Trail notes

Hob-blog

Hob-blog

Should you care about compression socks?

Should you care about compression socks?

I was first exposed to compression socks back in spring of 2018, when Holly and I led Hobnail’s inaugural trek Nepal’s Mt. Everest Base Camp. I must’ve read somewhere (or Holly did) that if you’re embarking on a long-haul flight, you should wear compression socks to...

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‘We just make it happen’: the Moore Approach

‘We just make it happen’: the Moore Approach

There's a question I get asked more than any other. It isn't about altitude sickness, or boot break-in, or whether the food in the teahouses is any good. It's this: How do people make time to travel? I've been asked it by doctors, teachers, contractors, retirees, and...

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Featured Hobnailer: Walter Nicolau

Featured Hobnailer: Walter Nicolau

Our "Featured Hobnailer" series spotlights both past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Walter Nicolau of Columbia, Maryland. Walter is Director of Operations Human Performance Improvement Consultancy for GP Strategies. In July of 2026,...

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Featured Hobnailer: Scott Ballard

Featured Hobnailer: Scott Ballard

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Scott Ballard a resident of West Jefferson, North Carolina. Scott and his son, Cam, will be tackling the Everest Base Camp Classic trek in April, 2026. Q:...

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Frank and Lola’s Ecuadorian Odyssey

Frank and Lola’s Ecuadorian Odyssey

When South Carolinians Frank and Lola board their flight to undertake Hobnail Trekking's Ecuadorian Odyssey in early December, they aren’t entirely sure what to expect. They know the trip will stretch them, but they also sense it’s going to be the adventure of a...

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Life is short — don’t waste it with excuses

Life is short — don’t waste it with excuses

“Oh, I could never do that.” You might be surprised how often I hear this sentence when discussing adventure travel with people. You would think I just suggested that they fly to the moon or ride an angry water buffalo or read "War and Peace" in Mandarin Chinese. So,...

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10 reasons why Americans should experience Ecuador

10 reasons why Americans should experience Ecuador

Over the past 18 months, I’ve had the privilege of visiting Ecuador not once, but twice. And in that time, I’ve managed to dip my toes into all three of its spectacular ecosystems: the Galapagos Islands, the Andes Mountains, and the Amazon basin. Each one is so wildly...

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Why I chose Kuhl® for my Ecuadorian adventure

Why I chose Kuhl® for my Ecuadorian adventure

When selecting clothing for adventure travel trips, there are two considerations I go to right away: Is it lightweight and multi-use? This matters because if you’re traveling well, you’re traveling light. Nobody wants to lug a bunch of unnecessary stuff around...

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Featured Hobnailer: David Maiorana

Featured Hobnailer: David Maiorana

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview David Maiorana a self-professed "hobo" with a mailing address in Florida. David has tackled several treks with Hobnail, including Everest Base Camp, Mt....

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Nervous about overseas travel? We’ve got you.

Nervous about overseas travel? We’ve got you.

If the idea of traveling overseas makes your palms sweat, you're not alone. Many of our Hobnail guests tell us they were nervous — even downright intimidated — the first time they considered an international trek. And who can blame them? Between foreign languages,...

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Featured Hobnailers: Kathy Jones & Rachel Bishop

Featured Hobnailers: Kathy Jones & Rachel Bishop

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview mother/daughter trekkers Kathy Jones and Rachel Bishop, both of St. Simons Island, Georgia. Kathy and Rachel tackled the Everest Base Camp Classic trek as...

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Two Ways Up the Roof of Africa: Lemosho vs. Rongai

Two Ways Up the Roof of Africa: Lemosho vs. Rongai

So, you’ve decided to climb Kilimanjaro — Africa’s tallest peak and one of the world’s greatest non-technical high-altitude hikes. First of all, high five. Second, you’ve got a decision to make: Which route should you take? Hobnail offers what we believe are the two...

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Cloud forest: The Andes’ living sponge

Cloud forest: The Andes’ living sponge

When most folks picture the Andes, they think jagged peaks, incredible Incan ruins, and maybe a few llamas posing impassively for the camera. But there’s a whole other world hiding just below those mountaintops — and if you’re trekking with Hobnail in Peru or Ecuador,...

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What makes it an ‘adventure’?

What makes it an ‘adventure’?

