--- title: "Moravian guys on the PCT 2019 – an interview after 2400 kilometers" description: "In April 2019 Martin and Kuba set off on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the 4270 kilometer long-distance trail from Mexico to Canada. We interviewed them halfway along the trail." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/pct-2019-interview-after-2400-km" last_updated: "2019-08-11" --- # Moravian guys on the PCT 2019 – an interview after 2400 kilometers Authors: David Czempka Date: 2019-08-11 In April 2019 Martin and Kuba set off on the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), the 4270 kilometer long-distance trail from Mexico to Canada. We interviewed them halfway along the trail. In April 2019, Martin and Kuba set off on the Pacific Crest Trail, a 4270-kilometer long-distance trail from Mexico to Canada. A few days ago they left California and entered the state of Oregon. By mid-August they've already covered more than half of it. But what was their motivation to set off in the first place? How did they prepare? What gives them the most headaches on the trail, and how do they manage it together? You'll find out all of that in our interview. ## Quick introduction The guys run their [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/dvanatahu/) and [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dvanatahu/) pages under the name DvaNaTahu. Before setting off, this is how they described themselves on social media. **Martin Benc** (left) – the whiner. Cursing, crying and swearing are his daily bread in the mountains. A lover of expensive booze and cheap humor. He's covered some ground, but not so much that it's worth writing about. He doesn't speak English, so it's already almost certain his trail name will be – NOENGLISH. **Jakub Jonas** (right) – the provider. Goats, beer, and dirty work are more than just words to him. A young guy who traded the glory of the big city for the mountains. A highly talented, fluent English speaker. On his red bookshelf of achievements is, among others, the biggest one – conquering the legendary Jeseníky Hundred. Now he's facing another challenge. Surviving 5 ### People set out on long-distance trails for all kinds of reasons. What were yours? **Martin**: I just wanted to wander around in nature and not go to work. **Kuba**: A lot of people have already asked us this, and I've thought about it a lot, but I honestly don't know why I came here. It's more about traveling through somewhere, trying things out and experiencing them. ### Do you have any previous experience with long trails? **Martin**: Only mountain ultramarathons – before the PCT, the longest trek I'd done was about 220 km. **Kuba**: Nothing as long as the PCT. The longest trek I'd done was about 10 days across the Czech Republic, plus some ultramarathons and long-distance walks. ### What led up to your departure? How did your preparations go? **Martin**: The important thing was deciding we were actually doing it. I had to quit my job and give up my apartment. Deciding we'd spend a serious amount of money wasn't easy either. Kuba works in a family business, so that side of things was a bit simpler for him. The preparations themselves happened in several phases. Around the turn of the year: sorting out the permit and visas. Then buying gear, flights, and insurance. And last but not least, planning what we'd actually do on the trail itself. We managed that in one afternoon over a few beers and a bottle of plum brandy. [Darn Tough Men's PCT Micro Crew Lightweight](/p/darn-tough-pct-micro-crew-lightweight-mens.md) ### Walking such a long trail with a partner is definitely not easy. Why did you decide to go as a pair? **Both**: Martin doesn't speak much English, and beer always goes down better with two. We're buddies and we can back each other up mentally – when one of us is down, the other gives him a kick and everything's fine again. ### What do you think is most important when you're hiking with a partner? **Martin**: Tolerance and compromise. I've learned not to blow small things out of proportion here – when something bugs me, I let it sit in my head and we talk about it calmly. Thanks to that we haven't had a single fight out here yet. ### After 100 days you've covered more than 2400 kilometers – have you dealt with any health problems? What about your body weight? **Martin**: Just a few little things not worth mentioning. My health has held up better than I expected, honestly. In the Sierra I'd genuinely dropped almost 15 kilos. By Chester I could already feel I was putting it back on. Right now it's about -10 kg. **Kuba**: I have to knock on wood – nothing serious so far. The occasional headache (usually from overdoing it a bit with the drinking) and sometimes some digestion issues. Since I chose to go in barefoot shoes (which a few people actually tried to talk me out of), I had trouble in the desert with my soles – and by extension my feet – overheating. Sometimes I just couldn't walk in them, so I had to cool off in a stream. Otherwise, going with these shoes was the best decision I made. Not a single blister so far! As for weight, I lost the most in the Sierra, where we spent a lot of time at high altitude with a limited amount of food. I probably lost around 5 kg, but I'm gaining it back now. ### The PCT's popularity is growing – 1900 permits were issued in 2013, and last year it was already 7300. Is that taking a toll on nature? **Martin**: