walk and talk

I think there are sections along the Canal du Midi in the southwest of France that would fit criterion #1, especially in the vicinity of Toulouse.

The new(ish) Michinoku Trail in northern Japan. Would be happy to be the local person for a walk here 😄

My wife and I have a dream to walk the Camino, at least one if not several of the trails. But it would just be the two of us. Still, we'll talk!

I've long had a theory that we think faster when walking - although there is no easy way to test it.
Cheers!

More specifically, the section from Toulouse to Carcassonne might be a good choice: ilovewalkinginfrance.com/midi-canal/

The west coast of Ireland would be epic. The Wild Atlantic Way, perhaps the Burren section.

Try the Bosnian part of the Via Dinarica.

I love the format. Moving generates ideas and walking & talking is an ideal way to connect with others. I regularly schedule walks to hang out with my friends, so why not do it to meet new ones?

For locations, there are likely places along the Appalachian Trail that would work for this. I also wonder whether the south coast of England, which has those lovely trails along the cliffs, would be another good spot.

That's a very cool dog. You folks did well getting him to the vet & in a good home.While your walk sounds great, this was the highlight in my eyes.....You may or may not check out a very relevant song i wrote decades ago, & released on an album (School For Fools) in 2002. Lost Dog Blues, my artist was Larry Thurston. Levon Helm is on drums. open.spotify.com/track/72pjiCxnnrXtbopZqev4m0

Awesome idea, but wouldn't it be more fun to do in the wilderness where everyone's wellbeing is actually dependent on each other?

If any of you would like to do this in New Zealand, drop me a line, and we'll organise a trip.

That sounds absolutely fabulous, Derek. A decade or so ago, my then-wife & I walked the Wicklow Way in Ireland (in County Wicklow, natch). Beautiful trails & scenery, lovely villages (with hotels or guest houses) along the way, and about the right length.

Fun enough for the two of us, but I think I have a sense of how much more fun, and meaningful, a walk like the one you describe would be.

Color me inspired. Thank you!

Hey Derek,

Does making high quality friends like this become easier with success?

This sounds amazing but, as of now, I can't think of a group of friends I would be able to do this with. But hopefully one day :).
Good question! Sorry I don't know the answer. — Derek

Count me in for Ireland or if you host this in other locations, love this idea for camaraderie, new friendships and to reconnect to ourselves, meet others, and disconnect from all the tech and noise.

The 'petit train du nord' north of Montreal would be an excellent choice, going from Montreal to ski area resort towns (but the summer walk would be more interesting than the winter one).

Sounds like an amazing concept.
I might suggest Santa Catalina island, any of the Hawaiian islands, Australian Outback (South Australia?), North Shore of Long Island ending at Montauk Point, Mongolia.

Love this! I’m in. Happy to help plan/coordinate!

I think this is great - the main piece for me would be meeting with DIVERSE people and asking thoughtful questions. Whenever I've done things great things have happened.

Lastly, for those who can't walk 60 miles - just start with a small hike of 4 people :-) This is what I'm planning to do.

I love it. You are so good at scratching an itch we never knew we had. I would read your guidebook if you ever wanted another project.

I think it’s not easy for an more introverted person to travel with a group of people and eat dinner with them night after night but there is something about doing an activity with them that opens people up. Biking, running or a ski trip do this for me. Walking and talking is something almost everyone can do. Thanks Derek.

I did 100km trail walk with three of my colleagues in Northern Island, NZ. Before, we hardly knew each other. After training together and walking the whole thing (no sleep, we finished in 31 hours as part of the competition), we bonded together and had such interesting conversations on relationship, parenting and being Asians living in NZ. Such a great idea! I’d love to join you next time, Derek 😊

Perfect timing - had been thinking about something like this for a while, this gives me the prompt to go ahead and do it

Great idea. I am currently planning on doing something very similar in 2024 with the Tour du Mont Blanc. It's about a 100 mile loop around Mont Blanc that goes through Italy, Switzerland, and France. There are a ton of tour companies that handle the lodging booking and even luggage transfer each day. Plus you get to walk around the Alps and eat mountain cow cheese each day.

If you do this, please add me to a wait list. I would love to go.

This would be amazing to do somewhere in Europe (perhaps the Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Switzerland or through the Balkan countries). Up and down the Pacific Coast of North America (Anywhere from Baja California up to British Columbia) would be awesome too.

Great idea. I would propose one thing to the mix (at the risk of sounding new agey): walking together in silence for a bit every day.
Many did. Personal choice. Always have the option to walk a bit ahead or behind the rest of the group. — Derek

Derek,

What were your answers for the questions?
Way too much to answer in a comment here. :-) — Derek

Thanks for introducing the concept.
People used walk earlier before inventing of vehciles
Its good way to learn share, create bonds.
Appreciated the movement again started irrespective of religion, place, age, gender, race.

Oddly enough, the expression "walk and talk" is familiar to me from a completely different context.

I was a career police officer and the latter half of my career was spend in covert surveillance operations. Some of the smarter criminals recognized it was far harder to anyone to overhead conversations if they were on the move... literally walking when talking...

Criminals aren't as concerned as one might imagine about police eavesdropping. Rather criminals are worried about their competition getting the jump on them. In organized crime, trust is earned and not given lightly so conversations tend to be between individuals until a level of comfort is established.

Why are organized criminals less concerned about police than their competition? Simply put, the competition are also criminals and don't hesitate to steal, take advantage or even to kill. Police (with rare exceptions) follow the laws so the worst case is being arrested and going to court rather than a mortuary.

So... "walk and talk" until you trust...
Interesting! Thanks for posting this. — Derek

I love this!

The Tsitsikamma Trail in South Africa comes to mind - gorgeous but it can be a bit crowded at times (depending on where).

And the Lycian Way in Turkey - I’ve heard amazing things about this one, with sections ranging from easy to tough. Beautiful coastline, hospitable Turkish people - I’d love to do that one myself!

Derek, it is great to hear from you. The walk and talk is such a beautiful idea. I am glad you had a wonderful experience on your adventure.
Have a blessed, healthy,and joyous holiday season.

Sincerely,

Tina

This is a great idea! I can't wait to see you organizing one of this event. Maybe try part of the Pacific Crest Trail in California, Oregon and Washington.

Great idea Derek!

Done a few, not so organize but they did work great

Santiago de Compostela ( Spain)
West Highland Way ( Scotland)
Coast to coast ( England)
Lake district ( England)
Inca Trail ( Peru)
Kilimanjaro (Tanzania)
Tour de Beaufortain (France)
Les Ballons des Vosges (France)


Good walks!

CRIS

I've never done this with a group of 8, and like so many other commenters I LOVE the idea! Thank you for sharing this recommendation, and of course for every other little thing you share, Derek!

Someplace I've done the "hiking without luggage thing" before and would love to return is around the Salzburger Saalachtal in Austria. Trekking in and around the Unken Valley in particular was like walking through a children's storybook every day. New Zealand was another fine such trekking adventure with 3 others, and I could do that again every year. I also happen to live in Utah between a State Park and a National Forest where I hike often, and this post certainly has me thinking about what might be possible in my own backyard...

Hello! We do something really similar in Spain it's called Camino de Santiago. It's phisicallly tougher though. Read more about it en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camino_de_Santiago
That is one of the ones they have done already. :-) — Derek

Hey, Sivers,

Thank you so much for helping me four times with my personal server issues. My semester has finished, and I am starting my winter vacation. Recently, I've been thinking about meeting my old friends. Usually, I would just call them and have coffee together. Walking sounds like a really healthy way to catch up.

This is a really cool idea! Thanks for sharing!!

I love this idea! The dog joining y'all made it perfect. How great. Being from Texas, and Texas being so big, I feel like there's a good 8-day walk in there somewhere.

This is so cool! I’d love to do something like this in India!

Hi Derek,

Great stuff! Glad you enjoyed and are sharing this seemingly simple way of conversing. Did you know that there are a number of coaching approaches based on this concept?

I live in the south west of Portugal. The Rota Vicentina and the Fisherman’s trail would lend themselves perfectly for this. I would know, I’ve tried :-) if you’d ever wanna organize something over here, please reach out and I’d be happy to help.

Kindly,

Auke

The Camino Istra in western Croatia (just across from Venice) was created for this. Connects the Adriatic to the bay of kvarner. Caminoistra.org

Often I make the 12 hour drive from Houston to El Paso, Texas. Always, I try to invite an interesting like my younger brother. We say, "The journey is part of the trip."

I would say it sounds like the Camino, but I’ve also done it with a friend where we walk from one end of Toronto Canada to the other.

Love the idea.
Will try to get it organized with a group of my friends in near future.
Suggestion as to where to do a walk: Rocky Mountains National Park
Best,
Lale
PS - great to hear from you Derek

Hi Derek! Thanks for sharing. Bariloche, in Argentinian Patagonia, is a highly recommended place for a walk and talk adventure like this. The ideal months are between December and March.
Caminante no hay camino. Keep exploring!
All the best,
Gonzalo

Carros De Foc in spain is spectacular
www.carrosdefoc.com/en/

I love it!
I have done several walks with friends with similar intent.

The 5 day loop in Iceland
La caminata Inca in Peru
The short or long loop in Torres del Paine Argentina
And the 10th mountain division hut in Colorado

I would add something. Each day one person does something for the rest of the group…. As easy as the trail mix of the day or cooking at the end of the day. But one person offers something to the rest.

Hello Derek,
I recommend Sweden and Switzerland. Both places I know very well. Sweden is a little bit wilder, but flatter. In Switzerland you could have both - a bit hilly, or even a walk in the mountains, back to flatter parts.
If you need more information - just let me know.

By the way; I once had a boss he did that with us. Every performance review or other topics where discussed while walking. I loved it!

Best wishes, ANnA

That is amazing! I'm putting this on my bucket list.

Derek—

This is brilliant!

Can you mention the names of any of the other authors?

Sincerely,

JIm

I love idea about walking with different people and I do walk alone but now I'm thinking to walk with different people.

Caminho de Santiago is a beautiful popular one close to where I’m from! People have been doing the “walk and talk”format for centuries!

I really like this idea, and walking has always released creativity from me in ways that nothing else ever has. There is also the nature aspect of it all aided with the community and over all unity in being a part of a close group striving toward a long term goal. The nightly conversations centered on a single topic known in advance could easily turn into dialogue fit for any play due to prep time among the writers as well as the inside jokes and other small things that come from mixing writers with walking. I for one think that such a journey would need little to mimic the hobbit, one of the best books ever written.

Also here to punt South Africa as a venue for this fabulous idea, but think I need to think deeper about truly qualifying routes.

Tsitsikamma National Park indeed hosts the famous "Otter Trail" along the Garden Route coast of South Africa in the Eastern Cape province. Six hours from Cape Town, the trail is 44kms long over 5 days, with comfortable accommodation at the end of hard hiking days. However, with such a stunning venue and route, it is not without challenge.

Permits sell out a year in advance, so you need to plan well in advance, especially to book larger groups. Not exactly a walk in the park though (despite literally being a hike in a national park). It's still very much a hike (and you carry your own bags). There is a fair amount of light climbing, and a technical river cross at the Bloukrans River section of the hike which some might find daunting.

On the plus side, there is no cell reception, the views and scenery are magnificent, and the coastline is a national treasure. However, possibly a little steep in parts (7,000+ steps) and perhaps more demanding than the Walk & Talk format Derek is looking for, but worth investigating for those looking for a slightly more challenging route perhaps.

For a less challenging route, but still carrying own packs, and if the great outdoors in South Africa takes your fancy - you might also check out the "Explorer Trail" as part of the iMfolozi Wilderness Trails hosted within the Hluhluwe Imfolozi Game Reserve. You read correctly, 5 day light hike (mostly level ground) through the actual game reserve with an expert ranger as your guide, with two nights actually spent under the stars out in the reserve itself.

But both are still very "hikey" and not exactly relaxed walking routes. Also you carry own backpacks. Will put mind to something here in South Africa, but exactly constructed to match the W&T vibe as described. Perhaps in the Drakensberg mountains in KwaZulu-Natal, and possibly taking in the Battlefields.

Thanks for the challenge and interesting format, Derek.

Onwards & Upwards.

Hi Derek,

What a great concept. Thanks for sharing.

I used to run trekking trips in the north of India and the conversations there either during the day or around the campfire at night were always interesting and insightful.

It sounds like what you participated in takes it to another level altogether.

Nick.

This sounds positively incredible. I want to figure out how to dothis even if it’s a micro version to start out with.

LOVE the dog and so sweet of you all to get him to a vet and a forever home.

Glad to read you again before the year is out. Looking forward to that book!

I love this idea. I've just moved to Greece from South Africa and this sounds like a great way to keep connected with friends who may visit and a way to meet the locals.

I'm thinking a walk around one of the many Greek islands.

Thanks for sharing your experience, Derek. Indeed, this sounds like a cool project to take part in. Maybe even to arrange and host.

Definitely an inspiration. Although I won't be able to work on this right now, I have already sent it to my "partner in crime" (we organize some projects together) as an idea for the future. I'll let you know if we do arrange something related.