The word “adventure” gets thrown around a lot in our industry. It’s even in the name — “adventure travel.” We must be careful not to lose sight of what adventure actually is. Merriam Webster defines it as “an undertaking usually involving danger and unknown risks” and...

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Featured Hobnailer: Kip Newton

Featured Hobnailer: Kip Newton

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Kip Newton of Asheville, N.C. Kip tackled the Everest Base Camp Classic trek back in March of 2024. Q: What is/was your occupation? A:  I am a retired...

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Featured Hobnailer: Luis Prieto

Featured Hobnailer: Luis Prieto

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Luis Prieto of Palm Beach, Florida. Luis tackled the Everest Base Camp Classic trek as part of Hobnail's inaugural group back in April 2018. (Luis is pictured...

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Featured Hobnailer: Luanne Brogna

Featured Hobnailer: Luanne Brogna

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Luanne Brogna of New Jersey. Luanne will be tackling a custom version of our Peruvian Odyssey in October, 2025. Q: Where do you live? A: Presently I am living...

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Featured Hobnailer: Robert Tretsch

Featured Hobnailer: Robert Tretsch

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Robert Tretsch of Atlanta, Georgia. Robert completed our Everest Base Camp + Gokyo Lakes Extension trek in September of 2019. (In the above photo, Robert is...

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Featured Hobnailer: Ed Leist

Featured Hobnailer: Ed Leist

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Ed Leist of Bel Air, Maryland. Along with his wife, Samantha, and their daughter and son-in-law, Margaret and Dylan Sweeney, Ed completed our Peaks of the...

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Featured Hobnailers: Jeff & Patricia Stewart

Featured Hobnailers: Jeff & Patricia Stewart

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Jeff and Patricia Stewart of Monteagle, Tennessee. The Stewarts completed our Peruvian Odyssey in September of 2023. Q: Where do you live? What are your...

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Featured Hobnailer: Christanne Kurtz

Featured Hobnailer: Christanne Kurtz

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Christanne Kurtz of San Diego, California. Christanne is tackling Nepal's Everest Base Camp + Gokyo Lakes Extension, April 14 - May 3, 2025. Q: Where do you...

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Featured Hobnailer: Larry Kintner

Featured Hobnailer: Larry Kintner

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Larry Kintner of Oakland, Tennessee. Larry is tackling Nepal's Everest Base Camp + Gokyo Lakes Extension, April 14 - May 3, 2025. Q: Where do you live? A: I...

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Featured Hobnailers: Terry & Rhonda Gilbert

Featured Hobnailers: Terry & Rhonda Gilbert

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Terry and Rhonda Gilbert of Whitwell, Tennessee. The Gilberts are undertaking their first overseas adventure trip ever — the Peruvian Odyssey — this May 18 -...

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Out of the cubicle and onto the trail

Out of the cubicle and onto the trail

Scrolling through LinkedIn? Chances are fairly good you’re sitting at a desk, staring at a screen, sipping your third (or fifth) cup of coffee, and wondering where your productivity has gone. It's an old story and happens to the best of us. The answer, though, isn’t...

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Featured Hobnailers: Russ & Susan Moore

Featured Hobnailers: Russ & Susan Moore

Our "Featured Hobnailers" series spotlights past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. In this episode, we interview Russ and Susan Moore of Buhl, Alabama. The Moores are Hobnail's most tenured trekkers, having undertaken three previous adventures with us — Everest Base...

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Featured Hobnailers: Paul & Linne McGowan

Featured Hobnailers: Paul & Linne McGowan

We are excited to begin a new "Featured Hobnailer" series that profiles past and upcoming Hobnail trekkers. Our first Hobnailers are Paul and Linne McGowan, who are embarking on our Croatian Culinary Adventure on September 27. Paul and Linne are pictured here in...

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Why an overseas trek costs what it does

Why an overseas trek costs what it does

If you've ever looked at the price of an overseas trekking adventure and thought, "Why the heck does it cost that much?", you're not alone. We get it and we've had the exact same reactions ourselves, so I want to address that today. Booking a multi-day guided trek is...

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Top 8 considerations when buying hiking boots

Top 8 considerations when buying hiking boots

 I've written about hiking boots before, but decided to go a little more in-depth this time. After all, what's more important to trekking than boots? Not much. The right hiking boots can literally make or break the experience that you've spent all that time training...

