The Chihuahuan Desert, Continental Divide

This first section of the hike took me through the baking Chihuahuan desert. Named after the nearby region in Mexico and having nothing to do with the angry little dog breed, this desert forms some of the most perilous miles of the journey. The distances are huge, the landscape is foreboding, and water is scarce. This section requires a lot of preparation. Luckily, solidarity among hikers is strong, and the trail in this section is dotted with caches of water left by Trail Angels, kind souls who leave supplies out for fellow hikers. The ground is rocky and sandy, and the plants that thrive here are scruffy, hardy things that evolved to survive in this harsh environment. The sun beats down, the road stretches into the distance.

But life finds a way, and just below my feet, I found one of the desert’s most fascinating residents: The Gila monster - a large lizard with a warty black and yellow hide. The Gila monster is most famous as one of the world’s few venomous lizards, possessing glands that produce dangerous hemotoxin. Unlike snakes, which inject their venom through their fangs, Gila monsters actually ‘chew’ the venom into their victim using grooves in their teeth. Luckily for me, the lizard only uses its powers for self-defence and bites, though incredibly painful, are rarely fatal for humans. In fact, the Gila has eased the lives of thousands, as its venom contains a compound called exendin-4, which is synthesised into the drug exenatide, used to treat type-2 diabetes. I saluted the Gila as he crawled on by, thanking him for his little service to humanity.

With the Gila gone, the loneliness of the desert began to set in again. Thru-hikers like myself are a rare breed, with only about 400 of us attempting to cross the trail every year. The vast distances in this section mean that it can be hours or even days before meeting another soul, allowing a lot of time for thinking. I mull over the journey ahead, wondering what challenges I’ll overcome, what setbacks I’ll endure, and how I’ll be changed at the end.