Sam Francart

Hi! I'm Sam! I'm tramping the Te Araroa NOBO. I'm hiking, because I want to slow down and speed up. I want to embrace simplicity, forgiveness, and freedom in a way that only a trail can provide. I'm hiking for clarity and peace, for new beginnings and new challenges. I'm hiking, because it's a dream that only I can create into my reality.

Posts

Abel Tasman Great Walk (Days 48-52)

Abel Tasman Great Walk (Days 48-52)

Day 48 After spending a few days in Nelson to eat and resupply, I was excited to get to my next section: the Abel Tasman Great Walk! I walked a day

Mar 27, 2023 : Sam Francart
Pros and Cons of the Te Araroa (South Island)

Pros and Cons of the Te Araroa (South Island)

I’m less than a week from the end of my time on New Zealand’s South Island. With roughly 2 months of tramping completed, I’ve been reflecting on my

Mar 22, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 43-45)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 43-45)

(Another blog entry with a disclaimer. I’m off trail, so this post takes place entirely away from the Te Araroa. I’ve kept the title as it is to

Mar 20, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 40-42)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 40-42)

Day 40 Today is the first day that I’m walking SOBO instead of NOBO. It was a tough decision, but I’ll explain. Yesterday, it rained all day long.

Mar 17, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 36-39)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 36-39)

Day 36 The goal for the day was to get from the West Coast to Reefton. I had spoken with a hiker a couple of weeks back who told me that Reefton was

Mar 13, 2023 : Sam Francart
3 Items I’ve Loved on the Te Araroa

3 Items I’ve Loved on the Te Araroa

A recurring conversation on the trail is about base weight. Base weight is the weight of a pack without food or water taken into account. When hikers

Mar 11, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 30-32)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 30-32)

Disclaimer: I’ve titled this Te Araroa NOBO to help keep my blogging consistent, but this post is entirely off-trail. I’m blogging from the West

Mar 5, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 27-29)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 27-29)

Day 27 Despite it being a cold night in Arthur’s Pass Village, I slept exceedingly well! As I was packing up my tent, there were five keas that

Mar 2, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 24-26)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 24-26)

Day 24 Today was another day of figuring out transportation. I checked the weather, and it was showing rain all day. Unfortunately, this ended up

Feb 27, 2023 : Sam Francart
Te Araroa NOBO (Days 20-23)

Te Araroa NOBO (Days 20-23)

Day 20 My day of bicycling was not nearly as enjoyable or relaxing as I had hoped. After keeping my bike in my room overnight, I brought it out

Feb 24, 2023 : Sam Francart