Love this, and thinking how I might organise something similar. How were the topics chosen? And were the group told of these in advance? Thank you.
Each night, we'd ask what people wanted to discuss the next night. A few people would propose an idea, and we'd settle on one. It lets you think about it for the day before discussing at night. — Derek

This year I went on a great poet/philosopher’s week long walking tour of West Ireland. David Whyte

There was 35 of us from all across the world and like you said, one of the best things I’ve ever done

The potent mix of language and landscape just opens up parts of you

Hey Derek,

Funny enough, I've started walking by myself after feeling a sudden urge to, and today, I got your email. Coincidence?

To embark on the scale of walks you mentioned, I simply don't have a social circle that can afford it. Most of my friends have 9-5 jobs to attend to, and even during holidays, their families wouldn't allow them to engage in such activities (sad, I know). In Hong Kong, everyone lives in a nucleus family unit, and people depend on each other a lot.

But your idea of walking and talking is so cool, and I would love to be able to join. If I were to have the luxury to do so, I don't know anywhere as well as I know Hong Kong. So, I'll suggest Hong Kong.

Day 1 & 2: walking around Hong Kong Island;
Day 3 & 4: on the Kowloon side;
Day 5 & 6: in the New Territories
- all with their different unique landscapes.
Day 7 & 8: the outlying islands for some nature trails, mountains, and beaches.

I thought it's quite a good mix between the concrete jungle and nature. Maybe it'll play a role in our conversation, stimulated by the environment we are walking in. Just a thought.

Take a look at the Camino de Santiago, Spain

www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/destinations/europe/land/spain-walking-el-camino/#:~:text=Hike%20the%20famed%20El%20Camino,center%20of%20Santiago%20de%20Compostela.

This sounds like an amazing thing to do, what a beautiful opportunity to learn from and with others!

I imagine it can be quite challenging finding people to do it with. But then I guess only "the right kind of people" (whatever that means) would be willing to walk 100km simply to talk with strangers.

Hopefully one day I'll be stable enough (economically, although mentally wouldn't hurt) to be able to join in a journey like this one!

I love everything about Scotland, and its east coast would be a good one to walk!

Perhaps a route on the Oregon coast would be nice. The ocean seems like a gracious companion to any and all conversations. :)

Walking indeed is one of the most wonderful ways to talk and connect.

I love the idea to walk over several days with a joined group and think your framework is great.

Would know some routes in the Swiss Alps - a bit more intense than the average walk - but in return provide stunning views and deep immersion with nature.

Typically, I do them with only a sleeping bag and overnight bag equipped sleeping under the Skye. If the weather is bad, there are mountain hoods to come in.

Wow. What an amazing experience! Love that the dog enjoyed it too. Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful.

My micro version of this: I walk every day, and three days a week I share my walk with one or two friends (and on weekends with my wife/kids). Two days a week 'just for me'. All of it brings great benison.

Definitely Switzerland. There is a village every kilometre. An infinite choice of routes, for every level. Good food, good wine, and good views. It will be on the expensive side though.

We missed you, Derek! Please finish the job as fast as possible so we all get to enjoy the fruit of your focus (The New Book). That's the kind of Walk and Talk I adore the most!

My partner did the Camino de Santiago with her mum and loved it!

In NZ the Queen Charlotte Track could be an option!!

Love the idea, thanks for sharing!

My Craig Mod senses went off before I even saw the caption for the photo there - what a delight! I never regret taking these walks on a much smaller scale with friends, but the longer version sounds like a mix of meditation and training with all of the benefits of both. Thanks for sharing.

Wonderful! Thanks for sharing the story and the process. Structures are helpful to create freedom. The one you shared seems to amplify the richness of the gathering.

The Camino de Santiago in Spain seems like an option, but early in the season so you have less people around. Depending on the route there are many places to stay. You have routes starting in Portugal, in different places in Spain and also from the south of France.

This is the path I’m planning to do stingynomads.com/camino-frances-walking-itinerary/

This site, in Spanish, has very good details about routes and places to stay www.gronze.com/

Oh my god, that dog is adorable, I wouldn't be able to let him go! And this is such an excellent way of having balanced and intelligent conversations. Awesome idea!

How about the pacific crest trail!
What if it was done as a backpacking trip? I would love that as I love camping and hiking.

Great idea! A walk along Cantabria coastline (Spain), maybe starting in Suances and then walking westwards ..

The South Island, New Zealand, has some amazing walking trails. Getting here's a bit of a hike (nope, not a pun), but the scenery would be worth it.

Didn't mobile phones interrupt your conversations?
No. It's best to not bring a phone or leave phones off. — Derek

Great idea. I like the structure, far better to keep people on topic so that you really peel back the layers.

The West Highland Way in Scotland would be perfect for this. A beautiful route travelling through the Scottish Highlands with outstanding scenery. Plenty of accommodation options along the way or if you were brave you could wild camp. Its around 90 miles so a stretch but do it over 9 days and it's easy to achieve. The Highlands have soul and an ethereal quality that encourages conversation yet also deep reflection. I think you'd find it generates lasting memories and deeper friendships.

I'd be happy to be your 'Navigator' of course 😊

It is an exciting experience to walk with some smart people for a period of time.
However,it is hard to find those people, and I prefer riding bicycles instead.

Derek,

I’m a big fan of the individual and group development during a long walk (check out psychogeography by Will Self and In Praise of Walking by Sean O’Mara).

Check out the South Downs Way (SDW) in the UK. Stunning variety of English countryside; rolling hills, forests, dramatic coastlines. Lots of literary, Roman and medieval history too along the way. As an example of the route:

www.mickledore.co.uk/walking-holidays/south-downs-way/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIjoTk9a-JgwMVlJZQBh0MaAKcEAAYASAAEgLSm_D_BwE

100km, with very well positioned B&Bs along the way and lots of services that transport luggage. It also happens to be one of the routes for 100km ultrachallenges. Their other routes worth a look;

www.ultrachallenge.com/

Drop me a note if of interest and I’ll help. I live near the SDW. keithfyi@gmail.com

Keith

Thanks Derek, I love the idea of exploring the topics to exhaustion. Did anyone try to capture what came up?

How important are nature and a feeling of getting away when choosing where to walk? Do you think it would work as well in a city?
I think the nature and solitude was crucial. For most of the 7 days we saw very few people, so we could talk freely and uninterrupted and undistracted in forests or fields. The dinner conversations were uncaptured, but if it were up to me, I might designate a secretary, not just for the dinners but even the daily conversations, if people didn't mind that idea. Each night I wrote for an hour or two in my diary trying to log all the great conversations I'd had that day. — Derek

Derek thank you so much for sharing this. It sounds like an amazing experience. I haven’t done a walk like this although I’ve organized several sailing trips where I’ve brought a group together for a journey (in Ireland, Turkey and Greece) and the environment, activities and need for everyone to lend a hand sort of shrinks everyone’s world onto the boat and then expands it in another way through the many interactions and shared experiences. Phones just get left in a drawer almost naturally. What you’ve described is very enticing. I have some suggestions for you - 1) Ireland (disclosure : my home country) - Killarney area, Dingle peninsula, or county Clare in the Burren. 2) Umbria in Italy - specifically hill walking near Assisi and in springtime when there is a ritual walking of animals from the valleys up to the hilltop pastures, or in winter when they hunt for truffles - I can connect you with a family that does this as part of their working farm business - it’s Awsome. Look forward to reading all the suggestions and I’m sure you will get many of them!

What a great idea. I’d have to find just the right people but I’ve got the perfect place to walk

Love this idea and have often wanted to do it with a curated group of big ideas people, even including kids. There are obvious, long-format walking trails like the ones you and others have mentioned in Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Switzerland, and the UK. Also, Japan, New Zealand, US. Lycian Way is amazing, but not easy and there wasn't enough infrastructure (at least when I did parts of it 15 years ago). One question is how wild you want the walking to be. For example, the Wonderland Trail around Mt Rainier in Washington State is gorgeous but rugged. Do your walkers want to rough it? Similarly, I did a week-long walk in Tibet with yak men who carried the bags, but again, difficult physically and in terms of altitude. It's quite easy and safe to do a long walk in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco (guides would carry the bags on donkey and villagers would cook for you along the way), but it will likely be a bit more on the rugged side than a Camino. The key is to have a member of the group either be a local or live locally or have a trusting relationship with a local guide. I have contacts for you through my hiking groups in Spain and Morocco. I also think Australia has lots of great multi-day walks. Walking around an island (say one of the Canary Islands, Azores, or Hawaiian islands) could be cool, too. The established pilgrimages and multi-day walking routes (Dolomites, too) have more people and better infrastructure. But you can invent your own be-spoke experience. I look forward to hearing about where you go next and would be happy to share contacts in Spain and Morocco. I hope some of your readers use this as an entrepreneurial prompt to develop more such walks.

This is so inspiring - I definitely want to try this one day!

Two very different ideas: the Berlin Wall Trail (www.berlin.de/mauer/en/wall-trail/) and the ancient pilgrim route "Via Francigena" from Canterbury to Rome (www.viefrancigene.org/en/).

LOVE IT! Thanks for sharing, Derek. I would love to do this in the future. Greece is highly recommended! Crete or the Peloponnese ❤️ (in spring or autumn)

This sounds great but it may not be able for anyone who has a strict work routine. Hope I could do it in the future. But I tried walking alone without phone or music or podcast for 2-3km, and it really clears my brain out for several hours.
I went to Thai 5 years ago. I walked through the beach in Phuket with my friends and took a lot of photos. It was great memory.

West Highland Way in Scotland would be a fantastic choice. Some of the best scenery in Europe.

Via Transilvanica - A marked hiking trail crossing Romania (and Transylvania) - The daily treks are on average 20Km and go through pitoresque places usually through villages, forests, away from big roads - However, some days are longer than others and you'll need to walk 6-8 hours because of terrain and elevation changes. Rest days could be taken into account or the

I had a similar idea a few times in the past, however most people who'd go to such a thing were extreme hikers. Do you do walk & talk on a day to day basis ?
At home, in New Zealand, I go for a long walk by myself most days. No phone, just walking and thinking. — Derek

Derek,

I love that you posted this reminder. So often these are proposed as “do it alone” spiritual journeys, when the idea of doing it with others as a way of communicating and including conversation is so healthy. I have been reading, In the steps of St. Paul by HV Morton and it is a reminder of the longer “over land” journeys that produced another form of sharing the written word.

I’ll consider even short versions of these in the coming months here in Italy, where there is a wonderful culture if walking in cities “La Passegiata” and hiking across terrain.

David

Very cool, Derek! Sounds like a great experience and I love the daily question format. I may try to implement that on my own version of a "walk & talk" aimed at landscape & nature photographers, with the first happening in March 2024 in the Drakensberg in South Africa (I see someone has already suggested it as a location below!). Hopefully doing a few more over the coming years in different locations. These types of trips have been some of my most life-fulfilling, and sharing them with others has made for a richer experience.

My location suggestions: the Hebridean Way in Scotland (stunning islands, summer preferable), walking safaris in Kruger National Park or a backpacking trip in the Drakensberg, Kungsleden trail in Sweden, and the Laugavegur trail in Iceland. Good luck with future walks! Cheers :)

Love the Walk & Talk idea. It has a terrific format, allowing for casual one-on-one conversations as well as whole group-one topic exchanges. Seems like the walking would create a group rhythm and even a steady breathing pattern that would provoke a relaxed an open consciouness, allowing thoughts and feelings to flow. Even just the overall intention of a group wanting to connect at a deeper level, creates a space for the Divine to express itself. What a wonderful idea. I will be putting this on my to-do list for sure. Quick question, Top 3 things that you felt in the experience and Top 3 things you heard?

Thanks for the heads up on Walk & Talk! - New adventures always welcome
Good question, but I don't think I could Top-3 it. I'm still processing. I'm a slow thinker. — Derek

Thank you so much for sharing Derek, this is very refreshing and inspiring. The South Island here in New Zealand comes to mind as a great location 🙂

Coast to Coast in the UK is a classic walk. Around two weeks from the West coast to the East. Plenty of accommodation on the way and beautiful scenery through the Lake district and the Yorkshire dales. Navigation shouldn't be too challenging, either.

In Edinburgh there are the Pentland Hills which are 8 peaks. Takes about a day to go through them all. Good for beginners.

So cool! Check out "Via delgi Dei" ("Path of Gods") from Bologna to Florence.

Great Idea. Walk is a great therapy.

Would love to try this out in Zambia with a number of like minded people that want the same thing as I do

Beautiful experience.
I'm sure.
Among other things, it is the best exercise for listening and listening to oneself.

We did the around Annapurna in Nepal.
It can be done in 8-15 days.
and has a great series of guest houses along the way and when I was there no reception or internet so great opportunity to disconnect.

Walking is part of my therapy and way of living. On an average, I walk around 3000km per year. An alternative to walking and sleeping in a different place every night, you can also have a starting point and go on a different hike everyday. Swiss Alps is a perfect landscape for this!
Besides "Walking and Talking", what was the intention of the trip? Create new bonds? Share a passion together? Travel and discover? All of the above? Was the expectation of the trip met? Did anything else come out of it?
Not sure what others' intentions were, but I think all of the above, yeah. And I'm writing this at the airport just the day after the walk ended, so the rest? We'll see. — Derek

Sounds like a version of Camino de Santiago. This tradition showed that even if you start alone, it is very likely you end up joining or being joined by some like minded people.

Anyhow, Thailand seems like a good start

Basque Country.

