A CAPEL Bangor man has retraced the steps of famous author Bill Bryson by walking more than 2,000 miles in under five months through bear and snake-infested forests in the USA.

Former Penglais School and Ysgol Penllwyn pupil, Tom Neale Gordon, 25, has just finished walking the Appalachian Trail, which extends from Georgia in the south to Maine in the north-east of the USA.

The trail came to prominence after author Bryson wrote a book about his walk along the trail, A Walk in the Woods, which has recently been adapted into a film starring Robert Redford.

Speaking to the Cambrian News, Tom’s dad, Tony Gordon, said: “We have been in touch with Tom via his Facebook updates — he has a phone and solar-powered battery charger — and occasional Skype conversations.

“We are delighted with his sheer guts and determination in completing the trail.

“There is one area of the trail where the challenge is to walk through four States — starting in Virginia and walking through West Virginia and Maryland, and into Pennsylvania — within 24 hours. He walked the 44 miles in 19 hours."

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