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My Top 6 Travel Hacks

My Top 6 Travel Hacks

Everybody loves hacks, no matter what the topic is. It's just cool to learn some little thing that makes life a bit easier, right? There are a million travel hacks. (I haven't counted them, but I'm estimating around a million, so that's the number I'm going with.) But...

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Why is Nepal’s time 15 minutes off?

Why is Nepal’s time 15 minutes off?

If you've had a chance to look at the world clock to figure out the time difference between your local time and Nepal time, you've probably noticed something really unusual. Nepal is "off" by 45 minutes. If it’s 10am in Nashville, it’s 4pm in London — and it’s 9:45 pm...

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10 ways to prepare for an overseas trek

10 ways to prepare for an overseas trek

You've finally pulled the trigger and booked that overseas trek — woo hoo! Chances are, your departure is at least three months away, and more likely, at least six. Whatever that block of time is, consider it to be a gift from the Travel Gods. This is the time frame...

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Why itineraries come and go

Why itineraries come and go

As you might imagine, running treks in a dozen foreign countries can be challenging at times, like herding cats or trying to get a teenager to empty the kitchen trash can without constant prompting. The adventures you see listed on our website represent a LOT of...

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Get busy livin’

Get busy livin’

I'm writing you tonight (Aug. 14, 2024) via a most wonderful thing: my MacBook laptop featuring a brand-new keyboard, touchpad, and battery. In some kind of miracle of nature, I dropped the laptop off at the Apple Genius Bar in Nashville last Saturday, and it was sent...

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Why Mt. Toubkal in Morocco? Here’s why.

Why Mt. Toubkal in Morocco? Here’s why.

Alright, adventure seekers, gather ‘round! If you’re on the hunt for your next epic trekking experience — and why wouldn't you be? — I've got you covered. Let’s talk about Morocco’s Mt. Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. Here are five rock-solid reasons why...

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Kuhl Hiking Pants go on Safari

Kuhl Hiking Pants go on Safari

The kind folks at Kuhl reached out to us shortly before, back in May, I headed to Tanzania on safari while Mark headed to Ecuador for some high-altitude trekking. They offered to provide us with some gear in return for an honest review of their products. As we were...

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Trekking with total strangers

Trekking with total strangers

When it comes to overseas adventure travel, everybody starts somewhere. For some first-timers, the idea of being put together with a group of total strangers for a week or two can seem daunting — even a little off-putting. I get it. But don't let that stop you. Let me...

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About our scottish Three Lochs way trek

About our scottish Three Lochs way trek

Hey, folks! Today, I want to give you a little more info about our upcoming Three Lochs Way trek, set to depart on September 15, 2024. If you've been dreaming of exploring Scotland’s breathtaking landscapes and rich cultural heritage, this 8-day/7-night trek is your...

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Don’t be a slave to your bucket list

Don’t be a slave to your bucket list

A few days ago, I was out hiking alone and thinking (always dangerous) and I had a bit of an epiphany: I believe that we, as a travel community, sometimes limit ourselves by adhering to the concept of the "bucket list." Now, I don't have a problem with bucket lists in...

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The allure of adventure travel

The allure of adventure travel

Adventure travel offers an exhilarating escape from the ordinary, taking us to new places and pushing our physical limits. Whether it's trekking through the Himalayas, hiking the Peruvian Andes, or exploring the Albanian Alps, adventure travel allows us to immerse...

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A day in the life of the EBC trail

A day in the life of the EBC trail

When Holly and I do our "Everest Base Camp Trek Experience" presentation, we always have one slide that covers a typical day on trek — and it's really fun. So today, I've decided to provide you the same thing, but in writing. Let's say this is Day 2, Phakding to...

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‘Living vicariously’ isn’t living

‘Living vicariously’ isn’t living

May I vent for a moment? OK, thanks. Social media is often The Devil, I'm convinced. But, it is an interesting devil. It can be very revealing about us humans. For example, one of our trekkers just posted something on Facebook about he and his wife booking a ​trip to...

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What we do, what you do

What we do, what you do

Today, I want to provide you with some of the basics about why Hobnail exists and what it is that we do. First, there are lots of adventure travel companies, and I'm sure that most of them are great. Like anything else, you have plenty of choices with whom to travel,...

