier
This tramper has a huge, often heavy, backpack within which is absolutely everything. Perhaps they take the New Zealand terrain seriously and want to be prepared for all eventualities; they’re certainly handy if your stove/pack/boots break.
Maybe they are packing their fears and carrying those items ‘just in case’, because, well, you might get stranded and need an extra five days’ food plus four rolls of toilet paper. It might be that they want a bit of luxury, so hell, yes, they will carry a pillow and a full-size towel.
Or it could be they’ve not done a long trail before and don’t realise a leather jacket, high-heeled shoes or a ring binder won’t be needed.
3. The lightweight backpacker
This tramper comes in two shades. There is the seasoned hiker who knows what to expect, has all essentials and the very best lightweight gear. Their pack base weight will be under 8kg. They can be seen skipping through the forest or comparing the merits of using a debit card as a spoon or a drink can as a stove. They can be super handy for ‘The Kitchen Sink Carrier’, those who might need help to sort their kit and reduce pack weight.
Then, there’s the new-to-long-distance-hiking tramper who wants to reduce their pack weight but a) don’t have funds for lightweight kit and b) don’t understand the word ‘safety’. These guys don’t just cut off their clothes tags or go commando to save weight. They can border on the dangerous.
They might decide that it’s summer, so why take a down jacket?; or they are unlikely to need a personal locator beacon, or a first aid kit, knowing they can walk with someone who will have both; or believe they can scrounge food off others along the way. Be wary of this breed of lightweight backpacker.
4. The Talker
Forget the solitude of the great outdoors if you bump into The Talker. As suggested, this tramper likes to talk, and not just small talk. They’ll purposely walk at your speed all day and talk constantly irrespective of whether you like it or not. If they’re the sort known as The Philosophiser, it can make for an enjoyable, insightful and fulfilling conversation. Otherwise expect several hours of minute-detail life story, varying degrees of moaning or a full-on assault on why you should be vegan.
If you like talking, listening to someone else talking or meeting people, it’ll be fine, but if you’re not or you’re The Loner, make your excuses early before you get stuck. Just make sure the excuses are good; these guys can sometimes miss the hint.
5. The Butterfly
These are the ordinary people on their first long-distance trail. They’re my favourites. They think they don’t look like trail walkers. They may be unsure about walking the TA. People may have laughed at them for doing so. But still, there is something about the walk and proving they can do it. These guys don’t give up. They experience how tough the trail is and in the process, transform like a butterfly. They find inner strength and resilience and discover something deeper about themselves. It’s a beautiful thing.
6. The influencer
These guys are all about the photos, the blogging, the social media posts, the public speaking engagements in schools – often to where it dictates their walk. They need internet coverage every day so they can post a progress report (even going off trail to find a summit), or sneak off early when reaching town to finish a blog, or take the Instagram-perfect photo. It could be that they want to promote themselves, maybe they’ve been sponsored to walk the trail, or perhaps they’re fundraising for charity or trying to beat a record. Whatever the reason, they’ll often feel a sense of responsibility to deliver regular updates and stay in touch with civilisation, sometimes at the expense of experiencing the trail.
7. The Loner
The one who erects their tent on the far side of the campsite and does their own thing. Sometimes they will converse, often they won’t. It’s generally not because they are shy or because they can’t speak English – although that’s possible – but more because they want an intimate experience with nature or are walking for a particular reason with a deeper meaning to them. But actually, you don’t know – will never know – the reason. Don’t take it personally if they don’t want to engage with you.
8. The Hanger-on
The Talker is potentially The Hanger-On – although The Hanger-On doesn’t have to be The Talker. The Hanger-On is generally a solo walker who wants to latch onto another person or group. It’s not like meeting other trampers and developing friendships; The Hanger-On oversteps the mark. They’re not walking their own walk. Instead, they will do whatever is needed to stay with the person or people they’ve decided to latch on to. Fine if you like them, but not if you don’t.
You might feel guilty for leaving camp at 3am and putting in a 50km day, but with The Hanger-On, needs must. Whatever you do, however, don’t fake an injury – there’s a risk they will stay with you until you’re ‘better’.
9. The Purist
The purist – also known as an EFI (Every F***ing Inch) – is the tramper who doggedly walks every kilometre, even the dangerous and monotonous road sections, even the ‘unremarkable’ sections. They won’t hitchhike. They won’t take shortcuts, jump sections or do sections in a different order. If there is a closure, a re-route or they are forced to turn back, they may panic because walking the trail is about doing it the ‘right way’. They can be pedantic, they might be perfectionists, but each kilometre is worn as a badge of honour.
10. The Walking Machine
These speed past and have a superhuman ability to walk 40km+ every day. It could be because they’ve already walked a long-distance trail as training, or their pack is lighter. Maybe they are blessed (lucky them) with walking-machine genes. At the extreme end are those wanting to do the whole trail in 100 days or less (they generally don’t stop and talk for long.) Walking Machine trampers are awe-inspiring but can be as annoying as a South Island sandfly if they’re obsessed with distance and comments like, “really, you started on that date, and you’re only here now?” In which case, they can walk so far and so fast that luckily you won’t see them again.
Note: The examples given are based on real people met when the author (who was a Kitchen Sink Carrier, Purist and Butterfly) walked Te Araroa.
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