Gap year students take on the Appalachian Trail

Two childhood friends from North Carolina, US, have taken on a most ambitious gap year challenge – hiking the whole length of the Appalachian Trail.

One of the longest continuously marked footpaths in the world, the route measures roughly 2,180 miles between Springer Mountain in Georgia and Mount Katahdin in Maine.

Charlotte high school graduates Austin Whitehead and Steven Pitts spent five months completing the challenge, which saw them pass through a total of 14 US states.

Austin, 19, told the Charlotte Observer that he had decided to take a gap year before heading on to college in 2012.

"It was always something in my mind I wanted to do," he said.

"As I got closer to applying to college, I had no idea what I wanted to do and I wanted more experience, so I took a gap year."

Austin described the trek as "very ritualistic", explaining that rain or shine, he had to get up and set off walking.

"It's not always an adventure. It's meditating," he told the news provider. "It's so much of a mental battle convincing yourself to take the next step."

Steven, also 19, said he had been planning a gap year before college since the age of 15, eager for adventure and to experience the great outdoors.

"The entire trek was demanding. But not in the ways I expected," he stated.

"It demanded that I endure long days over rough terrain and often in poor weather. But it also demanded me not to take the hike too seriously and ... enjoy the sights and experiences that the trail had to offer."

Steven's mum, Ann Pitts, backed her son's decision to take a gap year.

"In this day and age, I don't feel like a four-year college is for every person, and I don't think that's what he wanted to do after school," she stated.

Ms Pitts said there is no better time to take time out than when you are young and have no responsibilities.

See the different gap year destinations on offer.