top contributor badge 2026

Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers

Hi! My name is Gerjan. I'm a 28 year old Dutchman and I will be thru-hiking the Appalachian Trail (NOBO) with my dad in 2026! Besides crushing some miles every day, I will write up all about this journeys' beauty, struggles and everything in between for you to follow along and get a feeling for what it's really like out here.

Posts

Starting the White Mountains (Day 139)

Starting the White Mountains (Day 139)

We got dropped off just before 9 am, ready to hike! We're doing a slackpack today where our stuff gets dropped off at the Notch hostel so we can do

Oct 2, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
A rocket in town (Day 138)

A rocket in town (Day 138)

Because we didn't make it all the way to the intended camp site last night, we had to puzzle a bit with our plan to hike Mount Moosilauke - the first

Oct 1, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
General repetition before the Whites (Day 137)

General repetition before the Whites (Day 137)

Pine cones start falling from the tree, almost hitting us in the head. Fine, fine, we're getting out of here. We're starting with more steep and

Sep 30, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Hard but magical (Day 136)

Hard but magical (Day 136)

New Hampshire immediately shows it's teeth with steep rocky climbs, but it's very much worth it. The forest feels very magical with the sun shining

Sep 29, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Live free or die (Day 135)

Live free or die (Day 135)

Linda's had some coffee and boiled eggs in the morning, which was a welcome surprise, because the bear can is totally empty now. Luckily, we

Sep 28, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Miles on the mind, coffee in the belly (Day 134)

Miles on the mind, coffee in the belly (Day 134)

We have hiked some shorter days the last couple of days, which is starting to make me a bit restless. We still have a lot of miles to do and this is

Sep 26, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Small Bites and Penjamin (Day 133)

Small Bites and Penjamin (Day 133)

We started the morning with some hard rain, which makes you want to stay in your tent all day, but there's no rest for the wicked. Some section

Sep 25, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Appreciating the big and the small (Day 132)

Appreciating the big and the small (Day 132)

The actual peak of Mount Killington is still 0.2 miles up a very steep rock scramble blue blaze. It's been worth it so much. The view here is

Sep 24, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Renewing our Why (Day 131)

Renewing our Why (Day 131)

The day started as any other, with a steep climb. After two zero days, we were tested right out of the gate.  500 to go!  We only

Sep 23, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers
Rutland Double Zero (Day 129 & 130)

Rutland Double Zero (Day 129 & 130)

We woke up in Small Bites' Grandma's house. By now she feels just as much as our own grandma, but we usually just call her by her name: Judy. There's

Sep 22, 2026 : Gerjan "Hungry" Hertgers