A portion of the Northern Camino de Santiago or any of the Green Ways developed in the area. Let me know if you need a navigator xD

This is the best idea i've ever seen, as well. I would like to try it one day, i hope.. "The Likya way" in Turkey might be a good route for 'walk and talk' I highly recommend there and also please invite me too :) It'd be a pleasure for me.

Fantastic concept!

The 2 questions I would love to ask would be:
1. What keeps you awake at night?
2. Who do you turn to when you need to talk to someone?

This sounds amazing. So well planned. I always go walking every day if possible, in the countryside. I find that the act of walking definitely frees up my mind and I can come up with answers to problems and ideas. I wouldnt know any group of interesting people who would do this in a group though.

My (now) best friend walked 460km for his 46th birthday. I joined him on two legs of the walk and I swear that's what deepened our friendship to the level it's now at.

I can't imagine how wonderful it would be to walk for longer with a (critically, for me) well-curated group of people.

I saw the comment about doing it on the wilderness where the group would be forced to depend on each other, but I think this would distract from the conversation... I've found walking easy(or easier), well-marked routes let's you turn the survival instinct off and get into flow.

Thank you for triggering the thought processes, Derek... I like nothing more than devising a good walking route... There's a good chance I will do something along these lines!

Sounds like something that I am hoping happens in heaven. A bit like "floating brains" in an idealised setting free of "lower emotions", flanked by a "magical creature". You are a wonderful renaissance style painter.

You know, this format would even work for a team bonding away day from the office. Imagine the insights and understanding it could create!

Jordan would be a great country to do this in. Trail ending in Petra.

So would Inle Lake in Burma, night stays would be rural and basic however.

Jain monks sometimes create these walk and talk events, but not limited to 8 people. Dozens of people walk with them for a few days to reach a pilgrimage spot. And the monks preach on a specific topic every day. I think rural India would be a good spot as well - Rajasthan. But India would be tricky as no footpaths, so route has to be selected with care.

Sounds delightful. I wish I had a group of friends who could all be available for a getaway like this. Right now I can only think of two or three and even then, as I’ve gotten older I’ve noticed how friends are aging into a place where “comfort zone” seems more confined than in previous decades. I myself am hampered by financial constraints, but not in spirit. It brings a smile to my face to imagine the day when I too can exhale, depart from the daily grind, and truly savor the moment on a trail with good company.
Speaking of trails, I recommend anything in the redwoods along the California coast. Some of my favorite trails for contemplation while breathing deep the fresh coastal air are there.
By the way, that dog… wow, what a gem. Thank goodness you were able to find him a home. Can’t wait to read more about your walks.

thanks for sharing this post with me! this sounds like such a cool idea to connect with like-minded individuals! when the warmer climates come, I am definitely gonna need to do this!

Scan text, list places mentioned (Chat GPT)

1. Canal du Midi, southwest of France, near Toulouse
2. Michinoku Trail, northern Japan
3. Camino trails, various locations
4. Toulouse to Carcassonne section
5. West coast of Ireland, Wild Atlantic Way, Burren section
6. Bosnian part of the Via Dinarica
7. Appalachian Trail, USA
8. South coast of England
9. New Zealand
10. Wicklow Way, Ireland
11. 'petit train du nord', north of Montreal, Canada
12. Santa Catalina island, Hawaiian islands, Australian Outback, North Shore of Long Island, Mongolia
13. Northern Island, NZ
14. Tour du Mont Blanc, Italy/Switzerland/France
15. Europe (Netherlands, Spain, Germany, Switzerland, Balkan countries), Pacific Coast of North America (Baja California to British Columbia)
16. Rota Vicentina and Fisherman’s trail, southwest Portugal
17. Camino Istra, western Croatia
18. Tsitsikamma Trail, South Africa
19. Lycian Way, Turkey
20. Pacific Crest Trail, California/Oregon/Washington
21. Santiago de Compostela, Spain; West Highland Way, Scotland; Coast to coast, England; Lake district, England; Inca Trail, Peru; Kilimanjaro, Tanzania; Tour de Beaufortain, France; Les Ballons des Vosges, France:
22. Salzburger Saalachtal, Austria
23. Camino de Santiago, Spain
24. Hong Kong
25. Carros De Foc, Spain: Carros de Foc
26. Iceland; La caminata Inca, Peru; Torres del Paine, Argentina; Colorado, USA
27. Sweden and Switzerland
28. South Downs Way, UK
29. Berlin Wall Trail, Germany
30. Via Francigena, Canterbury to Rome
31. Cantabria coastline, Spain
32. South Island, New Zealand
33. Via delgi Dei (Path of Gods), Italy
34. Annapurna, Nepal
35. Camino de Santiago, Spain
36. Pacific Crest Trail, USA
37. Cantabria coastline, Spain
38. South Island, New Zealand
39. West Highland Way, Scotland
40. South Downs Way, UK
41. Redwoods trails, California coast, USA
:-) — Derek

Places not mentioned

Ausangate | Peru
Yosemite and Zion | US
Galapagos Islands

That is amazing. I think about it. Thank you for sharing.

What a fantastic idea. I've just relocated from Ballito to Estoril. Am going to look into doing this in the South or North of Portugal. Thank you!!

There is something about walking, especially in nature, that opens things up ... the body, the mind, the soul. When we get away from our screens, we realize that there is so much to see and do. That, in turn, stimulates deeper thinking.

Thanks for sharing, Derek. Bookmarking this one.


John

I like the inclusion of the idea; the how to and; the list of subjects your group chose, Derek.

I'm keen to try a derivative of this, as soon as I can.

yes, also one of the best ways I find to maintain long-distance friendships: meet up once in a while for a weekend of hiking, it provides a fantastic basis for conversations.
Slovenia might be an adequate place for a project like that, in 100 km you get the added benefit of an ever changing scenery on top of great food, occasional highlights (caves in particular) and overall very friendly people.

Also seems less stressful than having friends with whom you decide to test whether you can walk 100km in 24h (spoiler: it is possible) :D

The Eastern Coast of Taiwan is a fantastic place to do this :)

Hey Derek! Love this, always loved a multi day group walk but the added intentional discussions I can imagine would add even greater depth to the experience!

Many people have mentioned the Camino Santiago - which I support! I also think the Rakiura Northern Circuit in NZ is incredible (though people would need to carry their own bags) but you can walk 10-15 km each day and make it as long or short as you like. Some of the most beautiful scenery I've ever experienced!

tinytramper.com/north-west-circuit/

What a wonderful idea. Thank you for sharing. I'm inspired just by the topics you listed. I would love to do this when I finish my Victorian-style working pattern.

Dude! Thank u for sharing this! What a simple but good thing to set up. :)

Thanks again and good luck with your book! :)

-Nicki

I've used walking meetings during work hours to break the day and office scenery. But I love the idea of deeper longer discussion on big topics. AI impact would be top of my list. Sign me up. NZ has some great trails but scoping to the format might be needed

This is amazing.

Sections of the HexaTrek in France might offer some beautiful options. There’s even the official app that can act as the navigator.

Love this idea - kind of like a mini-Camino. I could never embrace the thought of giving up 6 weeks of my life to trek across Europe. One week with diverse, interesting people I wouldn't normally meet sounds like a delicious adventure.

Gold coast hinterland great walk, Australia might be a good option

This seems like a very cool format. Just sent it to a friend to consider.

Also, what a good friend you made along the way! Happy to hear he has a good home.

North of Spain. Camino De Santiago.

You can always choose a 100km length between Navarra and Galicia. Ideal in autumn or spring( less crowded).


thanks for sharing

Iván

There are lesser know areas in the midwest United States which are known for their hiking and scenic areas, especially in Michigan and Ohio. There is Hocking Hills in Ohio.

ohiodnr.gov/go-and-do/plan-a-visit/find-a-property/hocking-hills-state-park

I have hiked the camino in spain…ideal for walking and talking…and including folks from all over the world…. Great places to eat, sleep and just a wonderful experience…. Planning to go. Again with a set of friends in the next few years…. Nice post by the way….

What a great format! Thanks for sharing this, I don't think I would have stumbled on this on my own, and now my gears are turning for how to make this happen.

Humans don’t deserve dogs. I adore the walk and talk and would love to be able to do it. And I don’t know how you left that sweet face behind, but you got a peek at why dogs are so vital to our existence.

This is great! Def thinking of how I can do that here in Sydney, Australia. I'm a pretty hardcore runner/cyclist and TBH, I do this with my training sometimes. Not to this extent, but with easy runs/cycling for a few hours you can get some pretty deep discussion going. Walking though is ideal for this especially over the course of days.

I also chaperoned an eighth grade field trip that was built around big hikes and summiting a peak. I had different kids with me at different parts… the conversations with kids were fun and amazing. Music, sports, breakfast cereal, sushi. We don’t do all of this enough.

Thank you for this, I love the idea!

Awesome.
Pieterpad, Netherlands.
South West Coast Path, UK.

If you think cycling may work, then possibly:
4 rivers path, South Korea

Derek!

I recommend the Camino de Santiago - but NOT the French way, the Primitivo way - North Spain walk.

all the best
Basia from Poland

How fun!
Thanks Derek.

I love this Derek,

Thank you for outlining this experience so well.

I hope to duplicate and create a similar adventure with friends and associates as soon as possible.

And I am looking forward to your new book.

Always,
Annie

That dog is adorable!
Sounds very cool.
"The way" is a great film with Martin Sheen
That sounds very similar to this.

Amazing as always, Derek. I am inspired.

I just attended a seminar yesterday in Riyadh and listened to the story about the group of four who recreated walking across Saudi Arabia earlier this year — the Heart of Arabia Expedition. Hearing from you with this share was so timely! They have a podcast.

Sending all best wishes from Abu Dhabi, looking forward to your book!

Lauren

It is such a beautiful sharing and I am so inspired.
I hope I can find a group of friends to do this in 2024. And thank you for all the comments sharing the places, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Guys :-)
Anyone from the comment section, who is also YES THEORY YT follower, and who would like to do the same in 2024? Let's say a walk to Camino?

8 people from 8 different countries? 8 different cultural filters? :-)
That would be fantastic!!
I'm from Poland, living in Andalusia, Spain :-)

We were thirteen, walking 70km during seven days, from the lighthouse of (Faro de) Gabo de Gata to La Calilla. The kids at 6 and 7 were told to lead and decide when to take breaks. We camped where it suited the group. This walk was led by a wild food expert. We shared our food in circles. Some ’raw food’ was brought, some bought during, the rest we found while walking! Conversations between, like you discribed, typically two or three people on a narrow path or resting on shady spots while peeling oranges (is an image that comes to mind). Nights got cold right after sundown so we had wollen underwear ready, and tent and sleeping bag with us. So, for those carrying everything; 10 km’s a day is just fine;~)
Nights around the fire are great for passing ’the talking feather’ so that everyone feels seen and heard. Listening circles can go many rounds.
There is time for every thing <3

Hi Derek,
Great experience. I recommend the Black- Forest/ the swabian alb Both in southern germany or the Western Austrian alps. Give ne a line and I will organize.
Regards Mathias

Check out this book: www.amazon.com/dp/0593419952

It inspired me to walk in the rain, mud, etc.

A really nice place to visit and hike (especially now) is my new home in Sicily. So many interesting things to see and do here and plenty of places to hike. One of my favorite places is Mt Etna, the local volcano. She is one of the few active volcanoes in the world (she just erupted again on the 1st of December) and there is so much land to cover. The prices here are undeniably cheap and pretty much everywhere you look there is some sort of fresh fruit growing, a lot of olives and citrus, but you will also find almond trees here and there and prickly pears on most all of the cacti. If you every want to set something up here just let me know! 🎯

Hi Derek :) Thanks for sharing your latest adventures with us! The highlight for me is the list of nightly conversation topics. I'm excited about discussing each of these questions on a short walk with a friend and learning a lot!

haze :)

Camino de Santiago especially around the French border. Food is amazing!

Tapping that age old calling of a journey, even pilgrimage, clearly brings forward deeper connections. Love it. I have a seed of plan that sees me walk from my home today to my childhood home (in Yorkshire). All my thought has been on solitude but you’ve made me think, as always. Thank you. (Cool dog)

Would love to have been a fly on a tree for those nighttime conversations!
Great to hear that you’re doing well, Derek. Looking forward to U.N.T.!
Brad

Derek would love to hear your thoughts on the following questions:
1. Were any of the guests different in person than you expected? If you had any expectations at all?
2. Why do you suggest 8 as the ideal number of guests?
3. Do you have a most memorable conversation from the trip?
4. Was there a conversation that made you change your mind about anything?
5. Would you ever organize your own walk and talk trip? (please invite me :P)

And also Western Australia as two well know and supposedly incredible multiday hikes - Cape to Cape Walk (123km) and Bibbulmum Track (1000km)!!
Good questions! Answers in order: I had no expectations but I was a bit surprised by some personalities. The organizer said they've found from experience that 8 is an ideal size, though our group of 12 was good. Most memorable for me was strategic since Craig Mod told me how he does his book membership can I can apply that. One guy changed my mind about my approach to AI. I do plan to organize my own walk and talks, with an intentionally diverse group. — Derek

This is such a good format. I did a similar (although much shorter) thing last year when I walked the Stirling Range Ridge walk in Perth, Western Australia. It was only two days long, and it was physically very hard. But the amount of connection our group (of 6 people) formed with each other was absolutely incredible!

In terms of suggestions, the Bibbulmun Track in Western Australia would be pretty good for this.

