ABOUT ME

Below are some of the common questions regarding the walk and myself, along with my answers:

WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS?

This is usually the first question that people ask. Here are the reasons that I have for doing this walk:

IT’S A DREAM
Ever since I learned about the European long distance paths, I have had this dream. I tried to pass it off as a silly obsession, but it has endured.
I LOVE WALKING
Walking provides a very unique and raw adventure. You see and experience things that would be missed with other forms of transport. There is something very rewarding about completing a journey using only your legs, while carrying your own gear.
I’M TURNING 40
I am the kind of person that hopes everyone will forget about my birthday. However, I will be turning 40 during my walk. The walk is my 40th birthday present to myself.
JOB BREAK
Consulting is often a thankless job, with an emphasis on dealing with customers’ self-induced crises. I am a bit burned out after 12 years in this role. The desire for a career change coincides with my plan to walk.
CHARITY
This is an excellent opportunity to raise awareness and money for charities.
BETTER HEALTH
Being a desk jockey is not very good for my health. I would like to lose a few kilos, and I have some lower back problems that seem to magically disappear when I go on walking trips. My struggle with migraines is documented on the Migraine Research Foundation page.
SIMPLIFY LIFE
Instead of having a crisis over some mundane detail at work, the key decisions for the day involve migration, food, sleep, the weather, and your environment. It’s nice to leave the first-world problems behind for a while.

WHY THE E4?

I have chosen the E4 path for the following reasons:

IT’S LONG
I figure, if I have to quit my job to do this, why not go big. I want a real distance challenge, and the E4 provides that.
WALK WITH THE SEASONS
The E4 allows me to start walking in Spring, cross the mountains in the Summer, and then start heading south towards Greece in Autumn before the cold of winter sets in.
CLOSE TO FAMILY
My wife’s family lives in Bavaria, near the Austrian border. Being able to see them during my walk will be fantastic. It provides an extra milestone for me.
I LOVE EUROPE
I have traveled to Europe many times before, and I think that Europe is insanely beautiful. It will be quite special to experience it on foot.
BREAKING GROUND
To my knowledge, no one has completed the entire E4 path in one go. I may be the first person to walk the E4 from Spain to Cyprus.

WHAT WALKING EXPERIENCE DO YOU HAVE?

Obviously, I have not attempted anything like the E4. However, I have done many multi-day walks/hikes. Here are a few of my recent ones:

Larapinta Trail (Northern Territory, Australia) – 16 Days
Bicentennial Trail (Section 1 – Cooktown to Mossman, Queensland, Australia) – 10 Days
Desolation Wilderness (California, USA) – 4 Days
Falls-Hotham Alpine Crossing (Victorian Alps, Victoria, Australia) – 3 Days
Oxfam Trailwalker (Melbourne, Australia) – Our team of four completed the 100km walk in 34 hours

DO YOU THINK THAT YOU WILL MAKE IT?

Have no idea. Simply need to have a go and see what happens. I am not really concentrating on the complete distance. Just focusing on one country at a time.