If you can maintain a “book time” pace, it will take you
14 hours
to hike a 19.55 mile Presidential Traverse with 8300 feet of elevation gain, as shown in the table below.
How long does it take to hike the Presidential Traverse in one day?
DAY OF THE TRAVERSE: You will be either starting or ending your day in the dark. We completed the traverse in about
15.5 hours
with around 2 hours of breaks total. Some people can complete it in 12 hours, some people will take 18+ hours.
Can you hike the Presidential Traverse in one day?
Most recreational hikers stretch a traverse into two or even three days
, taking their time over the craggy route and availing themselves of the bunks and warm meals at the AMC huts along the way. The single-day effort has a rich history, though, dating back to the first recorded “Range Walk,” as folks called it then.
Is the Presidential Traverse hard?
The Presidential Traverse is
a strenuous and sometimes dangerous
trek over the Presidential Range of New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Contained almost entirely in the 750,000-acre (3,000 km
2
) White Mountain National Forest, the Presidential Range is a string of summits in excess of 4,000 feet (1,200 m).
How long is the Presidential Range?
It’s so-called because hikers climb all of the mountains in the Presidential Range of the White Mountains in one continuous hike that’s nearly
23 miles
long with close to 9,000 feet of elevation gain.
What is a traverse hike?
A traverse is
a lateral move or route when climbing or descending (including skiing); going mainly sideways rather than up or down
. The general sense of ‘a Traverse’ is to cross, or cut across and in general mountaineering, a road or path traveled traverses the steep gradient of the face.
How long is the Presidential Range trail?
Covering
nearly 20 miles
of sometimes grueling, often beautiful terrain, it takes hikers over the Presidential Range, crossing seven 4,000-foot peaks, all named after U.S. presidents: Madison, Adams, Jefferson, Washington, Monroe, Eisenhower, and Pierce.
When can you hike the Presidential Range?
Overall,
summer is a safe bet for hiking the traverse
. Fall: I’ve had my best weather in the Presidentials in September, but good weather is never a given. On my traverse after Columbus Day, I bailed after Pierce because of a coming storm that dropped six inches of snow.
How do I train for the Presidential Traverse?
Instead,
start planning months early for your traverse, thinking of each week leading up to the Presi as a discrete training block
. During the course of each week you’ll want to do a longer hike as well as several shorter training sessions (ideally some gym and some actual hiking).
What should I bring to a Presidential Traverse?
You will need: lightweight wool socks, trekking pants, wicking t-shirt, wicking long sleeve shirt, light down or synthetic jacket, waterproof hard-shell jacket, waterproof hard shell pants (for rainy and windy days), lightweight gloves, warm hat and sunglasses.
What is the official Presidential Traverse?
The Presidential Traverse is
a 19 mile section of New Hampshire’s White Mountains that consists of 7 peaks: Mount Madison, Mount Adams, Mount Jefferson, Mount Washington, Mount Monroe, Mount Eisenhower and Mount Pierce
. It is the highest elevation ridge in the state.
What peaks are in the Presidential Traverse?
However, a classic Presidential Traverse includes a specific set of peaks named after U.S. Presidents: Mount Madison (5,367 feet), Mount Adams (5,774 feet), Mount Jefferson (5,712 feet), Mount Washington (6,288 feet), Mount Monroe (5,384 feet), Mount Eisenhower (4,780 feet) and Mount Pierce (4,310 feet).
Is Mt Jackson part of the Presidential Traverse?
An extended Presidential Traverse includes Mt Jackson (4,052′) for a total of 21.7 miles and 8,800 feet of elevation gain. Jackson is named after a New Hampshire geologist so
it isn’t officially part of the traverse
. It is a beautiful summit and worth the extra mileage if you have it in you!
What mountains are part of the Presidential Range?
- Mount Webster — after Daniel Webster.
- Mount Jackson* — after Charles Thomas Jackson (19th-century geologist)
- Mount Pierce* — after Franklin Pierce (formerly Mt. …
- Mount Eisenhower* — after Dwight D. …
- Mount Franklin — after Benjamin Franklin.
- Mount Monroe* — after James Monroe.
Which way do you hike the Presidential Traverse?
Doing the Presidential Traverse from
north to south
is easier, as it gets the majority of the elevation gain out of the way early in the trip, while leaving smoother, easier trails for the end.
