His beginning pace feels slow, but he won’t have to stop. If you have to stop to catch your breath, he suggests, you’re walking too fast. When you’re in good shape, you should be able to walk from the bottom to the top of every mountain on the A.T. without stopping. He says, “I’m not saying don’t stop. But don’t let the mountain break you. Stop when you want to stop. And once you do that, it becomes money in the bank. You know when you get to any mountain, that mountain belongs to you. It’s a good feeling. It’s the whole key to backpacking, when you know how to pace yourself.
