Meet the Jack Wolfskin Long Distance Hiking Team
From epic mountain crossings to remote wilderness trails, their journeys prove that the greatest adventures begin beyond certainty. The Jack Wolfskin Long Distance Hiking Team stands for all kinds of different paths – yet they're all driven by the same thing. Each of them took that first step, and shares their experience with our community.
Their stories inspire us to carry less, explore more and keep moving forward. The path ahead won't be mapped. It will be made - by those willing to walk into the unknown.
For the past five months, six of them covered countless kilometres on the Wolf Trail, embracing every challenge and change along the way. Their experience on the trail helped shape both its next chapter and the collection built to go the distance, enabling future adventurers to explore further in the seasons ahead.
Elmar “Capo” Teegelbeckers
Thru-Hiker · Founder of THRU-HIKING.com · Community Builder & Author
Total Distance Hiked: 6.000+ KM
Trails Hiked: Slovenian Mountain Trail · Annapurna Circuit · Laugavegur Trail · Fisherman’s Trail · Via Alpina · Madeira Crossing · and many more
As the founder of THRU-HIKING.com and Trail Days, Elmar works to bring the global thru-hiking community together through events, stories, and collaborations with hikers worldwide. He spends as much time as possible on the trail himself - from high-altitude treks in Nepal to crossings of the Alps and Dolomites - fueling both his work and his passion.
His Why: It's just the best feeling in the world. Just being out there on the trails is only hiking, eating, sleeping. It's just amazing to be outside so much.
Lauren "Long Way" Roerick
Thru-Hiker · Content Creator · Trail Storyteller
Total Distance Hiked: 13,000+ km
Trails Hiked: Pacific Crest Trail · HexaTrek · Te Araroa · Wolf Trail
Lauren Roerick is a Canadian thru-hiker who has covered more than 13,000 km on some of the world's most iconic long-distance trails, including the PCT, HexaTrek, and New Zealand's Te Araroa. Through honest storytelling and immersive vlogs, she brings her audience into life on the trail, inspiring others to embrace long-distance hiking and the adventures that come with it.
Hey Why: I joined the Wolf Trail because I was excited to be part of a project from the ground floor, and to be able to have an influence over how this trail took shape. And the gear as well, especially having a woman on the team. I felt like women's voices are important on the outdoors and I wanted to participate in that.
Ryan “Bubbles” Hosegood
Thru-Hiker · Long-Distance Adventurer · 7 Hikes, 7 Continents
Total Distance Hiked: 7,600+ km across 3 continents and counting
Trails Hiked: Pacific Crest Trail · Te Araroa · Fishermen’s Trail · Wolf Trail
Canadian adventurer Ryan “Bubbles” Hosegood has hiked more than 7,600 km across iconic trails, pursuing his goal of completing seven major thru-hikes across seven continents. After repeated concussions ended his competitive sports career, Ryan discovered thru-hiking as a new way to challenge himself. He has since completed the Pacific Crest Trail, TeAraroa and Fishermen’s Trail.
His Why: I joined the Wolf Trail really out of an opportunity to create something from the ground up, to be a part of a brand new project here in Europe. That just seemed like a very exciting opportunity to be a part of.
Elina “TipTap” Osborne
Thru-Hiker · Filmmaker · Storyteller Between Cultures
Total Distance Hiked: 10.500+ km
Trails Hiked: Pacific Crest Trail · Te Araroa · Hayduke-Hokkaido East Trail · Michinoku Trail · Wolf Trail
Kia ora, Konnichiwa! Elina is a New Zealand filmmaker and thru-hiker whose Japanese and Kiwi heritage shapes the way she sees and tells stories. Whether on long-distance trails or behind the camera, she shares authentic experiences that celebrate adventure, human connection, and the transformative power of exploring the natural world.
Her Why: I joined the Wolf Trail project because for me, it presented this incredible opportunity to be a part of something that builds and creates an experience for other people to be a part of. I think the thing that always draws me to projects as well are the people.
Marc Hügel
Thru-Hiker · From the Office to the Mountains · Inspiring Bold Fresh Starts
Total Distance Hiked: 15,000+ km
Trails Hiked: Via Alpina · HexaTrek · GR5 · GTA · GR131
After leaving a career in management consulting, Marc has hiked more than 15,000 km across Europe's most demanding long-distance trails, including the Via Alpina. Through honest stories from the mountains, he explores how ambitious adventures can reshape perspectives while demonstrating the importance of gear that performs reliably in the toughest conditions.
His Why: I joined the Wolf Trail Team because I think it's a fantastic chance as an expert to support Jack Wolfskin, to bring the brand with this through hiking to an excellent level.
Timothy Larsen
Thru-Hiker · Adventurer · Overcomer
Total Distance Hiked: 4.000+ km
Trails Hiked: Trans Caucasian Trail · St. Paul Trail · Drakensberg Grand Traverse
After a few difficult months, South African hiker Timothy spent his last savings on a one-way flight to Georgia and set out on the 1,500 km Trans Caucasian Trail. Three months later, it was clear: that was only the beginning of his new journey. Now hiking some of the longest thru-hikes in the world, bringing his community along every step of the way.
