Learn the History - Meet the Guides

About the ABC's

Successful History

While pursuing a master's degree in Recreation and Leisure Studies at the University of Georgia, Nate "Tha Wookie" Olive resurrected the University's backpacking classes after four years of dormancy. Like many other backpacking courses and clinics, UGA had been lacking an experienced teacher able to articulate and communicate the skills and tools needed to guide students in finding their own safe and eco-friendly backpacking styles. Drawing from his experience on many backpacking trips -including an end-to-end hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2001- and teaching techniques learned as a graduate student, he submitted a formal request to UGA to help revitalize their backpacking instruction. The University accepted the proposal to implement his own class design, and he taught the courses until the end of his master's coursework in Spring 2003 -just as he left for a 2,658 mile thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. Results of his university-sponsored courses, spoken by the students, can be found here.

Now, by the request of future students, Tha Wookie is opening his courses to the public. In addition to the beginner's sections taught at UGA, he has added advanced and thru-hike sections. He has restructured the classroom format into web tutorials for the convenience of students, and organized the free class trips to help make up for lost person-to-person interactions. With the assistance of Sarah "Island Mama" Janes, his CT and PCT hiking partner, the Appalachian Backpacking Courses (ABC's) offers a unique learning experience in an effort to promote and share the joys of backpacking.

Experienced Guides

The guides in your Appalachian Backpacking Course have covered enough miles and met enough hikers to understand that there is not one single way of doing things. Our goal is to pass along the most up-to-date and useful information covering the tools and skills that will help you take the next step in your own backpacking style. We've done our homework and have trail-tested an assortment of lightweight tools and philosophies across the USA. Ultimately, we believe that it is up to the student to decide what approach is best for him or her. As ABC's guides, we don't take the steps for you -we help shed some light on your path.

Please note that additional guides may be included based on customized course content.