Hiking the Hexa
Memoir
Hiking the Hexa
I purchased this book through Amazon after being contacted by the author for a potential interview and in my case the reason was threefold. Firstly I love reading hiking books so this was just another opportunity get my hiking fix at a time I have limited opportunity to get out on trail. Secondly it provided me with an idea of what to ask as I was developing the questions for the podcast interview. And thirdly I hadn’t long discovered the Hexatrek and found that this trail had piqued my interest, to the extent that it was challenging my future plans to potentially walk the US based Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).
As I started to read this book it took me a little while to work out what type of book that this was. It wasn’t a trail review as such, nor was out a guidebook, and it was only when I looked at what Amazon identified it as it made sense that it was called a memoir. The best way that I can describe this book is as a trail journal with key passages reworked into a memoir format.
- “This memoir, which contains a French translation, details that mid-life adventure. It is not a guidebook (although you will pick up a few hints), but rather a frank and funny account of the physical and mental journey: a tale of two almost over-the-hill people trying to get over a fair few more.”
I like the writing style of this book because it managed to capture my imagination and allow me to put myself ‘on-trail’ so to speak. It was logically developed introducing how Claire and her partner James decided to undertake this trail and the process that they went through in to the lead up to starting to walk.
The way that this book is presented provides an overview of the gear that formed part of the trip to allow anyone who is learning towards doing this trip to think on what they may take. In addition it also helped to create a s sense of the planning process around their key decisions.
And finally it also discusses life in the remote and no so remote French countryside including quirks of French life when the whole country shuts down over lunch and tough luck to the unwary tourists who expect to god shopping at the wrong time of the day.
As mentioned you wont be able to plan a trip on this new European trail bye reading this book but what it will do is give you s sense on one couples journey with the end result in my case being that between reading this book and talking to Claire for the podcast interview that it has firmly challenged my plans to hike the PCT at some stage in the future. We’ll see!
Chapters
Contents
- Introduction
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Teen
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fouteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Photo Album
- Epilouge (English and (French version-Kindle Only))
We Like
- Good style of writing that immerses you into the journey as it builds a narrative of the trip thats easy to follow and allows you to see yourself on the journey
- If you can read French then the Kindle version has a French translation at the rear of the book
We Don't Like
- I purchased the Kindle edition for this review but I’m one of these people that still like paper books, finding it easier read
- I don’t know if this says something about me but I prefer more images
Buy One
You can purchase Hiking the Hexa from Amazon Australia
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Investment
AUD $32.45 RRP
Hiking the Hexa Book Cover
Hiking the Hexa page example 1. Note the small graphic that accompanies each new chapter
Hiking the Hexa page example 2
Hiking the Hexa photo page example. We’ve traveled through France a couple of times previously and the concept off a Baget, cheese and ham for an easy cheap meal works for us!
Disclaimer
This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker
Last updated
26 March 2024