Optiventure Journeys

I'm Jake, and I'm from Leeds in West Yorkshire, England. I've spent the last few years working in hospitality, but I've recently stepped away from that to take on my biggest challenge yet. A lot of my life outside of work revolves around preparing for long-distance hikes — I spend plenty of time in the gym building strength and endurance, and when I'm out on the trail I love capturing the experience through photography and drone footage. For me, it's not just about the hiking — it's about the whole experience and being able to look back on it afterwards.

Long-distance hiking really took hold of me about five years ago when I completed the Coast to Coast Walk, a 200-mile crossing of England. At that point I felt a bit lost and wasn't really looking after myself physically or mentally the way I should have been. That hike changed a lot for me. It gave me a sense of purpose, and from there I started taking better care of myself and pushing myself further. The fitter I got, the more I wanted to see what I was capable of. I started taking on bigger and more demanding hikes across the UK and Europe, and along the way I met some incredible people who've become close friends. That's a big part of it for me — not just the places, but the people and the shared experience. Since then, the Pacific Crest Trail has always been the dream. It feels like the ultimate challenge and the natural next step in everything I've been building towards.

Over the past few years I've completed a mix of long-distance hikes across the UK and Europe. My biggest was the Camino de Santiago — I did the Camino Francés and extended on to Muxía and Finisterre, covering roughly 700 miles in total. I've also done the Coast to Coast Walk (200 miles), the GR20 in Corsica (110 miles), the West Highland Way in Scotland (100 miles), the Tour of the Lake District (90 miles), the Alta Via 1 in the Dolomites (90 miles), the Isle of Skye Trail (80 miles), the Cumbrian Way (80 miles), and a coast-to-coast crossing of Madeira (78 miles). Alongside those, I've planned and completed a number of my own routes around England and Scotland, which has been a great way to explore more remote areas and keep things interesting.

Being outdoors is a way to completely switch off from everything else. It takes me away from the noise of everyday life and gives me a bit of space to reset. I love how simple things become on a long-distance hike — your focus is just on moving forward, eating, resting, and repeating. There's something really satisfying about that, and it clears your head in a way not much else does. It's the small moments that stick with me most — sunrises and sunsets, waking up in a forest or on a mountain, cooking outside, jumping in a cold lake. When you're miles from civilisation you get to see and experience things not many people do. And then there's the challenge. I've always felt strong on climbs and I enjoy seeing how far I can go when things get tough.

I've been thinking about this trail for a long time, so I'm excited about all of it really. I'm looking forward to seeing what I'm capable of over that kind of distance, and meeting people from all over the world and sharing the experience with them. I've hiked in California before and loved spending time in Yosemite, so going back will be a big highlight. I'm also really looking forward to seeing Oregon and Washington — I've heard how good it is up there. At the same time, there are definitely some nerves. The scale of the trail means a lot can go wrong. On the GR20 I broke my ankle with about 20 miles to go but still managed to finish, so I know how quickly things can change. On a trail like the PCT something like that could be a lot more serious, but I think that's part of it. If you weren't a bit nervous, it probably wouldn't mean as much.

Looking after my body has always been important to me, both on and off the trail. At home I'm pretty conscious about what I eat and how I fuel myself, especially with the amount of training I do. I've seen first-hand how much of a difference it makes — not just physically, but mentally as well. On a long-distance hike it's obviously a lot harder. You're limited to what you can carry, what you can find in trail towns, and convenience often takes over. But I still try to be as mindful as I can, making sure I'm properly fuelling myself rather than just getting calories in. For me, it's not about being perfect — it's about doing what you can to support your body so you can keep moving, recover well, and actually enjoy the experience. Especially on something like the PCT, where you're asking a lot from your body day after day, that becomes even more important.

The Pacific Crest Trail is a 2,650-mile long-distance hiking trail stretching from the Mexican border in Southern California to the Canadian border in Washington State. It passes through some of the most diverse and dramatic landscapes in the United States — from the scorching Mojave Desert to the snow-covered Sierra Nevada, through volcanic terrain in Oregon, and into the lush rainforests of Washington's Cascades. The PCT is one of the three trails that make up the Triple Crown of Hiking, alongside the Appalachian Trail and the Continental Divide Trail.