In 2007, he became the first person to walk from Mexico to Canada and back to Mexico along the Continental Divide Trail.[16][17][18][19][20]
This seven-month journey spanned over 5,600 miles.[21] Francis took the most circuitous, scenic, high, difficult route north and while returning south took the more expedient route on the way down.[22] He hiked ultralight since his pack, without food and water, weighed under 6 lbs (less than 3 kg).[23][24]National Geographic listed Francis Tapon's round trip on the Continental Divide Trail among the most notable feats of 2007.[25][26]
In 2008–2011, he visited over 40 European countries, including all the Eastern European ones.[28][29][30] He focused on finding Eastern European innovations.[31][32][33]
In 2012, he summed up his travels to date and shared his lessons in his TEDx talk entitled, "How and Why Travel Transforms You." It has over 100,000 views.[34]
In March 2013, he entered Morocco and began a five-year trip to all 54 African countries. He never left the African continent. Half way through his trip, he met and married a Cameroonian, Rejoice Tapon, who traveled 31 of African countries with him.[35][36]
In October 2018, Tapon returned to a TEDx stage. He had just returned from 5.5 years of nonstop overland travel through all 54 African countries. Tapon shared a story about an African girl who was a "black sheep" in her society and what we can learn from it.[37]
He returned to the United States in 2018. He plans to write his third book based on the experience. He filmed extensively and has raised over $24,000 to produce a pilot TV episode by November 2014.[38][39]Amazon.com and Lincoln Mercury selected him as the best example of someone who is fulfilling the dream of traveling the world.[40]
In January 2019, he was inducted in the California Outdoors Hall of Fame, which includes John Muir and Ansel Adams.[41]
Books
Tapon is the author of the WanderLearn Series, which is a series of books about his adventures.[42] He has written two books so far:
Tapon, Francis (2006), Hike Your Own Hike: 7 Life Lessons from Backpacking Across America, 351 pages, ISBN978-0-9765812-0-8.
Tapon, Francis (2012), The Hidden Europe: What Eastern Europeans Can Teach Us, 736 pages, ISBN978-0976581222.
He also wrote two chapters in Hikers' Stories From the Appalachian Trail, edited by Kathryn Fulton, ISBN978-0811712835 (2012) Stackpole Books. The chapters are entitled "The Final Stretch" and "A Thru-hiker's Motivation: Not Enlightenment, Just Ice Cream."
References
^Krasny, Michael. (December 28, 2011). "National radio interview". KQED, San Francisco Public Radio, NPR affiliate. Retrieved November 1, 2013.
^M. Biggers, Ashley. (March 2008) "There & Back Again", New Mexico Magazine
^Bastone, Kelly (August 2008) "Taking the High Way: Thru-hiking the Continental Divide Trail," 5280, pp. 70–73. Denver magazine reports on Francis Tapon's first-ever yo-yo of the CDT.
^Amazon.com & Lincoln Mercury did a video profile of people who doing were doing 25 classic dreams Video excerpt of the 'My Dream' campaign Vimeo.com. Retrieved November 2, 2013.