Favorite topics -
Shocking solutions to public problems
Tell us about a failure
What is your health regime?
//
Bless you for caring for the dog.

Nice to have the time to do it

Hi Derek

The West Highland Way in Scotland fits the bill in terms of days walking / accommodation and food. However it can rain a lot. Cheers Richard, Glasgow, Scotland

PS - sounds like a Kevin Kelly walk!

Fascinating. My wife and I have a weekly “Walk n Talk” in which we spend a couple hours on Sunday mornings at a local park, within which we check in with each other to stay current with thoughts, feelings, and ideas. My ch different than this. I love the idea.

This is fun! Love the format.

I’ve done a 100km walk in a day, three times. Different format, different experience. First year was the hardest - vitabenes.com/walk - last two times were easier. When you walk with someone for 24 hours, you naturally talk through a lot of things. Also shows you how they deal with adversity. I’d recommend trying it at least once, preferably with good friends, or as was my case, with people you met online and want to get to know IRL.

If more people did this, many problems could be solved, not only in our own lives but in the lives of those around us.
To join in on one of your topic questions: Heroes don't put others down, they encourage. They don't quit, but persevere. Heroes are not easily angered, but are kind and patient with others.

Got to be west coast of Ireland Derek.

Once again Derek, You've arrived with gifts in my inbox (life.) Thank you for this wonderful post and idea. Over the years, you've always stimulated me both mentally and physically to take good and beneficial action. Today is no different. I've just written an email reply to a woman I met yesterday in a networking meeting, and it came from an elevated version of me. A Rick I know and remember. Today, he decided to live again, perhaps with the promise of 2024 ahead. And in gratitude for your message, your gift, newly inspired to do more good for the world around me and of course my self. Myself. Cheers for you and to you good man. You've made the world a much better place, and all those who follow you and learn from you, much richer. Blessings Derek. Happy Holidays! With Gratitude & Hope, Rick

Good read Derek! As always your shared experiences coupled with your insights have given me inspiration. Next March my wife and I are moving to North Carolina where there are plenty of options for a "walk and talk" event.

This move opens a new chapter in our lives as we are moving where we want to live and taking our work with us, instead of moving to a new city chasing jobs. It's nice to be at this stage of our lives.

Thanks again for this article and best wishes on your new book!

Cool.

thanks for sharing , interesting
lot to learn

YES! I am attending an AA Roundup in Thailand in Feb. May try this as I always wanted to visit Chang Mai.

What do you think? Should I use the guy used? What was the cost if I may inquire?

Let’s do a part of the Appalachian Trail!
I can be the local guy.

bejinha.com

What's the most important thing you've learnt on these walks?

The Camino de Santiago is one of the best walking trails in the world. There are so many trails that you can just do sections of. But to match your criteria more closely, the Porto to Santiago route is about the distance you're looking for. I did that together with my dad over 5 days, and it was an incredible experience.

Loved hearing about your walk and talk.

This is a favorite activity for my husband and me and our kids, since they were born. (We often say that Nature is our office, because we get our best thinking done while on a walk or hike.) Our favorite trip in the last 25 years was definitely Wales - specifically the Llan Peninsula. You can walk every inch of Wales’ coast legally, but this charming peninsula stole our hearts. You walk along craggy cliffs and through green farmland dotted with sheep and old castles… and there are lovely fishing villages nearby to stay and enjoy incredible meals in the pubs.

Wonderful to read the other suggestions here. Thank you, Derek and all.

Good to hear from you again Derek. I've done something similarish; I've done bike rides in various places where we were mostly cycling in small groups of 2 to 3 and chatting. On all the trips at the start none of us knew each other and were great friends within days. Some of the trips I did:
Christchurch to Queenstown in South Island of New Zealand.
Agra to Jaipur in Rajasthan in northern India which included visiting the Ranthambore National Park.
Havana to Trinidad in Cuba.
The Ring of Kerry in Ireland.
A place I'd really like to walk n talk is Machu Picchu in Peru.

I recently spent a few hours walking and talking with a friend (a former screenwriter now TV commercial writer) in our local mall while it rained. Our daughters ran ahead and went in and out of stores while we brainstormed ideas for documentaries and podcasts. I'd read that Nassim Taleb walks with friends instead of meeting them at bars or restaurants, and I've always found its the most productive use of time with friends. I'd never considered a 6-7 day walk but it sounds like a great idea!

The longest road in the world to walk, is from Cape Town (South Africa) to Magadan (Russia). No need for planes or boats, there are bridges.
It's a 22,387 kilometers (13911 miles) and it takes 4,492 hours to travel.
It would be 187 days walking nonstop, or 561 days walking 8 hours a day.
Along the route, you pass through 17 countries, six time zones and all seasons of the year.

Uzbekistan🇺🇿❤️
Very interesting...I recently heard about "Salon Dinners" from Sam Corcos (CEO of Levels). Similar idea. Would love to try it!

Derek, so glad you got to have this experience with Craig and KK. Such an amazing way to spend time with others in nature, while learning and growing through conversation. Cheers, Rich

If you read Walter Isaacson's book about Steve Jobs, you'll recall Jobs transformed four industries: personal computers, phones, film and music. That required convincing arrogant titans of those industries to change their mind. For example, the music industry was adamantly opposed to pricing each song at $0.99 as Jobs was advocating. He got these people to change their minds by taking them on walks into the hills behind the Apple headquarters. Walking is a super power and the more distracted we get by phones, the more important they become.

Sounds super awesome. A trail serious hikers do that I've lived on both ends of is the Continental Divide Trail that goes from Mexico to Canada, through Silver City New Mexico (a quaint town you should visit) all the way up to the Pacific Northwest some 3,028 miles. I'm sure there's somewhere along that span that would be a good Walk and Talk section.
Thanks for posting. Can't wait for your next book.

This must have been very rewarding.

My husband and I did it every day before we had kids :) ... Walking after dinner was when we had all our conversations. Even our quarrels. We tried taking a different path every day and ended up admiring the route. I wonder how it would be to walk with a whole group of diverse people. Thank you for sharing this great experience.

I also found this walk and talk a fantastic therapy. Please check out the Oxalis Tour for exploring many popular caves in Vietnam. They offer the tour guide and logistic services to ensure safety for the customers. There are usually 10 people in the group.

Good to hear from you!

LOVE this and what a great idea. The hair on my arms stood up when I read about how to set one up. I recently left my employer and have a bit of unstructured time on my hands.

How was the weather during your walk? I live in Toronto and Canadian winter might be a deterrent as a plausible place/season. South of Spain or Portugal might be better. Thoughts?

Brilliant! I’m a golfer who prefers to walk, have had some of my most memorable conversations with a diverse array of personalities over the 4 1/2 hours of play. This concept takes it up to another level. Once again Derek you have the electricity flowing in my grey matter! Thanks for sharing.

Derek,
This is a great idea I hope to try out someday. Just came back from Thailand and yearned to explore the jungles but didn’t have the chance…
As for suggestions, I recently saw a movie called ‘My Donkey, My Lover & I’ where a woman hires a donkey to carry her stuff on a trek through the French countryside similar to the one you describe.
I’d also recommend reading Gros’ ‘A Philosophy of Walking’ as it has important lessons to share about walking and thinking and one’s ardency for the wilds.
Thanks for sharing this, I have been wanting to go on a walk like this for sometime, and I will refer back to this in the future.
Best,
Ajmal

That dog needs a song! What a great post....

Last December solstice, I did a similar 100km walk through the jungle of Peten, Guatemala... an unforgettable experience.

Hi Derek - I would help set up all the details if you would like to lead a walk and talk in the beautiful state of Vermont. The Appalachian Trail runs through Vermont, (www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm) and there are plenty of places to stay along the way, as well as interesting attractions. Let me know if you're interested. George

A great location for a walk and talk could be the UK South West Coastal Path. Pick a section. Like the area called the Jurassic coast. Wonderful scenery. Hundreds of miles long. Your never too far from the next town\vilage. You can stay overnight in lovely pubs all along the route.

I encourage walk and talks for my couples therapy clients (although nothing close to this scale). There's something about the rhythm and conjoined heartbeats of walking and talking that brings people together in a different way than typical sitting and talking.

This sounds like a fantastic way to expand your thinking and see new places and people.

The East Coast Trail in St. John’s Newfoundland, Canada would be an ideal trail for such an excursion. Over 300km of trial composed of 20 odd individual paths with hotels and B&B’s no more that 15-30km apart.

I love this! There is something in our evolutionary makeup that allows us to bond with others in a small group as we move under our own power across the landscape. I started a program to do this with a local nonprofit in Minneapolis (send groups into boundary waters) and have thought about expanding this into a for profit company offer. Do you think offering the local organizer as a company service messes up the magic of the experience?

Thanks for promoting this!

Mark
Markjmcguire.com

Beautiful- inspiring
Thanks for sharing

I loved the pictures of the dog :) Great ideas in general among all the responses.

I would consider a path starting in Bariloche (Patagonia, Argentina). There are many beautiful options, ranging from 3 to 10 days.

Another for the Santiago de Compostela ( Spain). My wife and I have done most of this. The Camino is historic; I feel part of a historic flow when I walk it. An active energetic river which stimulates me and all around me.
I agree. A walk/camino may be between any two points alone or a group of people over multiple days.

Parque Tayrona, Colombia. One of the most beautiful places on Earth, and extremely safe due to it being a national park and guarded at the perimeter. Multiple lodgings throughout the park and professional guides. Extremely hot & humid, however so bring water & towels. I'll email you some photos.

Sounds like a lovely idea . . . if I were 20 years younger. I am 70 now, with loads of time on my hands, but alas . . . with hips and knees are not what they once were. The idea of a "moderator" of conversations might be necessary. Some people function naturally in this role when hosting a social get together. But keeping the evening conversations to just one topic might be hard, and seem a little artificial. Topics of natural conversation leap around from tangent to tangent. It's a great idea. I wish I could go on one. :-)

Simple - I love it. Not about me. All about us. Transcend to being smaller in the expanse of nature with thoughtful conversation.

Loved it.

I live in Rio (Brazil), so a place to it around here:

Travessia Itatiaia-Maromba. Thats a hike inside a national park, the landscape is amazing the whole time (forests and mountain), and the terrain is fairly easy to walk, no huge hills or climbing to do. It does require camping equipment, but I know some groups have people like sherpas carrying all the stuff and mounting the camping before the hikers get there, so in this way is a little less fancy than a hotel, but still very comfortable. It can be done in 2 days, walking a lot every day. If done in 4 days, it's super easy and light every day.

Is camping a deal breaker for you? I would guess that with the option of hired carriers that set the camping up, cook and etc, the thing can work super well.

If only I were your again.

How does this work out for an introvert, which I believe you are?

I think walk-and-talks are therapeutic with friends. At my age(72), the walks are shorter.. up to two hours at an easy pace. Usually we have something specific to work out: a dilemma, life changes, a recent event, families, politics… or we wander through them all. The time flies!
Your ideas are ambitious and enviable.

Hey,

I'm one more of the 20 people that mentioned Caminho de Santiago.

I've read that they done it already, the interesting thing about this trail is that there is several different paths to Santiago.

I would recommend the Portuguese Coast one, the one that passes through Apulia and Esposende.

Check with them if they did that one. You'll love it.

The best time is from late April to end of June or from September to end of October. Usually warm but not too hot.

Sounds like an Outward Bound trip to me!

Such a great idea – thanks for sharing Derek!

Thank you for helping the dog.

I love walking and talking with friends and we often do it for hours on end. I can see how this would work well in diverse groups, too.

It's more natural and it's unassuming vs just sitting in a group, and healthier too. The fact that one can totally naturally drift into or out of a conversation (or sight) is great.

It gets the juices flowing, relaxes the body and mind.

Google Einstein and walking.

Love the dog!

A fantastic idea. I think there are several spots in Greece such as Peloponesos or in Macedonia that would be perfect for such a walk and talk Derek. I'm curious when your trip was done, did you guys exchange information in case you wanted to do something again with them? I think it would be ideal to have some kind of database as you said, so that you have different spots throughout the world and you have your navigators set and this database can recommend these to other people, so they aren't searching and trying to find reputable people to do this with. Would love to know if you can share the contact of the person that set up your trip in case we want to do it like you did.

I love the idea but I’m not much for being outdoors. That’s awesome that you took care of the dog. I wanted to ask you for feedback on my book called Hating Self by Boo Black. It’s available on Amazon and Amazon kindle. I understand that you’re really busy with your own books but I would like your perspective.

If cell signal or wifi is available, a great safety backup /find me / meetup app is WhatThreeWords. It has divided the globe into 1 metre squares so instead of trying to locate somewhere or someone by complicated GPS coordinates, it assigns 3 short words to each square. If you all have the app and get separated you can easily find eachother again. For example I am currently at teach//dinner//cakes. Hope you find this useful.

Hi Derek,

Would you ever consider a walk with your "fans"? The people who engage with you here on your site?

Thanks!

First, I am excited for your next book!!! Second, count me in for a walk about with you and seven other interesting humans!!! Love this!! And so great to see some words from you in my inbox!

I love this and will R&D. I just walked 55 miles mostly alone in 24 hours and loved it. I averaged 13 miles a day in Oct... Gordon

I've always felt most inspired while hiking in nature--especially for extended periods like this, so reading about your trip makes me want to do it again. And what a format, this is ingenious.