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HOw tough is a trek to everest base camp, anyway?

HOw tough is a trek to everest base camp, anyway?

Today, I want to address what, on the surface, seems like a very simple question: How tough is a trek to Everest Base Camp? First, we must agree that is a very subjective question, and it really depends on who you are. For a super fit, experienced mountaineer who has...

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Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 5

Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 5

One thing about it, flexibility is important! While our itinerary said we leave at 8am, Ruben sent a note and said 7:15am is the plan. Partly to pick up a couple of folks for the Pisac tour, partly to beat the crowds, and partly to get us to our Salkantay Trek team...

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Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 4

Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 4

This post was a hard one. I wanted to keep it relatively chronological (this is an odyssey after all, it’s what Homer would do). And I didn’t want to bore anyone with too much detail (but then again, Homer’s Odyssey is not a short fiction either). But it’s a packed...

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Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 3

Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 3

Our international flight from Houston landed in Lima around midnight on the 2nd of September. Customs was surprisingly easy. No forms to fill out and there was a departure gate that said “Nothing to Declare.” We went through it and….were on the street in Lima? The...

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Jeff & Patricia’s peruvian odyssey, Pt. 2

Jeff & Patricia’s peruvian odyssey, Pt. 2

Planes, trains, vans, buses, taxis, boats, bikes, horses, and of course, our feet. I enjoy maps. And I like looking back and seeing what’s been accomplished. I tried two methods of capturing the trek using my iPhone. One was to use a mapping software, the other was to...

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Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 1

Jeff & Patricia’s Peruvian Odyssey, Pt. 1

A whut? An odyssey. (ŏd′ĭ-sē) – noun An extended adventurous voyage or trip. An intellectual or spiritual quest. An epic poem, attributed to Homer, in which are celebrated the adventures of Odysseus (this may have to wait until we get back) How did this come about?...

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Why travel with Hobnail?

Why travel with Hobnail?

I've heard the question of "why should I travel internationally through an American company?" batted around a bit, so I wanted to address it for you today. Traveling can be a very personal thing, and there is no set way to do it. Because we live in a free country and,...

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Trekking with Thubten

Trekking with Thubten

I met Himalayan trekking guide Thubten Sherpa in 2011 when I signed up for a trip to Tibet with REI Adventures. I had seen a picture of the Potala Place in Lhasa on their website and thought that would be an interesting trip. I arrived in Kathmandu to start the trip...

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Scary logistics? We got you.

Scary logistics? We got you.

Let's address the elephant in the room: planning an overseas adventure holiday can be daunting and downright scary, especially if you've never done it before. In fact, most people simply give up before they ever book a trip; they just feel like it's too much of a...

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How we choose our treks

How we choose our treks

When Holly and I first conceived of Hobnail Trekking back in the fall of 2016, we quite literally had no clue that it would become what it is today. Back then, we developed the idea around a single partnership created by a chance encounter with a Nepali Sherpa in...

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Take it from Harry — The time is now

Take it from Harry — The time is now

Committing to an expensive, two-week-long overseas trekking adventure can be a bit daunting; I get it. Back in 2016, when Holly and I made the decision to book Everest Base Camp for 18 months later, we had absolutely no clue how we would pay for the trip or how our...

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4 Critical Tips For Mental Toughness in Trekking

4 Critical Tips For Mental Toughness in Trekking

When planning a long-distance trek, it's natural to consider physical fitness first. After all, propelling yourself up and down rough terrain over multiple miles is no easy task, so you obviously have to be ready. But what about mental toughness? It's an element that...

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The Ultimate Guide to Merino Wool

The Ultimate Guide to Merino Wool

By Paul Ronto Reprinted from runrepeat.com   Technical gear is made from dozens of materials and fibers. It’s dyed, woven, and sewn into millions of pieces of clothing designed to keep us comfortable while we play, train, and explore. We all have probably heard the...

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The Fiery Gizzard Trail: Certa Mors

The Fiery Gizzard Trail: Certa Mors

Originally published October 2017 In March, Holly and I will fly around the world and check out Mt. Everest with our own eyes. It will be our first time in Nepal, and probably, the maiden voyage of Hobnail Trekking Co. The fact that it's only about five months away...

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