Hiker finishes 1,250 mile trek from Lands End to John O'Groats in the buff

By
published

After 80 days of walking, Adam Taylor Smith reached the end point of his hike completely naked

Adam Taylor-Smith finishes his trek in the buff
(Image credit: Adam Taylor-Smith)

After walking the entire length of the UK, Adam Taylor Smith stripped off to celebrate a job well done. 

The British lawyer says it was sometimes just more convenient to hike naked in hot weather, but usually stuck to isolated areas when he was doing so.

Hiking throughout the summer months, Smith experimented with all types of hiking garments; traditional tweed, synthetic materials and nothing at all on occasion. Passing through the Surrey town of Haslemere, the bespectacled rambler beared all, navigating the surrounding nature in nothing but his hiking boots. 

And after 80 days of walking, Smith donned his birthday suit once more on the finish line. 

Trekking 1,250 miles / 2,012km from Land's End in Cornwall to John O'Groats in Scotland, Smith raised a whopping $19,838 / £15,000 for the Stroke Association, which provides support to people who've experienced a stroke and their loved ones. 

Adam Taylor Smith began his hike at Land's End in Cornwall on the 30th of April

Adam Taylor Smith began his hike at Land's End in Cornwall on the 30th of April (Image credit: Adam Taylor-Smith)

While he occasionally hiked without pants, Smith always wore one of his three sets of hiking boots - two different styles of Hokas and one pair of Inov8 Roclite G Gor-Tex 345. 

Camping throughout, Smith slept in the compact Outdoor Research Bivy sack, often covered by a lightweight tarpaulin. Best suited to the summer months, bivy sacks offer a lightweight alternative to sleeping bags. Waterproof and breathable, they can be placed over a sleeping bag to provide quick and easy shelter.

Gaining support from from strangers, Smith documented his journey on Instagram, where he's amassed more than 400 followers under the name @atsblisters. Uploading short videos every few days, Smith jovially updated followers on his progress, gaining donations in the process. 

Adam's bivy set up for his hike

Adam's camping set up with tarp and bivy sack (Image credit: Adam Taylor-Smith)

Land's End to John O'Groats has become something of a pilgrimage for British ramblers. From the very bottom of Cornwall to the tip of Scotland, the route is 603 miles / 970km as the crow flies, but another 124 miles / 200km on foot, but Adam took a more circuitous route. Due to prevailing winds, most people choose to hike from south to north, rather than the other way around.

John O'Groats

John O'Groats in Scotland is the most northern part of the United Kingdom (Image credit: Getty Images)
Will Symons
Will Symons
Staff Writer

Will Symons developed his love of the outdoors as a student, exploring every inch of Sussex’s South Downs national park and wild swimming off the Brighton seafront. Now a Staff Writer for Advnture, Will previously worked as a freelance journalist and writer, covering everything from cricket to ancient history. Like most Advnture staff, Will’s weekends are rarely spent indoors, he can often be found hiking, wild swimming or playing cricket.