MOST Australians wouldn’t have heard of Christine Thürmer (54), a long-distance walker from Germany who has hiked over 53,000km, making her probably the most hiked woman in the world. The former manager gave up her job and apartment 13 years ago and since then has mainly spent her time hiking, cycling or canoeing across Europe, America or Australia. When Great Walks caught up with Christine she was preparing for her next trek from Germany to Finland – around 1800km. Her pack weighs just 5kg. With an unpretentious matter-of-factness and sparkling energy, Christine Thürmer dismisses the ‘higher-farther-faster’ clichés and latest high-performance gear. And she is convinced that any healthy person can do what she does.
Thru hiking – or long-distance hiking – the
