Why I Started Extreme Hiking (and How It Changed Me)

Just get out there

Really, I wanted to get away. Properly away.
To take a longer break, walk the Camino, clear my head, sort through my thoughts—step by step. I had researched the routes, and the Camino del Norte was going to be the one. I had bought books and made plans. And then Covid hit. No travel, no large groups, no certainty when it came to planning. Everything came to a standstill.
The project was put on ice for the time being.

In spring 2022, things slowly began to ease after the second Covid winter. But I couldn't simply pick up the big plan again. With a full-time job and studies alongside it, I needed something I could do at short notice—time-wise, mentally and organisationally.

First step—a short walk

While travelling in Portugal with work, I needed to switch off for a while and simply started walking. I walked and walked and walked, and suddenly I had covered 25 km

It felt amazing, and a thought began to take hold: Hey, maybe this could be an option!

And that was exactly when I stumbled across a new concept: single-event long-distance hikes.
Suddenly, organisers such as MegaMarsch and Mammutmarsch seemed to be everywhere. 30, 50, 100 kilometres. Time limits. Aid stations. Finish lines.
And something just clicked.
I was hooked immediately.

Head through the wall—ticket bought

Very spontaneously, very recklessly and with a full-on head-through-the-wall mindset, on 01.06.2022 I booked a ticket for the MegaMarsch Erfurt:
50 kilometres in 12 hours.

A huge challenge. I had never walked that far before—not even close. And certainly not at that pace.

At home, the reaction was disapproval and disbelief. Rightly so.
A project like that needs planning and preparation. Especially when you're basically completely unathletic.

The condition: At least one trial walk.

Trial walk #1—sobering across the board

12.06.2022. So off I went.
42 kilometres from Köpenick to Königs Wusterhausen.

And it was... brutal.

Too much unnecessary gear. Sun. Heat. Mosquitoes. Blisters. Pain.
When I reached the finish, one thing was clear: This was going to be tough.

But I also knew:
This needed proper planning and equipment.

That trial walk was pretty sobering—and precisely for that reason, it was a success.

Trial walk #2—learning by walking

A week later, I set off again.
37 kilometres around the Müggelberge.

And suddenly, it was going much better.
Unnecessary equipment stayed at home, while useful things were added.
I knew more. What mattered: breaks, pace, feet.

For the first time, I felt like I understood what this was all about.

Here we go—MegaMarsch Erfurt

Then it arrived: 09.07.2022, THE day.
I started out excited, but confident.
50 kilometres around Erfurt.

I set off like a rocket, passing lots of people—nothing could stop me.
Until I had to realise:

1. My resources are limited; I need to manage them
2. Thuringia has considerably more hills than Berlin
3. The combination of 1 and 2 is... difficult

One by one, everyone started passing me again.
I'm sure they were thinking:
“Yeah, yeah, typical beginner... pace yourself!”
Or, as they would say on Kilimanjaro: Pole Pole.

What followed was absolute agony.
My feet hurt. So did my knees. I was severely dehydrated.
With my walking stick, I dragged myself towards the finish.
The fewer kilometres remained, the longer they felt.

Thoughts that stuck:

• Why am I paying to put myself through this?
• Why do people do this voluntarily?
• Never again.

The finish. And then?

And then I was there.
At the finish.

I could have cried with relief and happiness—if I hadn't been far too exhausted for it.
50 kilometres in one go. 11.5 hours.
I just did it.

I had learned an incredible amount:

• about my stubbornness
• about how important breaks are—and that you still have to keep walking afterwards
• that if you're thirsty, it's already too late to drink

One thing I was absolutely sure about:

It was an experience. NEVER again, please.

Spoiler: I did it again.

The next day, I was sitting on the train back to Berlin.
And started researching the next marches.

Thank you, MegaMarsch for getting me hooked.
The addictive potential is extremely high.