Heather Anderson

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Heather “Anish” Anderson hiking on the Appalachian Trail…

National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, Heather Anderson is the first woman to complete the Appalachian, Pacific Crest, and Continental Divide National Scenic Trails each three times. This includes her historic Calendar Year Triple Crown hike in 2018 when she hiked all three of those trails in one March-November season, making her the first female to do so.

She holds self-supported Fastest Known Times (FKT) on the Pacific Crest Trail (2013) and Appalachian Trail (2015). She has logged over 47,000 foot-miles since 2003, including over 16 thru-hikes. She is also an avid mountaineer.

As a professional speaker, Heather speaks regularly about her adventures and the lessons learned on trail. She is the author of Thirst: 2600 Miles to Home (2019), chronicling her Pacific Crest Trail record, and Mud, Rocks, Blazes: Letting Go on the Appalachian Trail (2021) about her 2015 AT record. She also co-authored a guide to long-distance hiking preparation with Katie Gerber called Adventure Ready: A Hiker’s Guide to Planning, Training, and Resiliency (2022).

You can find her online at Words From the Wild or follow her on Instagram and Facebook.