Done

That was harder than expected. Especially the second day. While the first 20 km from Larochette over Beaufort to Mëllerdall were quite flat, the stretch over Berdorf to Echternach seemed to be determined to break my enthousiasm. After the first few hikes I was surprised that my different body parts were ok with my sudden decision to take up hiking. But on monday ... oh boy. They made me suffer. Them, the zillions ups and downs along the trail and the 30 lbs backpack, who sat on my back like a small devil dissing my efforts while whispering demotivatingly in my ear.

But I made it nonetheless. When I came out on top of Wolfs Canyon, high above the city of Echternach, I felt like the settlers catching their first glimpse of the Pacific. Behind me the most beautiful trail of the country. Unfortunateley the last couple of miles were more like a blur since I mainly concentrated on setting one foot before the other. A task quite complicated I might add, after 30 miles in two days and a night on the floor (Note to myself: invest in a better pad).

There was a certain spring in ny step when I entered the gas station next to the bus stop I was heading for. Overflowing with self confidence, I told the attendant what I've just accomplished. "And now you're ruining it all by eating all the chocolate", she replied with a smirk, glancing at the "food" laid out in front of her.

I wanted to tell her about the need for our high calorie intake but I knew she wouldnt get it. We hikers are a republic for ourselves ...

I've been quite busy this week, as you probably can tell by the fact that I haven't written anything for several days. But that does not mean that my determination has faded. Quite "au contraire" my friends.

Work has been interesting. Usually, news are quite slow this time a year. We call it "Summerlach": summer hole. It's that time of the year when elusive leopards suddenly appear in the woods of the Grand-Duchy, politicians send in inquiries about "monster rats" and the stolen bike becomes first page news. EVERYONE is away. And I have this feeling, that it is even worse in Luxembourg. During school holidays half of the country vanishes for a couple of months. On the one hand, traffic becomes bearable all of the sudden, but on the other hand, journalists begin to doubt their qualities. You get handed a story in the morning, or you come up with something halfway decent, and you hit the phones. You leave messages but no one calls back. Until September, 15th. In the afternoon, you suddenly get a police bulletin and you squeeze the last little bit out of the few "chiens écrasés" (journalist lingo for traffic and petty crime news, meaning "dogs hit by a car". Or "Blut und Sperma" - blood and sperm ... journalists are quite a weird bunch of people with a pretty peculiar sense of humour btw. more on this later though) just to fill your 3 minutes of news.

But this year, people have been very busy providing us with stuff to report on. Good for us. So, anyway, busy week. But I did get the time to get out on the trails around my hometown. I've been out there three times this week, exploring the woods. As a kid, we've been in those woods the whole summer long. Playing Indiana Jones, building tree houses and huts, exploring the quarry behind our property. So it was fun, revisiting all those great places or trails we used to ride our bikes on for days without end.

On another note, I guess I got hooked up on gear. I've been visiting outdoor stores, looking up backpacking blogs and online shops whenever I got the chance these past few days. First conclusion: I need to stop buying stuff. Although I started compiling a list with gear and material for the big trip, I kept buying things which were not really a priority. But they sure will come in handy ... If they survive the cut.

Because right now, I am panicking. I've been reading a lot about backpacking, hiking and the AT. With the most recurring topic being weight and packing light. And I really don't know why, but it did not occur to me for one second, that I would be affected by the same problem. I was secretly laughing at all those people telling stories about how they struggled with their heavy backpacks until they had the opportunity to get rid certain things. And while I was laughing, I kept adding things to the list and compiling gear. To be honest, they will come in handy. Like the mobile sonar panel to charge my electric devices. Or the 10 L sink, to transport water from the source to the camp, to wash the dishes or yourself.

I'm months away from going on the trail and my backpack is already FULL! I decided to go on my first two-day-test-hike tomorrow and my pack is FULL¨! Besides the essential gear (tent, mattress, sleeping bag), I only packed food and clothes for two day. And it is FULL ... with material for two days. In Luxembourg. Close to home. How am I supposed to last a full month on an infamous hiking trail in March, 5000 miles away from home?

But I'm already working on that. I packed the sleeping bag in the main compartment of the backpack and it takes up half of the space. And there is some wiggling room left with the tent and the mattress. Both are cheap, low end and heavy. I will get new, lighter gear before hitting the AT. For now, this is good enough.

So, back to my "trip": I will hike a section of the Mullerthal Trail again. Day One will take me from Larochette to Mullerthal, but on a different loop than last week. It's about 22 km, passing Medernach and Berdorf. Supposedly a very nice trail . On Day Two, I'll hike to Echternach, adding another 13 km to the route. At that point, I will decide if I add another day, hiking back to Mullerthal on a different loop.

I guess, we'll know more by Tuesday. I'll keep you posted.

13,5 km ...

A little more than 8.2 miles on my first outing. A section of Trail 3 of the Mullerthal Trail, from Blumenthal to Heringer Millen. Not too bad, right? And I am pretty happy with the overall result too.

Obviously, I am tired and for the last 1.5 mile my right shin started twitching, just above the shoe. Maybe a posture thing. We'll see. But, most importantly, my knees are ok and so are my feet. 

The shoes are great: Lowa Taurus GTX mid. For once in my life, I did not rush into a consumer decision (meaning buying stuff right away, there, on the spot) but I took the time to pester a poor lady with questions over questions. She (at McTrek's in Trier) did an outstanding job in guiding me  to those shoes. They are great. There is no other way to put it: Even though they look humungous and solid, they weigh less than two pounds the pair. And they are extremely comfy. No blisters, after 8 miles breaking them in.

On the other hand, I got to improve my hydration system. I dug out an "old" camel bag I bought two years ago, when I felt like riding the bike more regularly (I ended up riding 3 times). And I bought a plastic bottle with integrated straw yesterday, for about 10 Euro. Both won't do the trick. It's like drinking cold, liquified plastic. I guess I need to invest a little more for a decent stainless steal kind of thing, or two. And I'll leave the purification process for later on. 

Overall, it was a success. And I am looking forward to my next hike. I was thinking of having a few more day hikes these next weeks, gradually increasing the length and weight. And by the end of summer, I want to go out there for a two or three day hike, geared up and fully loaded. The full AT-simulation ...

First steps

Let the fun begin