Jeff Sellazzo- cause of communitas on the AT

The Kip Redick's essay Wilderness as Axis Mundi, Victor Turner's idea of communitas is highlighted among the hikers. Communitas arises because the hikers are in a liminal state. Turner states that communtas arises when a group in in a liminal state. This liminal state occurs because the hikers are in an environment that is vastly different than normal society. along the trail the hikers are physically exhausted every single day and are physically in an environment that is different than what normal society resides in. The hiker's liminality could be caused by the fact that they are exhausted when they come in to camp and are too tired to worry about acting as they normally would in normal society. This communitas also aids in the hike since everyone is connected so if one person fails in any sense others are there to help them out.