My favorite treks have been in Yunnan province in southwestern China, near Lugu lake and along the upper Yangtze (called the Jinsha river at that point). I'm not sure what the area looks like anymore, probably the particular trek I did has been developed into highways by now (but hopefully not)! Pretty sure there's still beautiful trekking to be done around there though. The ethnic minority villages in that region are fascinating and beautiful.

And the development of roads there often means that the possibility now exists of having your bags carted between stops. When I did that trek, many towns didn't have accessibility for vehicles at all, or not feasibly so.

I wish this was a thing in the US. There are thousands of miles of hiking trails and some of them wind through beautiful national parks. www.nps.gov/subjects/nationaltrailssystem/national-scenic-trails.htm

The alps have many huts you can stay at and incredible hikes of different difficulty. Great food along the way. Perfect for this. I’ve done some group hikes there with a group of strangers and it was very similar to this. Would love to curate one and specifically choose the dinner topics next time

Always love reading your occasional posts. I lived in Wellington for about six months and regret never reaching out to you while there. Thanks as always.

What an outstanding sojourn, rife with juicy dialogue! I've always thought that IF I were a therapist, I'd demand that my clients and I take a 50 minute walk for each session. Engaging your body into personal development seems like a slam dunk to me.

Seven days of getting real with a tight-knit group would only make each other closer and more empathetic, IMO.

I'm swiping this and sending out to my tribe for ideas!

Thanks for posting, Derek!

Remain radiant,

Layton

West Highland West (Scotland) 💥

While I'm not able to do the "Walk and Talk", I love the idea. BUT, I wanted to thank you guys for finding a home for the doggie!! And of course a continued thanks Derek for creating cd baby. I've been supporting myself since 2012. A miracle for our time. Musicians don't have to always create variations on a singular theme, we can now work as painters - not stck with painting variations of a seashore. Through "whim" work can be manifest through 2D 3D oils, pastels, etc
pa

Good stuff, Derek! Your writing has given me some good ideas (as usual); specifically, about how to possibly incorporate this Walk n' Talk concept into the VeteranShield Project...

Love this! Walking and hiking are my favorite (especially with my dog :-). Check out the national monuments in Washington DC or let me know if ever hiking through the Appalachian Mountains in Virginia/North Carolina!

This sounds like a lot of fun. I don’t think I’ve got enough stamina to walk that much everyday. But! It might be a cool thing to do on a short term walk or even motorcycle ride doing exactly the same things.

Derek,

This sounds amazing would love to try it with people I have never met. I think with friends you might not share as many new ideas or get caught up in to much from the past. I hope more gets posted on how to join one of these or how to start your own. Can’t wait for the book.

For those in Canada, especially Atlantic Canada, there's a walk that circles the perimeter of PEI. I've yet to do it myself but hear that it takes about 30 days to complete.

What a great idea! I love the idea of finding a place to walk. I love the idea of planning a walk. I love the idea of doing the walk. My greatest challenge... finding 8 people willing to commit to doing one. Getting people to convert from "That's a great idea! Count me in!" to "I'll see you there." is the challenge.

Sawadee Kop Derek! I literally was missing Thailand yesterday and now this message. This inspired me to setup something similar, shorter distance, for a family walk with my now adult children. Sadly, since we both retired, I am not sure we have eight good friends that we would want to spend a week with discuss serious issues/problems needing solutions.As always, happy for you and this walk idea, briliant!

Candidate for a walking group like this would be the nature trails in Prince Edward Island that were converted from the province-wide railroad we used to have. It winds through every “major” town so the accommodations are sprinkled throughout the island, I’d imagine at least every 15 km if the route were planned accordingly to the more popular tourist spots with little family owned inns and hotels. 8 visitors would be very welcome in the fall or spring months, and the well groomed trails make for safe walking to accommodate all ages and physical abilities, through rural countrysides and our small towns.

I love the idea. Not sure there is lodging every 15km in Canada though haha.
I'd love to try it in Europe somewhere perhaps.

Hi Derek,
By simply reading your message, I can already sense the vibe surrounding your walking & talking activities with friends.

I often walking & chatting with my wife in a similar way around our community across small lakes, springs and bridges...

Cheers With season's greetings! 🍻
Gong

An awesome trail is in Romania, called Via Transilvanica www.viatransilvanica.com/
It's like a Camino with beautiful landscapes and staying at "local" people.

Love the idea of walk and talk. Would love to try one in Iceland>

My sisters and I did a version of this on the St. Olavsleden in Sweden last summer. I highly recommend this route!

Wonderful idea! Japan has some wonderful trails on which to do this and there are many beautiful places in British Columbia as well. One could travel the world, just following this format and spending time with interesting people along the way. Thank you for sharing it.

This is so great to see Derek! I've never done a long-distance walk and talk though I've done variations here in Boulder, CO where we do networking hikes over a maneable hike for all. We've done difficult ones and also flat ones where folks are encouraged to bring their dogs along. We've also had free-flowing ones and a recent one where we had an official moderator to facilitate the various discussion points which was very rewarding.
Would love the opportunity to do a long one at some point.

Oh! The doggie is soooo cute! Beautiful markings and sweet face:-) "oh to love like a dog...
"Great idea Derek!! I love walking!!.... I agree...."Keep Walking!" And for me, to keep walking means we just put out a NEW album, 21 songs, featuring top artists, my dream come true!! And to not walk alone....is a beautiful thing. :-)
If you want to hear it!! Much love!! Rachel:-) and Happy Holidays to You!
rachelwalkertrio.com/

This is such a wonderful comments thread! My list of places to explore just got a whole lot bigger.

Also, what a great idea.

I'm in the southern gulf islands in Canada. The route would take a little organizing, but it would be a great place. Stunning and peaceful.

This is amazing! I've been doing something similar (although much smaller) with a small group of friends some years ago. Three of us were getting together in a Sunday morning, around 6AM, when nobody would have another appointment scheduled, and we walked around our neighborhood for ~4 hours. I don't really remember the places we went, but I do remember many of the topics we discussed. We had enough time to go very deep into many different topics.

I would totally try something like that. Thanks for writing it down and hope to have the chance to do it some day.

What a great idea! I'd be excited to see a compilation of all the potential walking destinations... perhaps with a map...

For those recommending, I'd also love to hear your suggestion on the best time of year to go there. I assume Toulouse would be fine any time of year, but Ireland maybe only in the summer?

I go on four walks per day with my dog. It’s only 15 minutes per walk. I have a conversation with her during this time. It is a veritable dialogue as I have learned to read and decipher the feedback I receive from her. I’ve learned more about myself and human beings through these walks than I could have imagined.

What fun! One thought as there are long breaks in between, some walking and not talking would also be interesting. Taking in the world you're moving through in silence allows the eyes, ears and nose more input
from nature and food for thought. Yummy!!

Yes Walk and Talk is always a fun, easier way to get to know people! But I really like the way this hike was organized. the subject content was really of interest too! I Would love to be apart of a future walk you may have.Oh and that dog was lovely so glad he found a home! www.tonynatale.com

This is the best blog post I've read in several weeks. I would love to join one of these. Have you considered the Pacific Northwest (Cascadia), perhaps Vancouver and surrounding areas? It is one of the most beautiful places I've visited in my limited journeys, as long as it's during summer. Rugged terrain, beautiful natural scenery.

Wales Coast Path is beautiful and generally cool. I would be delighted to lead or join a walk in Wales starting/ending in the seaside college town of Aberystwyth.

www.walescoastpath.gov.uk/

I’ve heard good things about the West Coast Trail on Vancouver Island (BC, Canada), but I’ve not yet hiked it myself.

Apparently, it takes 6-7 days for the entire length.

Hi D. Finnish Lapland, in the summer. Midnight sun trekking, or walking. You won't find anything else like it in the world. I can point you in the right direction, and I would jolly well like to join you, too!

Sounds like my idea of fun!

A good place might be the Pennine Way - a long distance trail through the north of England. Each day would be about 15-20km walk, and would typically end in a pub with hearty food. If there's a car to pick you up from the trail to drive a short distance to accommodation for eight, then it'd be great.

Hello Derek,

This sounds like a wonderful idea...for other people and probably not me. :-)

I have been walking almost every day of my life since I was about seven years old (over 40 years or over 14,600 days). I was a kid in the 70s and luckily my family was not afraid, so I used to walk all over the neighborhood by myself.

+ Nine years old. The others were walking too fast and I couldn't keep up. Lost in the tall country grass, I cried. My family eventually found me.

+ Was held up at gunpoint when walking in Pittsburgh, PA at 2:30am.

+ Stopped and drew people in the sun on a nude beach in Germany.

+ Left a trail while lost in the Amazon rainforest at night. Was pushing through the undergrowth, praying my flashlight would not die, imagining piles of poisonous snakes and scorpions would jump on me any moment.

+ Cool mushrooms that look like frying eggs growing on a tree trunk.

+ Fourteen years old, a bad guy tried to pull me into the car and I escaped into the woods and hid like Rambo while he raced back and forth on the road trying to find me.

+ Ducks in Seneca Park, New York. 12 years ago.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=WV6o3hAGb0E&list=PLfFv-PvHi4uiHQqQMlRaCp8BXE2c3vF3f&index=5

+ The Oh-So-Beautiful orchestra of the wind in the leaves.

I have mostly walked alone for all these years, and prefer that.
I like to explore places, sit, stop, go slow or fast when I want.
You can't do this when you are with another person, a group of people, or on a scheduled agenda.

I have met and walked and talked with some fabulous people.
One woman had a husband who was a pilot that had survived a plane crash.
Half of his face was severely scarred.

After being attacked by a huge dog, I am terrified of dogs and would have left the group rather than look over my shoulder to make sure it would not attack me for the entire walk.
I am happy for you that you were able to connect with and love the dog.

I love questions and have collected some here:
docs.google.com/document/d/1wC3etHCzo14_3fEngusfpGLw3I-sO6HjWhBxn9fZKbY/edit#heading=h.9keb3o72rtt5

All the strange and sublimely beautiful things I have seen and experienced while walking. Many have worried about me walking alone and I would never trade all these adventures for the “safe” alternative.

It seems like everyone here has already suggested every single good place to walk on earth.

There was a time where the forest that was close to me was full of a lot of annoying gnats.
For about three months, I walked around and around a large field to avoid the gnats.
Sometimes the perimeter and sometimes zig zag or whatever I felt like.

It wasn't a huge field and it didn't seem especially exciting upon first glance.
After walking around and around this field, I started to notice a lot of interesting things.
+ How the field changed throughout the day.
+ Tiny flowers.
+ Colors.
+ Animals.
+ Bugs.
+ People walking their dogs.

So, that is my recommendation...
Walk in the same place, even a seemingly 'boring' place and look at it differently to see all the things you may not have otherwise seen.
Try it alone.
Try it with eight interesting people. :-)

Walk & Talk?

India. There's much to explore. I live in the South.

My parents are Jain, Jainism has monks, who don't use vehicles. They walk thousands of kilometers every year, some do it barefoot. Their belief is that use of vehicles, even without fuel/motor, hurts microorganisms that you cannot see.

Disciples walk with them when the monks are around their city. It's interesting. I've been with one, although it was just for around 8-10kms. The conversations are around religion, spirituality, sometimes politics. You never know.

Walking, so good for you!

Some suggestions:

Via Francigena from Viterbo to Rome is around 110km and beautiful, too, but more challenging, though the food more than makes up for it.

Some others:

- Northern California, anywhere where there are Redwoods. Be ready to camp or find kind-hearted hippies.
- Northwest Michigan and the Upper Peninsula in spring/summer.
- Sidi Bou Said/Carthage to Bizerte, Tunisia.
- Recreio dos Bandeirantes to Praia de Araçatiba, Ilha Grande, Brazil
- It’s been many years, but the last 100km of the Santiago de Compostela trail is beautiful.

Awww what an adventure! Beautiful dog!

Very cool idea, Derek! Thank you for sharing.

I love walking, ambling or hiking a few hours daily, but prefer to be alone. Nevertheless, this is an inspiring post I'll have to save, and will make plans to do a walk and talk in the future somehow.

My immediate thought was "solvitur ambulando" though it's only indirectly related. "It is solved by walking," or by going through the motions, being proactive, and walking the walk, as it were. Do, fail, do, succeed. Many of us are adept at ideation and imagining and planning, and that's about as far as it goes.

Great idea to experience this with a group of diverse thinkers, writers, or intellects. I'd imagine, or hope, some heated debates were enjoyed.

And a wandering canine spirit added into the mix? That's just magical.

Love this! The West Highland Way in Scotland would probably be a good trail for this. I walked it about 6 years ago and there's plenty of affordable lodging/food along the way and it's a stunning walk.

How fun..!!!!
Great idea Derek… You mentioned Spain as a place where some of the walkers had done this walking trip. We have a superb set of trails that depart from many different places in Spain, Portugal and France…. All end in Santiago de Compostela. The whole experience is called “Camino de Santiago” I strongly recommend it.
Cheers,
Luis J.

I love this idea, though I read a bit of a counterpoint in a NY Times article recently, i.e., that some of our best ideas come from long, solitary ramblings, absent social interactions (and electronic devices). A (former) friend of mine I hiked with would fill up every moment of silence with his thoughts, which were mainly negative reactions to his job, girlfriend, and the world. Eventually no matter how much I tried to steer the conversation or just let it run it's course, I'd start to agree with him, and found that our hikes became successively less enjoyable year after year. I do like the idea of a larger group, because it's easier to drift in and out of conversations with other people.

