Climbing By way of: One Man’s Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Path

Worth the read!!!
I just finished my second read through this book. I loved it! It’s a story of one man’s journey through one of the hardest struggles in life and choosing a hard, healthy way of finding himself and cementing his relationship with God by attempting one of the hardest hikes in America. I love that he shared his journey with us. As an avid middle-aged hiker and backpacker, I could totally relate to the daily joys and struggles of being in the wild. I honestly am so impressed that he succeeded. To hike almost 2200 miles is beyond what most of us would ever attempt. And That he finished 91st that year is truly an amazing accomplishment. I enjoyed the day by day journaling, the relationships established, the awe-inspiring moments, the drudgery, and all the details. This was his story shared through his experience. I found it captivating and inspiring. I love the simplicity and honesty revealed in his relationship with God, his past religious experiences, his questions and the new answers he received through his own revelations and through conversations with people. He is a kind soul.His journey is a parallel to life. And I’m thankful for his insight and for taking us on this adventure.I definitely look forward to hiking my own hike, finding more beauty and gratefulness in the journey, and drawing closer to God through every experience.Thank you, Paul, for sharing this incredible journey with us and for your faithfulness to the message God placed on your heart.

Worth the trip
I was inspired by this volume. Although I am too old and ill to hike the trail now, I have been in many of the places mentioned in this journal as a tourist/casual hiker. The author’s spritual journey through some of the most beautiful and rugged places in North America is told with exquisite detail, care and reverance. His descriptions of the friends and ‘characters’ he met along the way are both funny and poignant. I recommend the book to all who have an interest in the AT and a good thru-hiker’s tale, regardless of their own religious beliefs.

Exhilarating
This book fascinated me more than I ever expected. I was so engrossed in the story last night that I read until my eyes wouldn’t stay open any longer. After waking up before 6 am today, I was anxious to begin chapter 22. OOPS! In my tired state of mind I had neglected to turn off my Kindle and discovered it was dead. Not being able to wait until the charge was complete, I sat down and started reading on the computer. (This is the first book I have not been patient enough to wait to finish if my Kindle needs a charge.)I never expected an exciting book, but quickly got caught up in the story of the author’s journey on the Appalachian Trail. After Paul Stutzman’s family was devastated by the loss of his amazing wife to cancer, Paul found himself at a crossroads in his life.As he opened his heart and shared his struggles with God, his questions and his doubts, the reader realizes this is not a pretty “everything is perfect” story. It is a story about how one man dealt with hurts, anxious moments, and a feeling of uncertainty. As Mr. Stutzman (a.k.a. “Apostle”) sat off to hike the 2,176-miles of the trail, he invites others to share his journey through his well-written stories. The fellow travelers Apostle met along the trail served to add color to the book. And each time this thru-hiker thought there was nothing else to be learned, a new lesson would present itself.Encounters with animals, blisters, rain, hail, wind, bogs, rocks, cliffs, slip-and-slide mountain trails, lost trails, lack of sleep and more are all part of this fascinating story. But along with the beautifully written journal-like stories comes lessons learned while on the trail. This is an amazing story and very well-written. I am thankful Paul Stutzman took this time to share his story with others in his book Hiking Through: One Man’s Journey to Peace and Freedom on the Appalachian Trail.I will admit that I knew nothing about the Appalachian Trail, had no idea of it’s length and difficult hiking conditions. I have gained a respect for these through-hikers that complete the entire trail. What an amazing accomplishment!

The detail of the beauty & grandeur of the AT, the highs & lows of the whole 5 month hiking experience, the grief work, the different characters encountered and an authentic & life transforming faith, make for a challenging & thought provoking read. Lots of humour, lots of tears, and the raw beauty of nature will keep you spell bound. Loved it!

Das Buch hat mir sehr gefallen. Der Autor hat eine sehr positive Grundeinstellung, reflektiert, was er erlebt, beschreibt Natur und Menschen in einer schönen Weise. Die Sparache ist auch für einen NIcht-Muttersprachler gut verständlich. Kann das Buch nur empfehlen – es gehört zu meinen absoluten Favoriten über den AT.