Interest in the PCT is growing, but on the other hand only "about" 50 hikers can set off on the trail on any given day. The vast majority of people don't leave a trace behind them – digging a hole to bury your business is mandatory here. So you won't find tons of toilet paper in the bushes like you do at popular spots back home. Even the animals here are used to people – the deer aren't shy at all, they know people pose no danger to them. ### What was your starting pack weight? Did you manage to lighten it up along the way? **Kuba**: My pack is around 8 kilos without food and water, since I'm also carrying a solar panel. In the Sierra it was a bit more because of microspikes and an ice axe. Now I've also got camp shoes on top of that. There was a bit of lightening up along the way, but you couldn't really tell from the weight. **Martin**: My pack is just under 7 kilos without food and water. If I don't count the Sierra, where we hauled a bear canister and an ice axe, I actually picked up camp shoes along the way. So no lightening up happened for me. - [Topo Athletic Men's Terraventure 4](/p/topo-athletic-terraventure-4-mens.md) - [Fizan Compact](/p/fizan-compact.md) - [Sea To Summit Head Net](/p/sea-to-summit-head-net.md) - [Sawyer Mini SP128 Orange](/p/sawyer-mini-sp128-orange.md) - [Platypus Softbottle 1.0 L Platy Logo Closure Cap](/p/platypus-softbottle-1-l-platy-logo-closure-cap.md) - [Gramino SagiFlow](/p/gramino-sagiflow-ultralight-bidet.md) - [Kula Cloth](/p/kula-cloth-pee-cloth.md) - [MSR IsoPro 110 g](/p/msr-isopro-110-g.md) - [Liteway Choonie Apex](/p/liteway-choonie-apex.md) ### Tell us about your trail names and how you got them. **Kuba**: Spruce – in the evenings I'd make tea from spruce needles, so it wouldn't be cold at night, or as a drink for the next day. **Martin**: Sideburn – because of the sunglasses tan lines. ### Have you experienced any "trail magic"? Which one will you remember for a long time? **Martin**: There was a great party at Walker Pass. A cookout, plenty of alcohol. In the morning we spray-painted the slogan "Hiking is for suckers" on our shirts. We really like that line, and we're planning to "work" with it more in the future. ### How would you rate your preparedness compared to other hikers? **Both**: We're doing it the way we planned. We don't cover as many kilometers (currently about 40 a day) as others, but we still keep pace with them. We spend as little time in towns as possible. The last full day off we had was in Bishop (over 1000 km back). The pool of hikers also thinned out quite a bit during the Sierra. Most hikers either skipped the Sierra or will be going back once there's less snow. These days we're meeting almost as many hikers heading the opposite way as our own. Overall, I'd say we're your classic average. ### There's no shortage of hazards on the trail – scorching heat, freezing cold, bears, snakes... What worries you the most? **Both**: Rattlesnakes, mosquitoes, heat. ### On the flip side, what brings you the most joy on the trail? **Both**: Free refills of Coca-Cola. ### You're already past the halfway point. Have you noticed fewer people around? **Both**: Dramatically fewer than at the start. We'd say we're meeting about a third of the number we saw in Southern California. ### The trail's highest peak, Mt. Whitney, which you've already crossed, stands at 4414 m above sea level. Did you have any trouble with the changes in altitude? **Both**: The highest point on the PCT itself is Forester Pass (4009). Mount Whitney sits just off the trail, but most hikers won't pass up that experience. Four days before the climb itself we'd already started moving above 3000 m, so our acclimatization was sufficient. Apart from getting more out of breath, we had no problems. ### I imagine you have plenty of time to think out here. What's on your mind? Has that changed since the start of the trail? **Both**: All sorts of things, probably much like in everyday life, just more intensely, because there's more time for it here. We often find ourselves thinking about life after the trail – what will change, if anything at all. ### Knowing what you know now, what two pieces of advice would you give yourselves before starting? **Both**: Don't get taken in by the misleading hype (YouTube videos only show the pretty parts). **Martin**: Rattlesnakes often don't rattle. **Kuba**: Pay close attention to your food choices. Thank you to the guys for finding the time and energy for our interview in the middle of their journey. You can follow along with everything on their social media. On [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/dvanatahu/) they publish their blog, and on [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/dvanatahu/) they share enthusiastic and entertaining updates through Instagram stories. - [Gramino SagiFlow](/p/gramino-sagiflow-ultralight-bidet.md) - [EMO Outdoor](/p/emo-outdoor-alcohol-stove.md) - [Tyvek 75x230 cm (for 1 person)](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-230-x-75-cm.md) - [Liteway Wash Bag](/p/liteway-wash-bag.md) - [Tidy Gear Gaiters](/p/tidy-gear-gaiters.md) - [Gramino Gear List Men's](/p/gramino-tshirt-gearlist-mens.md) - [Liteway Rain Skirt](/p/liteway-rain-skirt.md) - [Darn Tough Men's PCT Micro Crew Lightweight](/p/darn-tough-pct-micro-crew-lightweight-mens.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/pct-2019-interview-after-2400-km). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.