These guides get you ready for the trail: routes I walked myself, about half of them with Wingo the trail dog, all of them with a 7 kg pack. Life on the trail: simple, wild and free. The American monster trails are Jonatan's, my partner and thru-hiking mentor.
PICK YOUR TRAIL
We've actually walked these
Nineteen long-distance trails between us. Tap a pin. The ones without a guide yet are coming. We walked and checked every distance, stage count and stay tip on this page ourselves. Last updated August 2026.
● Suzanne & Wingo ● Jonatan Tap a pin to explore the trail.
Kilometres hiked between us
13000
Long-distance trails
19
Pack weight
7
Trail companion
4
Trail guides at a glance
| Trail | Where | Distance | Days | Dog-friendly | Who, when |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fisherman's Trail | Portugal | 230 km | 11-13 | Yes | Suzanne + Wingo, 2025 |
| GR11 | Spanish Pyrenees | 850 km | ~50 | Yes | Suzanne + Wingo, 2024 |
| GR131 Gran Canaria | Canary Islands | 85 km | 4-5 | Yes | Suzanne + Wingo, 2025 |
| GR131 Tenerife | Canary Islands | 67 km | 3-5 | Yes | Suzanne + Wingo, 2022 |
| Waitukubuli | Dominica | 183 km | 14 stages | No | Suzanne, 2023 |
| Appalachian Trail | USA | 3,500 km | 100 | No | Jonatan, 2025 |
| Continental Divide Trail | USA | 5,000 km | hiking it now | No | Jonatan |
Also walked, guides coming: GR131 Fuerteventura, La Pared to Cofete, GR7 Tarifa to Ronda, the Grazalema Mountains, Ruta de la Reconquista and our Galicia hot-spring trail, plus Jonatan's PCT, Camino de Santiago, Kungsleden, GR20, Arizona Trail and Colorado Trail.
@suzannevanderveeken
Where this comes from
I didn't become a hiker. I just kept going outside. Oceans, boats, a van, and somewhere along the way I discovered I really like walking for a very long time. Slowly. Often with Wingo. A tiny backpack and fewer plans than most people would recommend. 2,000+ km of trail so far, and I still reach most trailheads by sailboat, van or train. Jonatan, my partner and thru-hiking mentor, adds the American monsters: the AT in 100 days, the PCT, and the CDT right now. Between us, 13,000+ km. I write about trails because I've been there: the blisters, the wrong turns, the ridiculous joy of a perfect campsite. If I have not personally checked something, I do not pretend I have.
Not sure where to start? Start small, start soon.
What makes it into my pack
After thousands of kilometres, these still earn their place:
- The Garmin inReach that lets home sleep
- The Katadyn BeFree for water anywhere
- My Osprey Eja pack
- The Therm-a-Rest NeoAir I sleep on
- Trail shoes from Altra or Topo
- The portable bidet (yes, really)
The full list is in my free packing list.
Things I wish someone had told me
Start with what you have and let the trail teach you.
Your backpack will always feel too heavy on day one.
You will probably be scared the first time you sleep somewhere wild. That is normal. It passes.
The less you push, the more the trail gives.
You need less gear than Instagram wants you to believe.
A dog changes everything.
Your First Hike, the guide
Go deeper
Your First Hike: the guide
Everything I wish I knew before my first multi-day trail, in one guide: choosing the right trail, training, gear on a budget, food, fear, and the first night in a tent. It comes from 2,000+ km of walking and every mistake I made along the way, so you can skip them and just go.
Start free with the packing list, or go all in with the guide and the day-by-day planner.
Get the hike planner & prep checklist
Join us by the campfire on Patreon
GEAR & KNOW-HOW
LATEST FROM THE TRAIL
What's actually in my tiny backpack
The exact gear that carried me, and often Wingo, through 2,000+ km. Free in your inbox.
Walk with us
muddy days, camp coffee and the bits that never make it into a guide
Some trails you can read. These you can walk with us. Jonatan's CDT films are fresh from the trail.
Walk along on YouTube
My slow trail diaries, and Jonatan's thru-hike films, fresh from the CDT.
Suzanne, slow hiking with Wingo
Jonatan, on the CDT right now
