Transcontinental walk
Encyclopedia
A transcontinental walk involves crossing a continent
on foot. If a walk does not technically cross the entire continent, but starts and ends in a major city right near two opposing sides of a continent, it is usually considered transcontinental. People have crossed continents walking alone or in groups.
. Transcontinental marches have been organized to serve as a demonstration
to attract interest in some topic.
was working for a newspaper in Cincinnati when he was offered a job with the Los Angeles Times
. Lummis decided to make the 3,500-mile journey from Cincinnati to Los Angeles
on foot. He chronicled the 143 days of his journey, sending weekly dispatches to the newspaper. In spite of a broken arm and heavy snows in New Mexico, he finished the trip, and in 1892, his writings of the journey were published as a book, A Tramp Across the Continent.
walked from North Sydney, Nova Scotia
to Vancouver
, British Columbia
. He was the first person to cross Canada
on foot.
to Washington DC in what is referred to as the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament
. The march took nine months to traverse 3700 miles (5,954.6 km), advancing approximately fifteen miles per day.
to New York City
and then across Europe. Some participants of Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life
eventually rode a train to Moscow
, Russia
, after the 18-month project stalled in Hungary
.
was an attempt from 1914 to 1917, to march across Antarctica, and was the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
.
on foot, although they are mainly running, not walking. It is a multiday race, and in 2003 crossed Europe from Lisbon
to Moscow
, with 21 finishers (not counting a wheelchair user). In 2009, it crossed Europe from Bari, Italy to North Cape, Norway in 64 days. It had 45 finishers. The participants have support with food, beverages and accommodation.
Continent
A continent is one of several very large landmasses on Earth. They are generally identified by convention rather than any strict criteria, with seven regions commonly regarded as continents—they are : Asia, Africa, North America, South America, Antarctica, Europe, and Australia.Plate tectonics is...
on foot. If a walk does not technically cross the entire continent, but starts and ends in a major city right near two opposing sides of a continent, it is usually considered transcontinental. People have crossed continents walking alone or in groups.
Purpose
Some people have completed a transcontinental walk due to a whim or a bet. Others have attempted transcontinental expeditions for scientific study or explorationExploration
Exploration is the act of searching or traveling around a terrain for the purpose of discovery of resources or information. Exploration occurs in all non-sessile animal species, including humans...
. Transcontinental marches have been organized to serve as a demonstration
Scientific demonstration
A scientific demonstration is a scientific experiment carried out for the purposes of demonstrating scientific principles, rather than for hypothesis testing or knowledge gathering ....
to attract interest in some topic.
Challenges
Depending on the continent to be crossed, different challenges arise. To cross Antarctica on foot, supplying provisions would have to be well-planned. Crossing any continent on foot is also a test of endurance and physical condition. People who do a crossing without support have to transport equipment, tent, food etc, on a carriage or sled. That is an extra challenge, compared to those who have car support.Charles Fletcher Lummis
In 1884, Charles Fletcher LummisCharles Fletcher Lummis
Charles Fletcher Lummis was a United States journalist and Indian activist; he is also acclaimed as a historian, photographer, poet and librarian....
was working for a newspaper in Cincinnati when he was offered a job with the Los Angeles Times
Los Angeles Times
The Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....
. Lummis decided to make the 3,500-mile journey from Cincinnati to Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
on foot. He chronicled the 143 days of his journey, sending weekly dispatches to the newspaper. In spite of a broken arm and heavy snows in New Mexico, he finished the trip, and in 1892, his writings of the journey were published as a book, A Tramp Across the Continent.
John Hugh Gillis
In 1906, on a bet and a dare, John Hugh GillisJohn Hugh Gillis
John Hugh Gillis was the first person to walk across Canada, and became Canadian all-round champion of track and field, now called the decathlon. On a bet and a dare, on 31 January 1906 at the age of 22 he set out from North Sydney, Nova Scotia, with two others to walk to San Francisco and back...
walked from North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
to Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. He was the first person to cross Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
on foot.
Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament
In 1986, hundreds of people walked from Los AngelesLos Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
to Washington DC in what is referred to as the Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament
Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament
The Great Peace March for Global Nuclear Disarmament, Inc. was a cross-country event in 1986 aimed at raising awareness to the growing danger of nuclear proliferation and to advocate for complete, verifiable elimination of nuclear weapons from the earth...
. The march took nine months to traverse 3700 miles (5,954.6 km), advancing approximately fifteen miles per day.
A Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life
In 1984-85, about 12 people walked from CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and then across Europe. Some participants of Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life
Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life
A Walk of the People - A Pilgrimage for Life was a walking personal and political action organized by peace activists Dale James Outhouse and Pamela Blockey O'Brien to bring attention to the perils of impending nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union...
eventually rode a train to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, after the 18-month project stalled in Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
.
Australia
Australia has been host to a number of people who have walked across the country, who have completed the walk as either a personal challenge or to raise funds and awareness for charity.Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic ExpeditionImperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition , also known as the Endurance Expedition, is considered the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. Conceived by Sir Ernest Shackleton, the expedition was an attempt to make the first land crossing of the Antarctic continent...
was an attempt from 1914 to 1917, to march across Antarctica, and was the last major expedition of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration
The Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration defines an era which extended from the end of the 19th century to the early 1920s. During this 25-year period the Antarctic continent became the focus of an international effort which resulted in intensive scientific and geographical exploration, sixteen...
.
Trans-Europe Foot Race
In the Trans-Europe Foot Race, participants cross EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
on foot, although they are mainly running, not walking. It is a multiday race, and in 2003 crossed Europe from Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
to Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
, with 21 finishers (not counting a wheelchair user). In 2009, it crossed Europe from Bari, Italy to North Cape, Norway in 64 days. It had 45 finishers. The participants have support with food, beverages and accommodation.