About us

Our community,
our responsibility.

The Trail Fund is a initiative by the thru-hiking community - thru-hiking.com, the Trail Fund brings hikers and partners together to support the trails we love and the people who care for them. We give a percentage of our profit directly back to the trail organisations, help them recruit volunteers, and assist with other requests where we can be of any help.

Together, we can help look after these trails for the next generation of hikers. If you’d like to help us build the Trail Fund, we’d love to hear from you. Send us an email here.

Happy trails.

The team

Elmar is a long-distance hiker and the founder of the thru-hiking community. The more time he spent on trail, the more he came to appreciate the work that goes into keeping the trails open. He started the Trail Fund to give back to the trails that have brought him so much. By supporting the people who look after them, he hopes future generations will find as much joy on these trails as he has.

Elmar Teegelbeckers

With an interest in sustainable destination development that took shape during her M.Sc. studies at Lund University in Sweden, Ioana-Gabriela Deneș believes trails are among the purest forms of tourism. Deeply inspired by the positive impact generated by Via Transilvanica, Ioana joined Tășuleasa Social Association, the NGO behind the trail, where she works in international relations and engagement.

Ioana-Gabriela Deneș

Jan Bakker is the co-author of Trekking in Tajikistan and the founder of the Pamir Trail. He has worked in mountain tourism for over 20 years as an expedition leader, writer, tourism consultant and route developer, primarily in Africa and Asia. Jan is one of the advisors who review Trail Fund applications.

Jan Bakker

FAQs

Who is behind the Trail Fund ?

The Trail Fund is an initiative by thru-hiking.com, the thru-hiking community.

1 What is the primary objective of the Trail Fund?

2

We are here to help trail organisatons get their projects funded.

A part of the thru-hiking.com’s revenue and traildays.eu ticketing income goes to the fund. We also work with our partners to raise more budget for trail organisations.

3 How is the money raised?

Who decides which projects will get funded?

4

There is a small board, who divides the funds towards the trail organisations.

The Trail Fund supports direct improvements to trail infrastructure, including trail maintenance, new trails, bridges, safety cables and toilets as well as nature restoration and projects that protect the surrounding environment.

Funding cannot cover marketing, capacity building or overhead costs such as management, office rent and flights.

Trail organisations can apply for grants of up to €4,000 by submitting a one-page project outline and a simple budget, with a financial summary of how the funds were spent after completion.

Please download this form for more information and submit.