Fastpacking. Lily Dyu

      Fastpacking is a great way for runners to explore and discover new places – Vallone di Vallasco, Italy

      Fastpacking is a fast-growing niche in the world of trail running. Put simply, fastpacking is the hybrid of running, hiking and backpacking. It’s the art of moving fast and light on multi-day trail running journeys.

      To purists, it means being self-sufficient in wild places, experiencing the mountains raw, but there are many styles of trip: from running with a pack between overnight stops, like guesthouses and hostels, to bothying in remote wilderness locations. Hut-to-hut running is increasingly popular in places like the Alps where networks of mountain refuges in spectacular locations provide hot meals and a bed, allowing you to live well and travel light.

      Over recent years there has been a boom in trail and ultra-running and stage races. This has evolved into offshoots such as Fastest Known Times, or FKTs, where runners try to set speed records on established routes, such as Damian Hall completing the UK’s 630-mile South West Coast Path in less than 11 days and Kilian Jornet running and climbing over Mont Blanc, starting in Courmayeur and finishing in Chamonix nine hours later.

      Multi-day running is not all about times, though. More and more people are pursuing solo running adventures as a way to experience and explore the outdoors. Elise Downing ran the coast of Britain in 301 days, camping and staying with friends, and Anna McNuff covered the length of New Zealand in 148 days, stopping to speak at schools and inspire children to get outside. But you don’t need to go far. It could be an out-and-back running trip from your doorstep or following a local long-distance path at a leisurely pace. Fastpacking is for everyone.

      Underpinning the activity is the principle of ‘fast and light’ – taking only what you need to stay safe and happy and nothing more. This allows you to travel further and faster in a day compared to hiking, by running whenever the terrain allows it. You could see it as adventure racing without the race. It’s about exploring and enjoying your surroundings at your own pace. It’s the excitement and fun of ultras and stage races but without the entry fee and cut-off times. There are no medals, t-shirts or personal bests. The reward is the journey itself and the thrill of moving fast and light in the wild. Quite simply, if you love running, fastpacking is a wonderful way to travel and discover new places.

      Humans were born to run. Our ancient ancestors were hunter-gatherers, spending days on foot, roaming through the landscape. On a psychological level many of the people who shared their stories for this book spoke of the heightened sense of awareness they experienced in ultra and multi-day running. Such peak experiences and ‘flow’ may be a huge part of the appeal for those who seek solitude in the natural world through fastpacking.

      Perhaps the phenomenal growth of fastpacking is a backlash against our increasingly screen-based, sedentary lives and the constant pressure to record and post every run or ride online. It’s a fantastic way to disconnect from our digital lives and reconnect with nature and ourselves. Spending days immersed in the landscape and natural world through fastpacking is, for many runners, a much richer and deeper experience than a trail or ultra race. There is a special satisfaction in making a running journey powered by your own two feet and seeing your surroundings change as you go. And by carrying no more than you need, fastpacking provides a beautiful sense of simplicity and freedom.