Hey Derek - would love to join you on a walk and talk wherever you plan to host it (with enough notice :-)

"Very healthy for your brain, body, and friendships." I can imagine our human ancestors did something like this where they traveled together in groups and walked long distances together. They enjoyed nature, overcame challenges, and explored ideas and topics together. A slow and earthy bonding activity that rarely exists today.

Bit shorter at 60 km, but the Abel Tasman at the top of the Te Wai Pounamu (South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand, would be a wonderful walk and talk, www.newzealand.com/us/feature/abel-tasman-coast-track/

As a big fan of walking meetings, social walks and solitary thinking walks, this concept really piqued my interest. A fairly simple idea, medium executional complexity with huge possibilities of positive outcomes. Based on the number of comments I am not alone in now wanting to embark on such a project. I would make a great secretary for a future walk. Ha!

This is brilliant. It reminds me of the phrase I hear often that suggests you are the average of the six people you surround yourself with. I suppose it could be argued either way but it seems like it does make some sense. I have been looking for ways to calm my mind and being in nature like you did here Derek sounds wonderful. Plus, talking to people you care about and getting to know them better can be very pleasant. As to places to, "walk and talk," off the top of my mind, I would say Primorsky Krai, Japan, South Korea, and of course North Korea would be unbelievable just to step foot into there. Of course, it my goal to always stay safe so I would be keeping this in mind. These are simply places that would be breathtaking, hopefully.


zach

P.S. I almost forgot- this dog should be on World's Got Talent.

zach

Thanks! Reminds me of Tiny Conf, but at a smaller scale - you can learn about them here: briancasel.com/tiny-conferences/

Israel National Trail can be a good candidate for walk and-talk. Ping me if you come back to Israel and we can pick a nice part of the trail to walk-and-talk for several days. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Israel_National_Trail

Sounds like you should connect with João at Walking Mentorship.

He leads many groups and knows amazing routes for this type of thing: walkingmentorship.com/

I just did a 7 day version on the Camino is Spain. The conversations we had were one of a kind.

I just love this idea! Brilliant!

Thank you for this, Derek. I've been meaning to do something like this, so I really appreciate you sharing your framework. I'll have to think hard about bringing the right people together and I might have to start off with a mini version (like 3 nights).

You are quite the traveler!
This sounds like a nice time and could be done on a small scale staying in the city. I prefer more Biblical based conversations though as this life and all its philosophical questions are nothing compared to an eternity with God.
Salvation through Jesus Christ 🙏

Love the idea, I somehow find a connection with such activities. Maybe I yearn for a more "slower" and tactile experience in understanding the world.

This actually reminded me of 2 performance artist, Marina Abromovic & Ulay that did a durational performance on the great wall of China.

Each person started their journey at the extreme ends of the wall, walked till they met and passed each other. They initially wanted to do it to signify their marriage but ended up marking the end of their partnership.

Just a food for thought!

HIKING IS LIKE A RALLY HEALTHY WAY TO CATCH UP.
THANKS FOR SHARING.
I WOULD LIKE TO BRING MY ZITHER AND GIVE A CONCERT.
google werner frey laguna beach and ARIA
google werner frey by strauss

Love this idea of a walk and talk. I think walking from western tip of Kaena Point to the north eastern tip of the north shore of Oahu in Turtle Bay could be really pretty to walk. Could need to do more research but I know there are some great camping spots in that area as well.

Love the part about the dog following you all for 4 days and taking it to the Vet and finding the dog a home .
I am thinking this would be great to do from Oceanside California , north coast SD to sunset cliffs in the south of SD . Passing Carlsbad , Leucadia. , Encinitas, Cardiff, Solana Beach, Del Mar , La Jolla , pacific beach , mission beach, OB & end at the Sunset cliffs Point Loma or Down town San Diego .

Derek come to Joshua Tree or Big Sur!!

The first time I went backpacking, we had a stray/wild? dog join us halfway through. Slept and walked with us until the end when another person on the trail (local) took him to a shelter. Kept in touch and later learned he found a home. Funny coincidence I thought I'd share.

Love this! Great idea.

Love this Derek!
The Larapinta Trail in Central Australia is amazing. I am organising a similar trip to the trail with epic humans for 9 days in June. Feel free to join us!

I've done several horseback trips similar to this. I met people from all over the world and rode with them again in other places. The guides teach you local culture and natural history of the area. My best trip was in S. Africa and Botswana (maybe not the place to hike). I believe there are travel places like this for walking too. I used EquiTours for most of my trips.

Thank you for being so good to the dog you met along the way! That speaks volumes about you!

Always a pleasure to see your email in my inbox.

Florida has created the Coast to Coast Trail. It goes from downtown St.Petersburg all the way to Titusville on the East Coast. I look forward to making this journey one day.

Besides the dog, did you see any other cool wildlife?

This is a great idea. I have started this at a family level after I read Scandinavian countries bundle kids up and go outside in the winter.
We need more time in nature outside. Merry Christmas or Happy Yule or Happy Holidays, Peace to all.

I don't have a great walking idea for you, but I really like the photos of the dog and I'm glad he found you.
I think I posted the photos here just so I could see them more often. My heart swells every time. He walked alongside me/us for 20+ hours. Wherever we stopped to eat, I'd feed him. His loyalty was so touching. — Derek

Hi Derek!

I loved reading this, in case there's a plan to do it in the future, in China, I'd love to be a Navigator - I'd love to get a Local Navigator Assistant, too :-D

There's always something very valuable in your writing and emails, ofc besides the writing and emails themselves - this time, it's a vivid comment section!

Absolutely love this, kinda wish to hear recordings from
these talks.

I highly recommend Israel when we’re not at war. We have a trail called Israel Trail that goes all around Israel, walking in the Negev part would be really special.

What a great idea! I love to walk and think on my own, but I've never thought about sharing that with others. Thanks :)

Very cool - I have always dreamed about doing something like this - I wonder if there are more people, apps, or groups that organize this sort of thing. Of course a lot of bad things could happen, too...

Hello Derek,

Sounds like you’re fit and well on the basis of this post - good to hear!

Enjoyed this update, a nice idea/concept.

Do you think any of your takeaways from each conversation topic would merit a further post? Even if it were simply a 3-5 bullet point list under each heading?

My vicarious mind would certainly find such a a follow-up to be of interest. I wonder how many others on your receivership would as well?

No need for your direct reply, I’m sure there are more than enough others who better merit your consideration.

Very best to you and yours for the festive season, and the new year beyond.


Warm regards,

Greg

i have been doing this for 39 years (since i was 12 years old). at least once a year, sometimes as many as four times.

5 of these treks have been in the Nepali Himalaya. the shortest of the Himalayan treks was 11 days, the longest 25 days. rest days are essential, averaging one every 5 days, especially at altitudes of approximately 3400m, 4100m & 5000m to acclimatise.

trekking in the Himalayas is not "hard core", not an extreme sport, not for experienced mountaineers or adrenalin junkies. most trekkers are "empty nesters" that is 55 years an older. and quite a few DINKs (double income no kids)

best time to go is Oct - mid Dec, although i prefer mid Dec - mid Jan as i'm from Africa and we want to see snow and experience the northern hemisphere winter landscape. also oct/nov can get quite crowded (which is ok, they're all like-minded people), but having a table for 8-10 people in a lodge for evening chats becomes more difficult (it's often more of a cocktail party). this said, it's dead-easy to get "out of sync" with the main trekkers and stay at lodges that aren't so popular (but these days have the same facilities).

there are plenty routes to choose from, ranging from well developed to remote & inaccessible. i recommend the Everest Base Camp Trek as a good start. it's famous for good reason, villages/lodges are plenty & operate all year round.

organisation-wise, there needs to be a navigator (who handles the relationships within the team) plus a mountain guide (trained Nepali with experience, people skills and all the necessary info at their fingertips).

there are plenty trekking agencies to choose from - i struck it lucky with the most affable, charismatic and skilled of them all:

KRISHNA ADHIKARI +977 984 143 3205 (whatsapp & phone)
adventurenepal@gmail.com

When worlds collide! This where two of my favourite people I know via the internet come together!

Loved the idea! I would love to do something like that, especially the no-phones part of it (LOL).
The dog is so cute! I always get amazed with how animals can and do change our lives just by being there. We humans are very limited in some ways and animals kind of fill that gap of perception, I feel.
Thank you for sharing this Derek!
Looking forward to the new book!
Warm regards,
Cristina V

Hi, Derek!

I've seen the similar question in comments - so who are those eight companions?
I found out Craig Mod and looked through his website. Who are the others if that's not a secret?

B-regs,
Maksym.
I didn't ask them if I could share their names, and it would distract from the real point of the post: to encourage others to do this too. — Derek

Hi Derek.

Great post, and really love the idea of taking something that happens occasionally naturally between friends/family and levelling it up this way, I bet it was/is awesome and I'd love to do it.

I love the South West coast path here in the UK (mainly Cornwall) more than anything. Stunning coastline, exciting trails, and lots of lovely B&Bs (traditional and Air), hotels and campsites dotted along the coast in lovely towns and villages.

You can do the "Classic Quarter" route (a tough ultra run!) from The Lizard (most southerly place in the UK) to Land's End (most westerly). 44 miles total (70k) taking in a quarter of the compass (south to west). Then crack on around to the west/north coast of Cornwall for up to another 60 miles if you're so inclined. Just beautiful.

Thanks for the great post!

So funny how the real bonding (and the only fellow walker you mention) was the pupper. Maybe just a privacy issue, but interesting just the same. :)
Just privacy. I posted this from Chiang Mai as leaving, and hadn't asked the other 11 people if I could post their names. — Derek

I love the idea of a "walk and talk." The only place that currently comes to mind is part of the Jacob's trail along the Baltic Sea Coast, but I am sure I will think of more. I wish you always all the best. If you wish to join me as a guest on the Voice Rising Show, you are always welcome. Many wonderful authors, poets, and musicians. Continue to inspire our world with all that you do. Kara Johnstad

What a lovely idea! I always love the energy of meeting people outside our everyday environments, somewhere away from the routine and even a little exotic. I've been planning a solo walk along Hadrian's Wall Path, and perhaps I should think of myself now as a navigator and plan to have others join me on the next one.

This absolutely sounds like something I’d love to participate in or organize, whichever comes first.
Derek, what’s your approach to building groups for these? People who already know each other? Bringing together relative strangers? Something in between?

Thank for your sharing this, Derek. Love this idea. Something to incorporate into my life. As always, you are brilliant.

Hi Derek,
funny I plan something similar for next year here on the island of Mallorca, Spain. It's one of the best places for a format like this one.
Serra Tramuntana, rather challenging at places, fantastic infrastructure.
I can only recommend it.
Cheers
Jörg

Venice, Italy! The Lagoon is super interesting, and you can do 10-15km walks for a few days in the surroundings, perhaps including one in Venice proper. I live in Venice... I'd love to help host something like this. Would you come?

I really like the idea of a major walk and talk. This reminds me of less structured back packing trips with friends.

I'm curious about the answers you all came up with to some of the questions.
Were there any answers that were surprising or felt incredibly true.

How do you stay motivated?
Shocking solutions to public problems.
Frameworks to make big decisions.
What is your health regime?
How do you use lists?


For me:
Motivated - Have the work be fun and don't over do it. If it's feels unmotivating for a time just work for 2 minutes a day.

Shocking solutions to public problems - Tax AI, use those taxes to provide a greater safety net (maybe UBI), potentially based on jobs lost / layoffs.

Frameworks to make big decisions - Pros and cons list, picture what it would look like if I was a year into both decisions, if I keep feeling like doing one thing over and over for months, it's probably right.

Health Regime - Workout in fun ways, bouldering, biking; also do pullups and pushups throughout the day. Limit sugar intake.

Lists - Each day at the start of work I write a note in OneNote that says Wednesday, and that has my tasks for the day, and I fill it up with notes about those tasks. I look back on yesterday's tasks to make sure I didn't miss anything, and write "done" after I complete a task.

Thank you so much for this Derek!

I saw Craig doing a walk in England with KK and I loved the idea immediately. I could see some people I admire do this as well (TF, SG, JC, KR) and for some reason this motivated me. I went through "the marketing seminar" using something similar as a case study (not to earn money but to do something that is meaningful). I see how I can make this happen with people I admire in my city first and then maybe, just maybe, expand it to my mentors.

Once again, thanks. Cannot wait to read "Useful not True", I have finally decided to read "The art of possibility" despite your 6/10 grade. I think I attach to much importance to the grade you give but I usually find that I agree with your low ratings.

Love this idea Derek! A suggested path: from San Sebastián (north of Spain) ending in Saint-Jean-de-Luz (France), including paths in the forest and sea side, a short river cross by boat, several towns in between, and two countries! Also great food along the way.

If only I had a dollar for every mile I've ever walked... My walks have been mostly solitary, but I too have been accompanied by a friendly canine stranger along the way... This is a very cool idea..

Hey, this was super inspiring. Thanks for sharing.

I absolutely love this idea! Count me in if someone can organize a hiking trip on either the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) or the Appalachian Trail in the United States. Exploring the stunning natural beauty of these iconic trails while bonding with fellow adventurers sounds like an incredible experience. Let's make it happen!