His Why: I recently took up this sport as an attempt to find a reason to continue going in life, as I was really struggling with depression.
Alexander Campbell
Thru-Hiker · World Trekker · Fundraiser for the Fred Hollows Foundation
Total Distance Hiked: 26.700+ km across 23 countries and counting (since February 2023)
Trails Hiked: Colorado Trail · Great Himalaya Trail · Flinders Range to Sydney
Since February 2023, Australian adventurer Alexander Campbell has been walking around the world, covering more than 21,000 km across 16 countries—and his journey is far from over. Along the way, he is raising funds for the Fred Hollows Foundation to help restore sight and improve access to eye care. Before embarking on his round-the-world trek, Alex completed iconic routes including the Colorado Trail and Nepal's Great Himalaya Trail.
Dominika Kiprowska
Long-Distance Hiker · Pilgrimage Route Expert · Camino Specialist
Total Distance Hiked: 12.000+ km
Trails Hiked: Poland-Santiago de Compostella · Japan’s 88 Temple Pilgrimage
Diminika (Kiproo) specializes in trekking and pilgrimage routes, especially the Camino de Santiago network. Her most remarkable feat: a 4,600 km hike from Poland to Santiago de Compostela. Having covered more than 12,000 km on foot, she shows that her journey changes you more than the destination itself ever could.
Falk von Göler
Extreme Long-Distance Hiker · Adventurer · Role Model of a New Thru-Hiking Generation
Total Distance Hiked: 6.200+ km
Trails Hiked: Romania · Germany · Germany-Turkey · walking from Curitiba to Rio Brazil
At just 21 years, Falk hiked 3,200km from Munich to Istanbul, 1,700km from Romania to Germany and spent six self-supported weeks trekking through Brazil. He stands for radical simplicity over heavy logistics and documents his adventures. His mission: to show that real adventure begins with the decision to take the first step.
What drives us
I find it amazing to see how the community is coming together across Europe, creating stories we’ll never forget. [...] I got into thru-hiking about five years ago. I found my way to it after losing my whole sense of purpose during the COVID crisis, and that experience ultimately led me to thru-hiking.
- Marc Hügel
Worn on the Trail
What our athletes reach for on the trail - and why.
Evertrek Ins Jacket
Engineered for movement, built for changing conditions – the Evertrek delivers breathable warmth that helps regulate your temperature when the intensity rises.
What our athletes say:
“I love how insulated the jacket feels, yet stays breathable when I pick up the pace.”
-Elina Osborne
"When the weather cant make up it's mind, this is the jacket I grab."
-Ryan Hosegood
Routeburn Pro 2 Jacket
Our high-loft synthetic insulation for maximum warmth. Compressible, weather-resistant, and ideal for cold-weather hikes.
What our athletes say:
“Warm, lightweight and easy to wear , exactly what I want from a jacket for long days outside.”
-Elmar Teegelbeckers
"Lightweight but seriously warm, everything I need in a hiking jacket."
-Lauren Roerick
Packing List
What it takes to hike the Wolf Trail. A shared foundation of essentials - from ultralight minimalists to those who pack for comfort, every athlete finds their own balance.
Athlete Must-Haves
Beyond the basics: one item each athlete never leaves without.
Ryan
So my favourite piece of gear is my Nemo phyllo pillow. And it just has the perfect topper on top of it that I have the best night's sleep with that thing. It might be a little too big in comparison to some other options out there, but the fact that I sleep like a rock, I will never take it out of my bag.
Lauren
I recently started carrying a Kindle with me on trails so that I can read in the evenings. I felt like you spent so much time walking that maybe my brain was getting a little dumber. So I needed to be reading.
Elina
Extra item I end up carrying is like a lot of cameras for fun. Like, I have one that'll be for video. Then I'll have one for stills, and then I'll have one for vibes. So I think I just carry too many cameras probably it. I also and why I think for me I just love documenting, capturing. I love filming people, I love asking them questions.
Elmar
What's my favourite gear? I just think it's my socks. They're the first thing you put on in the morning. You hike with them for so many miles, and it's just, I don't know, you're kind of attached to them, which is rreally weird, but I just really love my socks.
Marc
I collected some little souvenirs or things for good luck that people gave me. And my favorite thing, I found before going on the Via Alpina. It's a little pig I found in the grass in front of my tent. And since then, I've carried it with me because I believe it brings me luck.
Timothy
My latest favorite addition to my hiking gear has been my AeroPress. I really like good coffee, and I know there are the cold-soak people, and then there are the super ultra-light people. But then there are people like me who just actually want to have a nice time on trail. And this AeroPress has made trail mornings and afternoons really flipping great.
Meet the Long Distance Hiking Team
Eight paths, one trail. Watch the team in motion.
