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Meg Wilson Author

Thru-Hike: SOBO vs. NOBO

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Quote Originally Posted by Rock Lobster View Post
I hiked SOBO, my best friend hiked NOBO. Both of us, for at least part of the hike, walked with the other and went the "wrong way." Our combined experience:

NOBO: Many more people, much more social. Many trail services are geared toward NOBOs, you'll see more trail magic, and you'll hit all the trail festivals if you want to. You start easier (many will say Georgia is hard; it isn't, relatively speaking). You hike with slightly warmer weather (assuming you don't start early, as many do). You walk toward a big, magnificent mountain to end on, and will probably finish with several long-term friends. Downsides: everything, everything is crowded early on. You will find 50 people at a shelter. This can be fun, but for some is a pain, especially every night. There will be more temptation to stay in towns. People will drop out in bunches as they hike with a group and one person calls it quits, which can make it easier to quit yourself.

SOBO: Solitude is yours, if you want it. Approximately 300 start SOBO and 50 or so finish. You can also hike with a group if you choose (I did for a while) so don't skip it just for that reason. There will almost always be space in hostels, campsites, and shelters, and you will get to know those who run them better because they have time to sit down and chat. There is less peer pressure either way, so your decisions are yours alone. Hiking with fewer people can result in stronger bonds with those few - like a marriage, you tend to get over the little stuff instead of just joining another group, because there isn't one. Downsides: stuff closes - hostels, restaurants, shuttle buses, etc may not be there when you are. You will probably hike in the cold and get snowed on at some point. Loneliness can be a drag over time, even if you do enjoy solitude - after a week without a substantial conversation with anyone, I was really tired of solitude.

Hope it helps.

FWIW, both my friend and I agree that our way is the best He is more of an extrovert, and I'm more of an introvert, so we both chose the direction more suited to our personalities. I'm sure you'll have a great experience either way.
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