Cross-Country Walking

I’ve entertained the thought of making a trip across the length of Vietnam for a while. A lot of people have done it: some on “easy mode” using a car or motorcycle; some ride a bicycle, while some go full-on hardcore and walk or run the entire 2,000 kilometres.

I’m most impressed by the folks who manage the journey on nothing but their feet. For most people, this is an opportunity to challenge their limits and make a trip of their lifetime. I also think it’s a great exercise of meditation and minimalism where you rely on nothing but your willpower to make it through.

Motivations To Begin

This trekker was 65 years old when he did the trip.

Of the dozen stories of folks who have crossed the country on foot that I’ve read, they share these 5 common motivations:

  • To discover themselves and challenge their limits. This is a very common theme among these walkers. The trek itself is within most people’s physical abilities, while is also a great challenge for their mental strength.
  • For the memory. Some of these people are travellers by heart, and they’re always seeking the newest route to conquer. This is a trip that will definitely leave an indelible mark on their memory.
  • To do it while they still have the time and health to. In other words, to avoid regret. Would definitely suck to think of when you’re in your middle age, too busy with your family and your career; your body is falling apart, and you sit there thinking wishfully that you should have made this trip sooner.
  • To overcome sadness and depression. A guy just had a break-up with his girlfriend, and well, away he went. It’s definitely a great way to escape your surroundings and take your mind off an emotional burden for 2 months.
  • To advocate for a charitable cause. Some folks use their trip to raise awareness and funds for a charity. Some end up raising over 100 million VND!

The Minimalism Aspect

For me, if I were to ever embark on this trip, it would be mostly a chance to practice minimalism and mindfulness. Usually these trips take between 45 – 60 days. I really like the idea of packing light, surviving on nothing but my feet and a couple of changes of clothes, and having a singular focus (walking) for almost 2 months. I wouldn’t even bring my laptop. Just a Kindle for some reading is enough.

Some of the trekkers take it to the extreme and don’t even bring cash. They make it a challenge to complete the trip with zero expenses. They sleep on park benches, under a bridge, in a petrol station, or if lucky — in people’s houses, if they can convince local residents to let them stay the night. For food, they either straight up ask local residents for meals or they find restaurants and ask for leftovers.

This trekker relied on strangers’ generosity and spent zero money on his trip.

Reading these trekkers’ stories, one thing strikes me is how friendly local people everywhere are. Doesn’t matter if it’s in the North, Central or South, a common occurrence is that there will always be a local family willing to feed and house them. Some even invite the trekker to stay for days, never asking for money in return.

I wouldn’t do this. Some people find making friends along the way amazing memories, but I think it’s too much of a hassle. I’d probably bring enough cash to stay in a hostel and eat 3 square meals every day and cover the distance as quickly as possible.

The Challenges

Reading about the experiences of those who have completed these trips, I’ve found that the biggest challenge seem to be more mental than anything. It gets exceedingly boring and dreadful at times, but you still have to march forward. There’s quite a bit of perseverance and grit involved here.

There’s also a concern for the health impacts of too much walking.

To prepare for the trip, the trekkers spend a month or two in advance running between 15 – 20 km a day. In the actual trip, they usually walk between 30 – 50 kilometres, for 10 hours a day, which is a very doable amount of activity.

Still — many report surprise at how strenuous the walking is, especially in the first couple of days. One man says that at one point, his feet hurt so bad that he had to crawl to a local family’s house to rest.

I think it’s a better idea to slowly increase the distance so that the body can acclimatise. I’m not too bothered by the walking itself. The main issue is that at my weight, I’d be burning 3,000 calories a day just for walking. Couple with the heat and the energy for bodily functions, I’m looking at probably 5,000 calories expenditure every day.

There’s no way I will be able to eat that much while on the road. Without a doubt, I will lose quite a bit of weight — probably down to the lower 6x kg range. This would suck a lot for my strength gains. I guess I’ll just have to make the sacrifice to complete the trip.

In a grand scheme of things, this cross-Vietnam trek is absolutely amateur compared to what thru-hikers do. They cross distances of thousands of kilometres deep inside forests and mountains, far from civilisation, and often having to carry a week’s worth of food, water, and survival gears on their back! These guys are the real hardcore trekkers.

Thru-hiking is the real deal: a hiker before-after the 3,000-kilometre Appalachian Trail hike

When To Do It

Now the biggest question is, when will I take on this challenge? Looks like it will be at least a month of physical preparation and about 7 weeks of walking. I will have to free up a complete 2 months! Doesn’t sound very feasible right now. And it’s just a trip for selfish purposes after all, so I’m in no rush to begin. Might be another 5 – 10 years from now.

In the near future I might start off with an easier attempt such as riding a bicycle from Hanoi – Saigon, which will probably take only 2 weeks. I hope in the next year or so I’ll somehow find 2 weeks off my schedule to do this.

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