a sort of independence: Walking the westweg
Funded in 1900, the Westweg (German for “West Way”) is Germany’s oldest long-distance hiking trail. With 285 km, it runs from north to south across the mountainous region of the Black Forest (Schwarzwald). In November 2022, my partner and I decided to walk the trail, but with a deal in mind. We would do it in full autonomy, carrying 14 days’ worth of food and sleeping gear and relying on streams and fountains as water sources. The result was a rite of passage: a sense of freedom that comes with the ability to endure the elements and the happiness of smaller things. With Winter closing in, the journey came with its successes, challenges, and setbacks. Plans needed to be improved or modified at any given moment. But that was also part of the deal. After all, change is a sort of independence.
Country: Germany
Passion Project
On Walking
Werner Herzog wrote that the world reveals itself to those who travel on foot. I would add to his adage that we also reveal ourselves (to ourselves) when we travel on foot. On an unlikely warm, sunny day, we arrived at Pforzheim, where the Westweg begins. A good omen for our journey. However, little did we know about the stark differences between that first day and our last day on the trail. And the kind of things that would be unraveled to us until then.
On Carrying the Essentials
As a rule of thumb, one should not carry more than 10% of his weight on the backpack while hiking. I have a different metric system: Necessity. This approach should not be taken lightly, and I do not recommend it as yet another rule. It is just my rule. Especially when hiking in full autonomy. Hiking in autonomy means that one has to carry all the food, shelter, and other items on its back. This does not mean that you cannot access other food sources and services along the way. It only means that we have the freedom to do so if we want. Due to the nature (and foreseen weight of our backpacks), we planned to hike the Westweg in about 14 days (the trail can be completed in 12 stages if traveled light). Here’s our list of essentials: 34 meals (14 breakfasts, 14 dinners + 6 emergency meals); diverse types of protein bars and snacks; camera gear; toiletries; Garmin InReach; ebook reader; torches; power bank; leatherman multitool; rain gear; clothes; first aid kit; emergency shelter; sleeping gear. Taken together, my backpack weighed 30 kg.
On Finding Water
In warm months, it is easier to find water on the Westweg. Several fountains and streams make up the vital water supply for hikers. As for November 2022, many fountains were turned off for winter. Due to the nature of our hiking style, finding water was a daily worry. At times we would find still functioning water fountains, and we would drink to our heart’s content and refill our bottles. Other times we would find little streams and filter as much water as possible. Every day we gambled. Before arriving at our planned sleeping place, we would choose one water source from which we would fill up our 5 liters of water blatter to carry to camp for our nightly and morning ablutions. Having that last water source unavailable would mean retracing our footsteps until the nearest alternative. Mercifully, that never happened, and we managed to find and carry five extras kilos for several kilometers to our overnight location every day.
On Finding Shelter
Wild camping is prohibited along the Westweg, as in most of Germany. A curse and a blessing. However, I will not start meandering about that issue. I want to talk about how we found shelter along the way. The Westweg is dotted with many huts that hikers can use for a place to rest, protection from the elements, or a place to overnight. Despite its importance, these physical refuges are only on the expression of safe anchorage. Other, less obvious to the eye havens, take a myriad of forms but are as important. It can take the shape of me giving my protein bars to my partner or her taking the extra water weight that I can no longer carry. Whatever its expression, care is also a type of shelter.
On A Sort of Independence
Many have asked us why we did what we did the way we did. Why not sleep in hotels? Why such heavy packs? Why at that time of the year? The answers to these questions are many and several-topics-encompassing. But I will try to distill it into its more essential elements. You see, hiking is a form of art. There is a learning curve of practice that will ultimately lead you to creative expression. Hiking in autonomy is only one form of that artistic liberty. A way to re-imagine a life that is not governed by the mundane. Instead, it is guided by internal states and weather fluctuations. This, almost maverick, independence is the closest we’ve got to freedom. However, this also comes with its risks. After hiking for 14 days, we traversed the Feldberg (the trail’s highest point) under a whiteout, wet to the bone. We hiked, shaking, wearing freezing cold clothes. With three days to go to Basel but no way to dry or find new gear. We abandoned the hike. These decisions are hard and take time to digest, but ultimately one realizes that with independence comes the freedom to change.
