Te Araroa Dag 111 : Bluff 🏁

Te Araroa betyder Den Lange Vandring og er en af verdens længste og hårdeste vandreruter. Den løber over 3.000 km tværs gennem New Zealand, fra Cape Reinga i nord til Bluff i syd. I oktober 2025 tog jeg solo afsted på mit livs eventyr. Jeg ville vandre hver eneste meter [EFI]. Efter knap 4 måneder undervejs med spektakulær natur, ømme fødder, sandfluer, magiske oplevelser og hårde dage, gennemførte jeg i februar 2026. Dette er min fortælling. I denne serie tager jeg dig med dag for dag over bjerge, strande, skove, floder, land og byer, i al slags vejr. Du får indsigt i alt fra grej og kalorier til ensomhed, skavanker og de møder med mennesker, der gjorde turen ekstraordinær. De fysiske og mentale udfordringer ved at gå alene i måneder ad gangen, og hvad det egentlig koster fysisk, mentalt og økonomisk. Der findes utallige engelsksprogede videoer om Te Araroa. Men næsten ingenting på dansk. Det ville jeg lave om på og jeg besluttede fra dag ét at dokumentere min tur på dansk. Jeg håber, den kan inspirere andre til at kaste sig ud i deres drømmevandring. Vil du læse min dagbog og se billeder fra hele rejsen dag for dag? 👉 https://www.polarsteps.com/KasperMath... Find alle de nørdede data om hver vandring på min Strava her: https://www.strava.com/athletes/34642505 --- DAGBOG 🇬🇧 I did it. Today I completed Te Araroa. About 3,148 kilometres across New Zealand. Walked the length of a country. About 5 million steps. North to south. I’ve had the most amazing nature experiences walking subtropical and rain forests, volcanic plateaus, alpine passes, down rivers, tussock-covered ranges. Rocky descents. Narrow trails and wide open valleys. I’ve roughly climbed the elevation equal to 10 Mount Everest equivalents from sea level to summit. And back again. I’ve spent more than 100 days outside. Walking for six to twelve hours every day. Mostly alone. Ample time to reflect on life and everything. And also being completely in headspace whilst soaking it in with no thought processing at all. Crying and smiling at random. Letting my thoughts and emotions run wild. I’ve seen some of the prettiest views this planet has to offer. Marvelled at it all. From the mountains to the rivers, flatlands, lakes and vegetation. I’ve gorged on incredible sunsets, seen the night turn to day in fiery sunrises, and stared up at unbelievably starry skies. Endless beaches and seas. Big cities, small towns and outskirts. And long road sections. I’ve stayed at all types of huts and campgrounds across this country. Taking immense joy in the most basic human needs. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet people from all over the world. I’ve met Kiwis of all ages. Experiencing the amazing hospitality these people have to offer. I’ve indulged in the history of this place, seen and learned the beauty and challenges of it. Most importantly, I’ve made a lot of new friends and core memories, and surely mispronounced every single Māori word I’ve come across. I’ve been singing out loud to no one in vast open spaces feeling completely alone in this beautiful place. Walked alongside hikers on all parts of the trail taking in the views during the day, reminiscing the challenges at night. Taking more photos and videos than ever before in my life. Gotten up every morning, most days with stiff legs and sore feet. Packing up my house and carrying it on my back. Often with heavy food supplies for many days. Walking 20, 30, 40 or 50 kilometres to get to my next destination. It has been brutally hard at times - though always worth it at the end of the day. I’ve cooked a trillion freeze-dried meals of varying quality. Ate enough snacks, sugary treats, protein- and energy bars to feel completely sick of food. Enough morning oats to last me a lifetime. Always in a calorie deficit. Total trail burn of roughly 450,000 calories. Losing weight every day and building muscle to sustain the journey. Getting my walking legs ready for the next days and weeks. I’ve been sick and fatigued. Injured multiple times. Feeling at a loss. Tired. Afraid of being forced to stop. To end this adventure of mine prematurely. Forced to give up. But I’ve carried on. Kept my head down. Set and met my goals. Pushed through and carried on no matter the challenges. Mastered the hiker-gait, wobbling about like a penguin in mornings and nights. Like the rest of my posse out here. Getting up and going to bed early to rest and recover. Walking injuries and blisters away. Gone up at least a shoe size, losing nails and knowing that my feet will never look the same again. I’ve been in all kinds of weather, from the sunniest hot days burning my skin, to torrential rain, coldness, winds coming from all directions simultaneously and hail blasting my face. All of it elevating my experience in these great outdoors. Knowing what four seasons in a day feels like. I’ve crossed every type of water. Water more clear blue and green than I thought existed. Having my... (read the rest on Polarsteps)