In this episode, Rob speaks with Bodil Oudshoorn and Ross Brannigan about their seven-day journey on Peru’s Alpamayo Circuit in the Cordillera Blanca.

Carrying around 16kg each — including a full week of food — they crossed multiple high passes above 4,500 metres, wild camped throughout the route and spent days without seeing another hiker.

The conversation explores the realities of trekking at altitude, the logistics of self-supported travel, the impact of isolation, and the moments that stay with you long after the trip ends.

Along the way they talk about:

• Seeing Alpamayo emerge through cloud for the first time
• Why the first three days nearly ended the trip
• Sleeping above 4,000 metres
• Meeting Quechua farming communities in the mountains
• Condors, hummingbirds and collapsing glaciers
• Carrying seven days of food through the Andes
• What adventure teaches you about resilience and partnership

Route Facts

• Route: Alpamayo Circuit, Peru
• Region: Cordillera Blanca, Andes
• Distance: Approx. 120km
• Duration: 7 days
• Highest passes: Over 4,500 metres
• Style: Self-supported wild camping
• Resupply points: None
• Direction walked: Anti-clockwise

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Get out on your own adventure - find out more at bigtrailadventures.com.

Elise Downing ran 87 miles of the Ridgeway in three days in 2020, between lockdowns, with her friend Sophie. Their two friends, Ange and Oscar, walked the same daily distances - the same format the four had tried on the West Highland Way two years earlier, when Ange and Oscar bailed after day two.

We talk about why running suits the less-scenic sections, the feeling of walking an ancient road, a chance meeting on a footpath, finishing at an empty Avebury Stone Circle, and whether the running-and-walking format worked any better the second time round.

About Elise Downing

Elise is part of our team at Big Trail Adventures, where she runs our social media. She's also one of Britain's best-known long-distance runners. A few years before this trip she ran 5,000 miles around the coast of Britain on her own with her kit on her back. She's written about it in a book and a newsletter.

What we talk about

• The Ridgeway as a "gateway" first trail
• Walking and running on Britain's oldest road
• 29 and 33 mile days, and how miles reframe themselves
• The running-and-walking format, tried for the second time
• The day-two overtake and the frosty reception
• The empty Avebury Stone Circle at the end
• A chance meeting on the trail

If listening to this has got you thinking about your own adventure, head to bigtrailadventures.com.

Show notes

Chris Townsend walked the Alpine section of the GR5 in autumn, as the mountain huts and village shops were closing for the season. He took about a month, slept under a tarp, and bought the food for his first week at a supermarket in Geneva train station before he started.

We talk about the rhythm of a month-long walk, finding water in unfamiliar mountains, the surprise of the southern forests, and the strange business of walking out of the mountains and onto the beach at Nice. There's also a story about singing Italian waiters in a near-empty hotel and a tangent into Death Valley, which last we checked is nowhere near the GR5.

About Chris Townsend

Chris is one of Britain's most experienced long-distance walkers. He's been writing about backpacking and the outdoors for decades, including books on his walks across the USA, Scandinavia and the UK, and regular work for outdoor magazines and his blog.

What we cover

• The two halves of the GR5: high alps in the north, rocky forested mountains in the south
• 1200 metres of ascent every day, and how to pace it
• Sleeping under a tarp rather than a tent
• Water and food planning when the season has ended
• The thunderstorm decision and the snow the next morning
• The sweet chestnut forests of the southern half
• The Italian-run hotel and the casual shopkeeper
• Walking into Nice with a rucksack and hill clothes
• Why a long walk feels different from a short one

Links

• Chris's blog: https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com
• Chris's books: https://www.christownsendoutdoors.com/p/publications.html

If listening to this has got you thinking about your own adventure, head to bigtrailadventures.com.

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