After two practice expeditions as well as logging numerous extracurricular activities, including service, sports and talents, we arrived in the Black Forest as finalists in the Duke of Edinburgh's Gold Award programme. This final journey of discovery began on Wednesday 2 October 2024 at Überlingen bus station, where we all met to travel together by train to Aha am Schluchsee. After our arrival, it wasn't a long walk to the campsite where all the groups gathered. Here we quickly proved that we hadn't forgotten how to pitch a tent over the vacation. We then ‘checked in’ as a group with the programme assessor, Gesa Meyer-Wiefhausen, as if we were in a hotel. She checked our route and equipment so that we would hopefully arrive safely on Sunday. That evening, we had the opportunity to go into town for a quick bite to eat. However, it was also the last chance to enjoy the comforts of everyday life. For the rest of the expedition, we had to make do with the supplies we carried in our rucksacks.
Day 1
On Thursday, the first official day of the final expedition, we fortified ourselves with a quick breakfast before setting off in the direction of Titisee-Neustadt. After 20 kilometres we reached the agreed farm and set up our tents. The farm owner was very hospitable and brought us hot tea and gingerbread. That evening we cooked spaghetti and pesto together - a recurring dish as it is light and practical to carry, which makes a real difference in our already heavy rucksacks. The night was quite comfortable as there were always three of us sleeping in each of the two tents, so it did not get too cold.
Day 2
The next morning, the alarm on the emergency cell phone woke us, and we had 30 minutes to take down the tents and prepare breakfast. (In the course of the expedition, we realized that half an hour was nowhere near enough time for this...) We started a little late and therefore had to skip a few breaks at the checkpoints. Ideally, you should have 10 to 20 minutes at these checkpoints to recharge your batteries. However, if you do not start on time or get lost, you often must skip these breaks. Nevertheless, we still reached our destination on the second official day, a very nice wood farm in Breitnau. The evenings were mostly similar: everyone was exhausted, hungry, and longing to go home. To distract us, we lit a small fire in a fire bowl, where we sat together and talked late into the night. The night was less comfortable, however, and I do not think any of us got more than three hours' sleep.
Day 3
On the third day, with the sun completely hidden behind rain clouds, we had no other option but to walk another 20 kilometres. This day was undoubtedly the most strenuous, as we had to run through the ‘Höllental’ - a valley 500 metres deep, which we had to run both down and then up again. It was more of a climb than a run. I think any of us would admit that this stage pushed us to our limits. The upside, however, was that the evening at the last farm, ‘Feldsee’, was even more rewarding. Here, too, we were allowed to make a fire and talked about what the first thing we would do when we got back to Überlingen would be.
Day 4
The last day felt like a walk in the park. The motivation to reach the train station in Hinterzarten outweighed any pain. In fact, we did not get lost once on this last day. At a checkpoint at Lake Titisee, we asked at a hotel about tourism, as this was our research project during the expedition. We noted down the facts and made our way to the train station. We arrived there as a group and had a short meeting with Ms. Meyer-Wiefhausen before officially concluding the expedition successfully. All the groups got on the next train and were looking forward to the hot shower that was soon to come. In the evening, we went out for dinner together to round off our success.
Overall, this Duke of Edinburgh project was very challenging, but we are proud to have completed it.
Photos: Gesa-Meyer-Wiefhausen, Dagmar Fass & Andreas Jäger