Te Araroa. Since you live in NZ, it’s right in your backyard. I ran the whole Te Araroa one year and it was my favorite.

Hello Derek, just wondering if you are on social Apps Tik Tok. If you are love to follow you. Cheers. Philip Ng
No. My email inbox is social enough. — Derek

Great idea
A trip around lale taboe CA could be an option considering few pre reqs. Northern india has few hikes(har ki dun). Having little bit of unpredictability, will add an element of fun, fear, creativity(depending on your views and situation facing mindset). I recently walked 62 kms straight in 16 hrs in heavy rainfall with a group of 12 in tough terrain. Panhala to vishalgad in maharashtra india in the sahyadri mountain ranges. The group members were from IT sector and hence we talked everything but IT, which was nice.
Kudos to you for bringing this up. If you want to travel here in maharashtra India, i am an email away
Thank you

Thanks for sharing the “programming” details.
The questions at the end are gems in themselves - and I particularly liked the “hero” question - so many layers.
Look forward to seeing some details on the answers whenever they are ready.
Also just agreeing on the topic from the previous day is a great strategy to ruminate throughout the day during the walks also.

Great quick read. Thought provoking. Will be planning one soon. Did anyone have their youngsters with them?
No. Age range of the people on my walk was 31-74. — Derek

Some thoughts:

Great ideas only come through walking according to Nietzsche (and so many other great minds).

This is partly the reason the Camino has become so popular in the last decade or two.

When walking your eyes naturally scan the scenery without you realizing it, and it releases anxiety. This was discovered by the inventor of EMDR therapy, which is extremely effective in trauma counseling.

Humans are made to walk.

Favorite Treks/Walks:
- Mt. Rinjani - Indonesia - 4-5days - might be more intense than desired
- Machu Picchu Inca Trail - during the offseason, not a lot of people, up to 7 days, not super intense
- Teyuna (“Lost City”) in Colombia
- These dont fit exact criteria but think they were worth sharing!

Have heard:
- Camino de Santiago is a must do pilgrimage, would likely fit all criteria
- Kumana Kodo in Japan

What a journey and an opportunity for cognitive juicing! I’m curious, Derek: where any women involved? And how many? My feminist mind wants to know.

As always, I love how you keep in touch and how simple and inviting your sharing always is! It’s a powerful model contrasting the distractions of most social media.

What a journey and an opportunity for cognitive juicing! I’m curious, Derek: where any women involved? And how many? This feminist thinker wants to know. And any members of marginalized groups in their home nation, if you know?

And the pics of the brown lovable dog! Precious!

PS Humble brag. I’m featured in a Tribeca Film Fest winning documentary short that’s poised for an Oscar nomination.
It’s produced by ESPN titled Black Girls Play: The Story of Hand Games by Rada Studio.

Kindly,
Kyra

As for me, I'd prefer to walk with one person whose work I greatly admire and 8 other knuckleheads like me. Any guesses who that one person might be, Derek?

Similar but different (and unique/compelling): the Sierra Challenge.
www.snwburd.com/bob/
I learned about it from a friendly couple at a trailhead parking lot.

Thanks Derek for sharing this..

I especially like the idea of 'exploring to exhaustion'

ALways love your posts!!! Keep us up to date with the trips!

There's a group in my community that has a similar routine to what you mentioned. Unfortunately, I have severe arthritis and can't join them......It's funny that you call it "Walk And Talk". That is an expression we use in the film industry for a movie that has no action. Keep them coming, Derek.

How about an off the beaten track Peruvian trek? Love to organise it... Going to try and organise something like this for people I know in Peru. Love to help facilitate one for you too!

(I am British living in Peru)

if you're still in Aotearoa, you're spoilt for the walks you could do!

A walk on the Camino de Santiago between Le Puy and Conques, arguably the most beautiful part of the path in France. Or also near Le Puy, GR70 (Robert Louis Stevenson Trail) from one of his novel, beautiful place.

Derek, good brief overview. You're right, long walk with friend or acquaintance provides space for "opening up" and sharing personal stuff, and for enabling folks to process stuff they're working through. J

This is gold.
Walking is great, walking in groups is greater.
So many good places to work, but the best in the world in my humble opinion are in fact in New Zealand, both islands have multi-day tracks that are never to be forgotten, from the lively Abel Tasman track, to my favorite Routeburn and the rare Milford which needs to be booked in advance...

Love the discussion questions!

Walk and Record is what I do now in Israel.
Got this amazing street condenser Mic for my smartphone that is now a
mobile studio.
There are some amazing rivers to produce the fine sounds of water.
Some fine Trains doing so much Train noises.
And instead of talking I press record on people making sounds.
Creating this wide fine moving audio of life and creation.
The big shopping mall has it's own wide sound.
People talking is just another sound on my recorder :)
Then once I have something good - I edit it while walking.
That is pretty amazing to keep the creation on a move.
Walking & talking to people is always a thrill. Everything that is being done
on the move.


TROY

Amazing idea and never wondered something like this could be done. If not 8 people, will definitely try this with a smaller number of acquaintances.

First time heard about this, it's genius, multiple great ideas mixed into one activity. Thanks for sharing, Derek!

Switzerland, the Alpine Pass Route or portions thereof. Or...so many other good long hikes through Switzerland.

you make want to try! ;)

some friends did the 'via degli dei' drone Bologna to Florence.

I think that's near to criteria ;)

Slovenia! Triglav National Park would be a perfect spot. Let's plan it for May or June 2024. :)

Wow, thanks for your letter.

I spent some time in Dali（大理）, Yunnan Province, China, where I found a 12km cable-link from Longweiguan Ruins（龙尾关） General Temple（将军洞） near Cangshan（苍山） to GANTONG ROPEWAY（感通索道）. There were not many passers-by, and there were pavilions at every place. Although it was nominally forbidden to climb randomly, there were still some hidden paths that one could take a look at, especially during the annual mushroom growing season (June to October) , you'll come across a lot of germs in the mountains. Dali also has a mature local"Germ" route.

There are teams doing similar things in Bishan（公众号：碧山旅行）, such as the GUDAO project, which is run by the public name "China Travel", and they do something similar to what you mentioned, gathering about 20 people at a time to go somewhere on a hike, each route has a theme. The "Journey to find incense in Beijing" revisits ancient Kōdō, and the "Journey to the secret land of the south" in Songyang County, Zhejiang province, visits ancient villages. (not advertising)

I shared your article with a hiking friend of mine who said, “It was fun, engaging in meaningful conversation while exercising, Great.” I take this opportunity to pass it on to you, and thank you for sharing ❤️

I would love to do something like this :)

Derek, what a sweet dog! Just look at that face and the energy the pup projects! So glad you found a home for the dog.

There are lots of hills and walking paths in the U.K. Yorkshire dales? Scottish Highlands?

Hi Derek,

Thank you for sharing this experience. I agree that Walk and Talk is always a fun, easier way to get to know people! I am a member of an association, we have a weekly walk and talk and it's a way to mix the new and old members. I have noticed two things, all the people I walk with, greet me after with a big smile - and the 2nd thing :that there is some kind of energy levels on a walk - sometimes we avoid the presence of some of the participants even if it's first time we meet this person. Don't know if it's clear. But anyway. I have not walked for days with a group, so maybe this is something irrelevant.

You have already received destination ideas for the next 500 years. But here my two cents,
Costa Rica is a beautiful country to walk.
France, of course, I can help if we need help if you want to walk in Châteaux de la Loire area for instance, or on the traces of Joanne of Arc...
In Bulgaria, I know a professional mountain guide, that can help to organize a walk/stay.
Slovenia-Croatia, I have a good contact there. I have met her in Ljubljana for a meditation walk :)
And last - someone already mention Sicily, but Alberto is passioned about the volcanos and speaks EN - so if you need a guide : www.instagram.com/alberto_torrisi/

Keep moving and open doors !

Derek! I thought it’s been a while since we last heard from you but we know it will always be delicious reading your latest post…
What a great time you all must have walk/talk with interesting people .
We did something not to that scale of heavy duty discussion
But a few of us just went to Jasper National Park in Alberta Canada to take small
Hikes around waterfalls, glaciers and lakes .
You are an inspiration to us and we would definitely try to organize something like that soon! Probably Xinjiang, China as it has so many varied landscapes

Amazing! Someone already mentioned El Camino de Santiago, which naturally lends itself to this type of experience. But I'll go out on a limb to suggest the long Quilotoa Loop in Ecuador. Beautiful hike through small towns that culminates in a trail around the crater of an inactive volcano.

thanks Derek,

All the best for 2024 and Merry Christmas
Jan

As some others mentioned, almost any Camino (but the French and Portuguese in particular) would be perfect for this because it already has the infrastructure for various daily distances.

I’ve been on both and I would choose the Spanish Meseta as the part to start woth since it’s flat (and quite boring) and it helps with the conversation since you have nothing to distract from it 😅

Great idea. I've done a lot of hiking, and I think the time spent alone on introspection can also be incredibly rewarding.

One possibility that I think I would try with the format: Do the first 3 days of together as a group, then separate; everyone walks 1 day alone and spends the night alone. Then again 3 days as a group. The last 3 days of conversation could be a lot more rewarding after spending 1 day alone in between. You could even have 3 topics for the first 3 days, then come back to the same topics and dive deeper in the last 3 days. Everyone would probably have a lot more thoughts on the same topics after having all that thinking-time alone.

...Although from a practical standpoint this would be more complex to arrange :)

Hope this helps,
-Joona

I love this idea. Since I live in New Mexico, the concept would have to be modified somewhat due to the enormous distances between suitable hiking areas. Hikes and long conversations in evenings is great in any setting. I'd be up to creating one of these gatherings of like minded people. (Derek, I did a solo backpack tour of SE Asia back in the 90's -- I'd love to do it again as you described.

Transylvania, Romania. Or better yet, on the new Via Transilvanica, a path that connects the Northern part of Romania to the South. (it passes through Transylvania too so it could be the Transylvanian portion of the Via).

The portion of Via Transilvanica that passes through Transylvania, Romania.

Hey Derek
So nice to say hi to you. Ive heard/read a lot of your work. Inspired. Will write to you again and introduce myself properly. But for now i recommend Kerala, India for your walk/talk tour.
Enjoy your summer with your boy
Kind regards
Karen Heiden
Melbourne, Australia

Hi Derek,

I have walked el Camino de Santiago (the Camino Frances route) in 2015 and 2016. In 2015, I started on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees in Roncesvalles. In 2016, I decided to challenge myself and started in St Jean Pied de Port on the French side and crossed the Pyrenees. Both times I walked all the way to Santiago de Compostela without relying on public transport and carrying my backpack on all days, except the day when I was crossing the Pyrenees.

To do what you want you have all the pieces in place. If you want to limit your walk to about 100 kilometers, I recommend to do a middle part of Camino Frances. This Camino is the most popular one, which means that it has the best selection of well spaced lodging. The last 100 kilometers are very busy with people who aim to get the Compostela document. The first part is where many people are starting the path and forming friendships. If your plan is to stay with your group, you may come across as aloof. The middle part is less popular and some people skip it by taking a bus.

I recommend John Brierley's guide to Camino Frances. Get the latest one, because he updates it with new information such as re-routes, new and closed alberges (lodgings), etc. In the book you'll see the map of the Camino broken into stages and be able to identified the part with optimal for your group lodging spacing, elevation gains and losses, and features of the terrain.

Camino Frances is touristy which means that in almost all places people speak English, or at least there will be other pilgrims who will translate for you. An anecdote: in a Santiago dorm I met a Polish guy who walked all the way from his home in Poland to Santiago without speaking either Spanish or English. (I communicated with him in Russian.)

Best wishes for accomplishing your plan,

Victoria

Menorca or Mallorca in Spain.

This is just one of the best things I have ever read. Brilliant idea.

Wow, thank you Derek for sharing your experience! Really like your conversation format for the trip, with the big group chat at the end of every day.

Used to do something similar with a group of volunteers at a local NGO when I was a teenager. Mountain trails and sea shore trails for a few days. Also done the footpath next to the train road from Hidroelectrica to Aguas Caliente and then to Macchu Picchu in Peru with my ex fiance and a fellow traveler. Love to see there are awesome people like you and your friends having similar experiences.

By any chance, do you happen to have a map or an URL with your Thai trip? Couldn't find it in the comments section.

That dog is adorable! I love the questions.

If you host a walk & talk in New Zealand, count me in!

A section of Te Araroa, maybe in Marlborough or Northland, would be amazing.

Fascinating idea. I read about something similar in the The Walrus about 10 years ago (found it: thewalrus.ca/the-walking-cure/), where this was done in the wintertime in the Canadian North. The purpose of that one was really the same; creating healing and empathy among the walkers.

A fascinating idea; living in northern Michigan, I'd like to see something like this; the logistics would be interesting because things like places to stay are often far apart.

And TiDi looks a lot like a dog we have on the farm when we were kids. Nice pictures!

If you also want to travel to Uzbekistan, let me know, I will organize it for you with great pleasure.

Sounds as an interesting scape from a fast moving world. I suppose the "no smartphones" time is very important to reach a deep connection with your friends.
Some day I will do something similar, thank you for sharing it!!!

Derek

As always you don’t disappoint. Amazing concept? How did you decide on 9 as the magic number and not say 4 or 5? Was the mix even between introvert / extrovert? Would love to have been a bug on your knapsack to hear the convo. Any chance you can do a documentary next time on a trip like this so we can all see the beauty and hear the brainy talk.

