2025 Virtual Hike-a-thon

Hey everyone!

Lea here, a Swiss thru-hiker with a slightly crazy idea from 2018: attempting a 1500 km hike across Armenia and Georgia on a trail that was largely conceptual at the time. While the route presented significant challenges, the prospect of supporting the development of a long-distance hiking trail was deeply appealing.

Over the years, I have maintained close contact with the Transcaucasian Trail Association (TCTA) and have been consistently impressed by their dedicated efforts in realizing the vision of a long-distance trail in a region where hiking is not yet a widely established activity. Through considerable effort, the TCTA has organized annual trail-building camps, provided training for local trail leaders, meticulously mapped route segments, managed essential data, and actively promoted the project. In 2018, my journey began with rudimentary GPS tracks and the nascent concept of the TCT; today, the trail is officially open to thru-hikers, with ongoing expansions and infrastructure improvements.

The natural beauty and cultural richness of the Caucasus region are truly remarkable – a topic I could enthusiastically discuss at length. Suffice it to say, the area is extraordinary.

However, the progress achieved by the TCTA has required substantial dedication, and recent years have presented considerable operational challenges. The current political climate in Georgia, which poses difficulties for non-profit organizations, and significant reductions in funding for the trail-building program have undeniably impacted the project's advancement.

Specifically, in January 2025, a primary funding source through the US Forest Service was temporarily suspended, leading to the cancellation of the Caucasus Conservation Corps program for this season. As the majority of trail maintenance work has been conducted through this program for several years, this funding loss represents a significant setback for the field season.

Therefore, it is now more critical than ever to focus on the overarching goal of establishing a world-class long-distance hiking trail connecting the Caucasus – a project that fosters connection, exchange, and collaboration, enabling sustainable and integrated exploration of the region, rather than contributing to further fragmentation.

In response, we are launching the TCT Virtual Hike-a-thon! From May 1st to 31st, this global hiking challenge will unite supporters of the Transcaucasian Trail to raise $15,000 in support of essential trail development and maintenance activities. All funds raised through this initiative will directly contribute to the operational costs necessary for building and maintaining the TCT.

Personally, as some of you may know, my current hiking capabilities are limited due to a knee injury sustained in an accident. However, I intend to use the TCT Hike-a-thon as an opportunity to integrate my rehabilitation journey – relearning to walk and hike – with raising crucial funds and promoting awareness for the vital work of the Transcaucasian Trail.

My personal goal for the Hike-a-thon during May is to attempt to walk 10% of the approximately 1500 km of the TCT that are currently open, totaling 150 km. Given that I am writing this text while recovering in a hospital bed following another knee surgery and have only recently been cleared to take my first steps with crutches, this is an pretty ambitious/unrealistic target...but attempting to build a hiking trail across the Caucasus is also ambitious, right?

So we know, aspirational goals can be powerful motivators, right? So invite you to join me and the TCT in this month's Hike-a-thon, watch me work on my seemingly unrealistically high goal and learn more about and support the TCT!

Ways to Support the Project:

• Make a donation: Contribute to our fundraising goal to cover the essential operating costs for this year's trail building and maintenance efforts on the TCT.
• Raise awareness: Share information about the fundraiser to expand its reach.
• Participate in the Hike-a-thon: If possible, register and join the hiking challenge yourself.

REGISTER FOR THE HIKE-A-THON

Project Goals and Community Engagement

Community Challenge:

Participants are encouraged to set their individual hiking goals. Collectively, as a broader TCT community, we aim to achieve a total of 3,000 km hiked – representing the eventual complete distance of the Transcaucasian Trail. Participants are asked to submit their hiking logs at the end of each week to enable us to track our collective progress and visualize hiking locations on our virtual world map.

Participation in the Hike-a-thon:

To participate officially and be eligible for raffle prizes, please REGISTER HERE and pay the $20 participation fee.

To facilitate fundraising, you can create your personal fundraising page. A step-by-step guide is available for assistance.

Please log your hikes throughout May using either our PDF log sheet or the online form. This data will allow us to monitor our progress towards the 3,000 km goal and feature your contributions on the global TCT hiker map.