Reviews

Walking Distance: Extraordinary Hikes for Ordinary People by Robert E. Manning, Martha S. Manning

caroparr's review against another edition

4.0

Several walks here I've always wanted to do: the Cinque Terre, the West Highland Way, the Coast to Coast Walk and the Camino de Santiago. Only two that I've tasted myself, the C&O Canal and the Milford Track, and they are well described. And almost every other one I'd like to do (I've added King Ludwig's Way through Bavaria to the list), minus those that require special skill (no Chilkoot Trail for me). Inspiring, beautiful and practical, this looks like a coffee table book but it's also a jumping-off point for planning more trips.

laread's review against another edition

3.0

The reader is taken through practical profiles of long-distance walks around the world, providing statistics, logistics, background, and resources for each. It is a great survey from which my interest has been piqued in general and my favorite routes selected from among those described. Both inspirational and methodical.

P.S.: I took notes and certainly aspire to walk at least one of these routes!

aperson's review against another edition

5.0

This was a very informative and visually stimulating guide to long-distance hikes across the world. The Manning's start out with some helpful tips for hiking long distance and the therapeutic benefits of walking in nature. I've always been curious about longer hikes such as the Appalachian Trail & the Camino del Santiago so I was delighted to hear that there were so many other long-distance trails out there. The pictures are gorgeous and give you an idea for what the landscape is like. They also give you helpful information such as possible dangers you might encounter, whether you can camp or access lodging on the trail, and whether there is luggage service available. Being a noob to long-distance hiking, this book was incredibly helpful and I've created my bucket list using the 30 hikes they mentioned.

Even if you don't read it, just browse through the pictures. They're fantastic!

skinnypenguin's review

5.0

Good list of some interesting long distance hikes/walks all over the world. Included some history about each hike with good descriptions of scenery, terrain, accommodations, access, etc. Beginning of walk included information on training, gear, resources, etc. The authors did all the hikes and talked about their experiences.
Really enjoyed the book. Very inspirational.

jenenglish's review

4.0

Tons of inspiration here for those of us who can't take a few months off to hike the Appalachian Trail or who want to know what other trails are out there. Most of the walks could be done on a 1-2 week vacation, and range in level of difficulty from easy inn-to-inn strolling to challenging hiking at high elevation. Each walk description includes references for further research.