Rob

It seems to me such group-events are rare because such individuals are rare. In my average group, if for any reason we are interrupted, the group DOESN'T CARE to try to remember where we left off. In fact, I can rarely find even one caring individual to converse with.

I will quote from my blog essay called (I think) "Craving one on one Conversation"

QUOTE
Simone tells in her memoir of something that amazed the manager: If a pair of of students (Of course the pairs would mix and match from day to day) had come in and were talking, and then another pair came in, the second pair would find their own table… as would the next pair too.

Easily explained: With all due respect to relaxing, they relished the effort, the learning and the reward of earnest one on one conversations. The students viewed conversation as getting somewhere.

As I found in Derek Siver’s notes on the book Geography of Genius: “We’re not talking about conversation as a form of entertainment. We’re talking about conversation as the piling up of premises leading to a conclusion. We’re talking about conversation that takes an issue forward, conversation as a way of getting somewhere.”
UNQUOTE

I just don't think most people care.

Walk and talk with some interesting people sounds like a great idea. I have just finished Milford & Routeburn walks also a sailing/hiking trip in Tasmania.

I will say that walking and talking are not really my thing, as I like to explore my surrounding and listen to the nature, my way of really connecting. This is why I walk, to be one with nature, and mindful of my surroundings. Talking over lunch & diner is a great way to get to know the other walkers and hear about their experiences throughout the days walk.

I would be happy to delve deeper on this subject, just way the word.

Thanks for reaching out to me & asking for my input.

Peace,
Jamie

Several million people take part in a similar experience together walking the ~70km road from Najaf to Karbala (Iraq) on the days leading up to the event of Arbaeen each year. Lodging and food are all taken care of by the generous locals. It's an incredible experience!

For one who can't hike just now, one might want to try conversing in a circle of of people who wish to inquire, not debate. I have been in two such groups.

One, a "dialogue group," was probably the second oldest in the world at the time. A fellow named Danial Yankevich has a book about it.

The other was a "community building" group. Such groups—there is training for facilitators—have been built off the meetings of the Quakers and Scott Peck's book The Road Less Traveled.

Both groups met regularly at a community centre. On night when I had little to say people could tell I was very present because of my body energy.

I love the activity structure and look forward to hosting one in the near future!

Thank you for sharing this experience and format.

Having the right amount of details pre-determined (lodging, format, etc.) seems to allow for more freedom to explore the conversations without having to worry about said details.

This is such a great idea on so many levels. I think with time we have somehow overcomplicated simple interactions. The value in simple, slow thought process and undistracted talk cannot be overstated.

Personally i would love to participate in something like this but first i’ll start with one thought at a time :)

While I have never done such a long walk + talk, as the pandemic started to dissipate and we all came 'back' into the physical world, I moved all of my Zoom calls to walk + talk meetings. I would put in my AirPods, slide my phone into the pocket of my leggings, lace up my shoes, and go outside. Moving while talking kept my attention in a way I had not experienced across a screen for two years. At the same time, I amounted to tens of thousands of steps each week. I now get requests for walk + talk meetings, whether over the phone or in person. When someone sends a Zoom link, I ask if we can shift to a walk + talk, and the answer is almost always 'yes' -- this daily ritual has improved my physical and mental health dramatically.

This sounds like a great excursion. I am not certain of lodging frequency on the Applachain trail but may be an interesting one in the US. www.nps.gov/appa/index.htm

Dave Moskovitz, I'd like to walk New Zealand! How do we contact each other?

What a great way of getting to know people and get exposed to new ideas!
I have a suggestion for a suitable trail in Norway from Berkåk-Trondheim. (The last ~120km of the Pilgrim path; pilegrimsleden.no/pilegrimsledene/gudbrandsdalsleden)
In 2022, I co-organized and participated in an ultra trail run along the same path. Incredible nature and cultural landmarks.
The best months to do it are june or july.

2023 version of Plato's Symposium.

Which topic had the most interesting or fruitful discussion?
Each night a different person came up with the topic, so that topic was most interesting and fruitful to the person who came up with it. ☺ — Derek

I love the concept of walking and talking trips, particularly in Thailand. Having had the pleasure of visiting Thailand on several occasions, a few years ago now. I know how gracious and kind people in Thailand are, so a perfect walk and talk location to match the incredible surroundings.

I can imagine with the right walking comrades these trips are a great opportunity to declutter our busy minds and have worthwhile conversations with interesting people who potentially might have a different spin on some of the subjects you covered.

I can imagine if you get the right blend in terms of location, mix of people and a well organised trip like this trip you will have everlasting fond memories.

I’m intrigued post trip if any of you have shared similar positive reflections on the trip that have impacted you post trip.

I thought about doing that "as a business" but then thought it would take all the magic away.

Anyhow, I have done El Camino de Santiago twice from Porto to Santiago de Compostela (about 300kms each time).

First with wife in 2021, and the 2nd with 2 friends in 2022.

– I think the same bunch did El Camino once too (Craig mod, Kevin Kelly, etc.) –

They were both awesome experiences.

Some things that were different / interesting for me:

1. The people we met were not interested in what I did for a living, and I loved that, because it helped detaching from that fixed identity we give ourselves through our daily tasks.

2. As we were meeting other people in the walk, we couldn't have any sort of talk agenda (seems like a very anglosaxon way of doing things, to schedule everything) – And that was actually liberating. Otherwise, I would have kept thinking about my own problems and trying to solve them talking.

3. We got to meet different type of people: italian pilgrims praying all the way, a british anesthecist, a viet czech girl, a mountain marathoner, a cuban "balsera", and a few dozen other people, and had conversations I couldn't have with a more/better related group.

3. As you meet other people in El Camino, a sort of "ephemeral town" gets formed. You get to know someone that maybe knew someone you spoke yesterday, and you start caring for that person: "did their blisters got better"? You even pass along messages, or objects to help others in the way.

4. You regularly stay in hostels, super cheap ones (like 9-20/night). Super frugal, but also you get to share with others like you were in your earlier years, and surprisingly, most people are quiet and respectful regardless of age. I think because everyone is super tired.

5. All over the Iberian Peninsula and France, there are yellow arrows every few 100s meters for the pilgrims, so you don't need the phone much, just follow the arrow (which is crazy! I think the arrows are done by local volunteers, which got me thinking a lot about all the layers of hidden stuff all over -re: my last email)

6. You get to pair the best of Spanish food (from rural Spain), with the best of their wines (if that's something you're up to)

I think that's about it!

Super interested in your hosted walk. There are a few ones in Europe, I can share if you're interested. Here's one that seems interesting: en.viadeglidei.it/prima-di-partire

Also I am walking a short and a long version of El Camino in 2024.

I'll let you know in case you want to join, but probably won't be as organized as the ones you want to put together.

Have a happy new year, and looking forward to your new book. "How to live" is on my top list of this year along with Die With Zero (a theme I think you've solved a long time ago haha).

Thanks again,
Flavio

Hey Derek,
via Francigena in Italy is the perfect spot in the middle of Italy, very beautiful.

Who was moderating the conversations during the evening talks, and how?
Thank you fo your suggestion

Great article thanks

Love the concept of walking with diverse set of people. And then, imploring to speak unabashedly about a single topic. This concept is new to me.
Can explore treks around places bordering Kerala and Tamilnadu (southern states of India) during the months of January, February and March.

What a lot of responses you’ve received on this, forwarded to me by son-in-law Saad Hasan! I’m a veteran Camino de Santiago pilgrim (France, Spain, Portugal, and a bit of Switzerland), and love the idea. Picking a group of friends would be hard though. As I near 80, old buddies have passed on, and young ones can be hard to keep up with. Solvitur Ambulando. It is solved by walking. Let’s get Putin, Netanyahu, Biden, Trump and a few others out there walking together!

i work in this lodge of the highlands of peru, would love to help you arrange a walk and talk here

pamuriandeslodge.com/

The West Highland Way in Scotland, is highly recommended, the scenery changes completely and the walk takes on different challenges each day. From the rolling hillsides on the first day ending with a decent climb,before walking along the bonnie banks of Loch Lomond on day 2, a roman road leading into a spectacular moorland surrounded by hanging valleys as you approach the Highlands, the devil's staircase and stags galore.

Best of luck whatever you choose.

Fantastic concept, sounds brilliant. I'd suggest the West Highland Way or Great Glen Way, both in the Scottish Highlands. I'd be happy to tag along as your guide!

For those with mobility challenges or limitations that may prevent participation in a multi-day hike, I highly recommend the Ha Giang loop in Vietnam. You can easily book a van or bus so the entire group can experience the journey together and engage in group discussions. The journey is typically four days, so there are also opportunities to pause, explore, and stay in multiple towns along the way.

Well first off, I have to confess my favorite part of the whole story is about that brilliant dog that adopted you all. Of all the walker/talkers he could have picked…..smart dude. Thanks for being a good hooman and finding him a home.

This suggestion may be a ways out….(like 2036), but here in Austin, TX there is a nonprofit group working to create a trail between Austin and San Antonio called the Great Springs Project.

“The Great Springs Project will create a 100-mile trail system by 2036 that will link the two cities together, along with four springs: Barton, Comal, San Marcos and San Antonio springs.” greatspringsproject.org/

I think perhaps this is an omen to plan a Walk and Talk on the Great Springs Trail in 13 years when I’m 53!

(I’ll get in some practice sessions before then at some of these other people’s recommendations ;)!

Thanks for always inspiring others Derek Sivers!

Great idea. Love the spirit guide dog!
Hope you have a great new Year.
D

On the subject of walking and talking, my wife and I use it to work out the harder topics in our life like how to raise our child, changing jobs, the grand plan, etc.
I used to at the end of an employee interviews where the job includes potential real emergencies like fire, etc. Now it is part of every interview of any sort.

After reading the criminal comment, I wonder if it is harder to lie.

Interesting! I imagined ancient civilizations doing this for fun. Just talk and walk, going with the flow of the unknown. I would really love to try it!

Hey Derek,

Always fun and exciting to know your explorations. I recently went on a trek with 30 other strangers and it was an amazing experience.
I can totally relate to the beautiful feeling of having conversations with a diverse group of people while doing something that I haven’t done before. A lot of us were sharing resources and motivating others, and that camaraderie was something I’ll always cherish.
I’d love to join you on the next walk and talk, and I’m thinking about organising one in my home country, India.
But I guess the challenges are going to be linguistic, and finding someone who has done it before.

I’m truly inspired with your journey and wish you all the best for your next book.

Cheers,
Santhosh

Wow... this posting caught the 'chat bug' for comments.

And yes it is a good idea for sure.

Stay safe and enjoy the reading/writing/walking.


Tim

Derek,
If you organize one, how would we find out?
I agree with Adam, Camino de Santiago would be incredible, but I'd hop on board for most of these.
Thanks for sharing!

Super interesting idea, Derek! Thinking of hosting one myself..

Hey Derek

Since you are in New Zealand, check out all the great walks there.

Here is the link: www.doc.govt.nz/parks-and-recreation/things-to-do/walking-and-tramping/great-walks/

A lot of them are 3+ days.

Hey Derek, thanks for sharing, it sounds amazing. I am from Romania and I heard that via Transilvanica can be a nice route, although going through the mountains could be a bit more challenging.

Sorry I missed this. Are you against doing the walk in the United States?

Hi there Derek,

Here in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) there is a route that’s 65 KM long. I did not walk the route myself but I heard it’s nice.

Check it out here:

www.senderismograncanaria.com/guia-camino-santiago-gran-canaria/

The website provides all types of information concerning the route. One remark they point out is that, the route is a bit challenging due to the mountains. So, this is perhaps not the best option but... perhaps it is.

Hoping you're doing well.

Cheers,
R.R.

Sounds like a great trip, Derek! Give backpacking a try next time for a more self-sufficient voyage.

This sounds incredible!

The West Highland Way here in Scotland seems like a perfect candidate for this.

Have you ever visited Scotland Derek?

I love this idea. I always find conversation flows a bit easier for me when I'm engaged in an activity at the same time. Long drives, long hikes / walks come to mind here. Currently living in western Canada I'm struggling to think of places where you would have lodgings available every 15 km. However, I imagine a model where you operate out of a home base like a cabin and visit different hiking / walking trails each day could work as well.

I loved reading this!

Iría caminando a Punta indio, Buenos Aires, Argentina

Hello, i have visit Yubeng Village 10 years ago,
it is really spiritual and nice view .

The Olympic Discovery Trail on the Northern side of Olympic Peninsula, WA. Can I come?!! 😀

Were the evening talks mediated along the lines of socratic dialogue principles?

It seems like the focus on one topic and redirecting the conversation when it goes off course as well as the mediation of the discussion sounds a lot like this methodology of group interacting.
No Socratic, but Jeffersonian: jeffersondinner.org/jefferson-dinner/ — Derek

I just walked parts of the Shikoku pilgrimage (Japan) - I feel that you would love this authentic and spiritual journey. Alone or with a group.

It made me want to start my own little pilgrimage from my farm in Portugal (@Quintamor) to my art parc (@ooohhhmmmland) - It's 179 Kms. I will do the first edition this year as a navigator. Want to join?

Thank you for everything you do!

Happy to do this in Bir, Himachal Pradesh, India.