Guy Christen, a 41-year-old police officer, was already an enthusiastic nature lover and hiker during his childhood. It has always been his goal to embark on a big and extraordinary hike. At the beginning of 2018, he finally decided to master the "Pacific Crest Trail" in the USA in 2019, which stretches over 4,300 km.

Guy Christen:

Over the last 15 years, I have increasingly covered longer distances, equipped with a backpack and tent. The Pacific Crest Trail is considered one of the most beautiful routes among extreme hikers.

It was a dream of mine and this year it became a reality.

When making such a decision, one must of course, be aware that such a journey also brings certain risks with it. You are travelling alone with your backpack and sleeping under the open sky and that in all weather conditions.

Guy Christen:

When I was on the Sierra Nevada at over 3,000 m at the end of May, there was so much fresh snow during the night that I went off the trail and broke through a blanket of snow. I hit one with my left foot and twisted it. The ankle cracked, and the foot was immediately swollen. It hurt so much that I instantly thought it was a major injury. I dragged myself down a side path until I came to a road, where a woman gave me a lift in her car and dropped me off at the hospital in the nearest town. Arriving there with my big backpack and hiking outfit, the first question I was asked was whether I would have health insurance at all, which is not a common thing in the USA.

I showed them my CMCM membership card and certificate, which opened a lot of doors for me and I didn't have to worry about anything. From the emergency room, I was sent to a specialist, where I found out with the help of X-rays that nothing was broken. The ligaments were merely overstretched, and I was therefore able to continue my journey towards Canada after a forced break.

As a result, my experience with the CMCM was more than positive, and I was able to continue my journey to the end.

Your former slogan "Do wann dir eis braucht / There when you need us” was exactly right in my situation and I can therefore only recommend the CMCM.

 

Guy CHRISTEN