Ep. 80: Son Doong Cave

Meghann Grah, from the blog, The Grah Life, joins Jeremy to talk about her adventure in Son Doong Cave in Vietnam.  The Son Doong Cave trek takes hikers ona multi-day trek through the largest known cave passage in the world!  Meghann tells us all about what it takes to do this trek and what it was like to hike in the cave, including swimming in lakes and rivers inside the cave.  Jeremy recounts the history of how the cave was formed and discovered.The Grah Life:  https://www.thegrahlife.com/The Grah Life page with articles about adventures in Vietnam:  https://www.thegrahlife.com/destinations/vietnamOxalis Adventures Son Doong Cave adventure:  https://oxalisadventure.com/tour/son-doong-cave-expedition-4d3n/Jeremy's link to 20% off on a Langua subscription:  https://languatalk.cello.so/2qmfbfZjvz6Membership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

In February 2026, Jeremy joined a group hike on the Ocean to Lake Trail, which we originally covered in Episode 49.  The thru hike was sponsored and led by the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association.  The OTL takes hikers through diverse ecosystems from Florida's biggest lake, Lake Okeechobee, to the Atlantic Ocean at Hobe Sound.  In this update episode, Jeremy talks with other hikers and Wayne Vassello, the hike leader.  Jeremy also gives his impressions of this one-of-a-kind hike.  And yes, he saw alligators!Membership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Listener Tara Lamberti joins Jeremy to talk about her thru hike of the Dingle Way on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland.  This inn-to-inn adventure takes hikers on a full circuit of a beautiful peninsula in the southwest of Ireland.  Hikers will spend eight to ten days walking over 100 miles as they explore the farmland, coast, and villages of rural Ireland.Membership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Listener Brett Bauch joins Jeremy to discuss this relatively new trail that crosses the entire country of Liechtenstein in less than a week.  The trail takes hikers through the Upper Rhine Valley in the heart of the Alps.  The trail winds through all 11 municipalities of this European monarchy, where hikers will see castles, walk on a roman road, and pass through quaint villages.  And of course Jeremy takes us through the history of this unique European destination.trail website:  https://en.tourismus.li/entdecken/liechtensteinweg.htmlMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Listener Kevin Morgan joins Jeremy to talk about his hike of the Gerard Hiking Trail in Northwestern Pennsylvania's Oil Creek State Park.  This loop hike takes backpackers on a 36-mile adventure through not only a beautiful wilderness, but also through the remnants of the world's first oil boom.  To make things more interesting, Kevin tells us how he hiked this trail in the dead of winter.  And Jeremy recounts the history of Pennsylvania's nineteenth century oil boom.Our sponsor - Outdoor Herbivore:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Membership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Emma Fry of Vegan Adventure Holidays joins Jeremy to talk about her solo thru hike of more than 600 miles on England's South West Coast Path.  England's longest national trail takes hikers along the bucolic, yet rugged and challenging coastline of the southwest peninsula of Britain.  And Jeremy gives us the colorful history of Cornwall and the surrounding areas, including how its mining past intersects with his own family heritage.Vegan Adventure Holidays:  https://veganadventureholidays.com/Outdoor Herbivore:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Highlander Big Bear Lake 2026 (TWH20 for 20% off):  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

In this episode we hear about two very different ways to design a local wilderness adventure in the same area.  Jeremy recounts his local backpacking adventure in Marin County, California, and listeners Janna and Grant Glaze describe their own lodge-to-lodge adventure in the same area, which they hiked with their toddler son, Summit.  Jeremy also talks through some of the factors to consider in designing your own local wilderness hiking adventure.Janna and Grant's YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/@grantandjannaOutdoor Herbivore (TWH10P for 10% discount):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Highlander Big Bear Lake 2026 (TWH20 for 20% discount):  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Nutritionist and naturopath, Steph Watts, joins Jeremy to talk about the Larapinta Trail, a long-distance trail of more than 200 kilometers in the remote outback of Australia's Northern Territory.  This trail takes hikers through a picturesque desert region of red rock, mountains, and gorges.To donate to the Alzheimer's Society in support of Mick Donaldson's Pacific Crest Trail thru hike attempt:  https://www.justgiving.com/page/stoatwanders10% off at Outdoor Herbivore - TWH10P:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/20% on Highlander Big Bear Lake 2026 - TWH20:  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Seismologist Harry Kuril joins Jeremy to talk about Harry's thru hike of the Transcaucasian Trail through the countries of Armenia and Georgia in the South Caucasus.  On this epic adventure along a newly-developed long-distance trail, hikers cross forest, mountains, canyons, pastoral lands, farms, local villages, and cultural heritage sites.  The South Caucasus are a fascinating crossroads between Europe and Asia, and there is an extensive human history in the region.Harry's blog post about the Transcaucasian Trail:  https://hkuril.com/html/en/articles/2023_tct/tct_guide.htmlOutdoor Herbivore - 10% off - TWH10P:  https://outdoorherbivore.com/Highlander Big Bear Lake 2026 - 20% off - TWH20:  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ

Not all the best adventures are deep in the wilderness.  Join Jeremy as he hikes on an urban adventure from his home to the house he grew up in.  And learn how you too can design a multi-day urban adventure that is personally meaningful and every bit as adventurous as a backcountry trip.10% off backpacking meals at Outdoor Herbivore (TWH10P):  https://outdoorherbivore.com/20% off at Highlander Big Bear Lake in June 2026 (TWH20):  https://www.highlanderadventure.com/en-us/big-bear-lakeMembership/Support: https://buymeacoffee.com/trailsworthhikingwebsite: https://www.trailsworthhiking.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/trailsworthhikingpodcast/email: [email protected]'s YouTube channel:  Go-Go Retirement: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCeko5J9u1WD-7Pc7TnCa9qQ