Thru-hiking

thumb|250px|A hiker who has completed the Appalachian Trail

Thru-hiking, or through-hiking, is the continuous end-to-end hiking of an established long-distance trail. The term is used especially in North America in reference to trails such as the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT), and the Continental Divide Trail (CDT). Similar end-to-end hikes are also undertaken on long-distance footpaths in other parts of the world, including Te Araroa in New Zealand, the Camino de Santiago in Spain and France, the Via Francigena in Europe, the Great Divide Trail in Canada, and the Great Himalaya Trail in Nepal.