About HikingWithLee
Software architect on weekdays; on trail I film and write first-hand guides from the TMB, Alta Via 1, Laugavegur, Otter Trail and more.
Who I am
I'm Lee Meyeridricks. By day I'm a software architect; on trail I'm a hiker who films what the week actually felt like — fog on a col, a missed bus, the refuge dinner that saved a miserable day.
I built HikingWithLee because planning my first big hut treks meant twenty browser tabs, half of them outdated forum posts. I wanted one place where food, transport, refuges, packing, cost and difficulty hang together — written by someone who walked the route, with a film when words are not enough.
Where I hike
A lot of my early multi-day routes were in South Africa — the Otter Trail, Giants Cup, Cape Peninsula day hikes — before I got hooked on European hut-to-hut weeks and longer trips in Iceland, Scotland, Peru and Nepal.
These are the treks I document most deeply because I finished them self-guided (or clearly label when a route was guided, like Kilimanjaro):
| Trek | What I actually did |
|---|---|
| Tour du Mont Blanc | ~11 days, refuge half-board, Robert Blanc variant, three countries |
| Alta Via 1 | 8 days, Dolomites rifugi, summer heat on the cols |
| Laugavegur | Landmannalaugar → Þórsmörk, hut bookings and Iceland weather |
| Bernina Trek | Swiss–Italian huts, long stages, quieter than the Dolomites |
| Skye Trail | Wild camping, navigation in Atlantic mist |
| Otter Trail | SANParks huts, river waits, Day 4 crux |
| Inca Trail · Gokyo EBC | High-altitude rhythm, teahouse logistics |
Routes I have not walked yet — GR20, Haute Route, Kungsleden and others — live on the bucket list as research snapshots. I label them honestly so you can compare ambition without mistaking them for trail beta.
Film and writing
I publish trail films alongside the guides: day-by-day Laugavegur diaries, a full TMB documentary, shorter pieces for day hikes and gear. The writing carries what film cannot — hut prices, booking links, permit rules — and the film carries what prose cannot — pace, weather, how tired your knees are on hour six.
On the page I try to be specific: what we paid, which rifugio, whether the lighter sleeping bag was a mistake. That is the detail I wanted when I was choosing between Alta Via 1 and TMB.
How I work
- Walked routes first — stats, costs and kit notes come from completed trips (or labelled research when I have not).
- Official sources linked — park and hut rules change every season; I point to primary sites and re-check dates.
- Tools beside prose — the Packing List Builder, Trek Cost Calculator and Trek Finder turn guides into checklists you can actually use.
- Gear labels stay honest — Used by Lee, Trail tested, and Researched are separate claims; my gear is first-hand kit, while buying guides may include researched alternatives. See editorial policy and affiliate disclosure.
Say hello
Corrections, “I did TMB differently” notes and planning questions are welcome — contact me, or find me on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn.
Start here
| If you want… | Go to… |
|---|---|
| Multi-day route inspiration | Treks |
| Country and region hubs | Destinations |
| Lee's planning hub | Plan |
| Gear used on trail | My gear |
| Calculators and compare tools | Tools |
| Trail films | Videos |
How I plan and write guides
Every trek page links planning guides, satellite articles and tools so you can move from inspiration to a packed bag without tab chaos. I re-check official sources when parks change fees or rules, and I label first-hand experience clearly when I have walked the route.
Where to go next
- Treks — multi-day routes with overview pages
- Tools — packing, cost and comparison calculators
- Videos — films from my YouTube channel
- Editorial policy — how recommendations are made