Are you crazy? You want to cross the Alps on foot?

A slightly different contribution today. NNot from the diary of a journey but from the forest I am in at the moment.
I'm mentally preparing a bit for my big adventure, because this year in June I want to take theCrossing the Alps. Once across the Alps. Strictly speaking I would like to hike through the Swiss Alps, if all goes well. Sometime in June. Maybe in Ticino. Maybe even go as far as Italy. I want to do the whole thing on foot. I would like to make a just do a normal hike. I want to walk as much as possible. As little as possible to be taken by any public transport or cars. I really want to walk.
Today I just went to our forest, which is not far away, maybe a little over an hour. The forest is on the Friedensberg.  And this is where I am sitting now. I took my little cooker with me and started it up for the first time. Thanks to YouTube, I am incredibly well educated and can immediately put my knowledge for the perfect coffee into practice. Theoretically, at least. Practically, I guess it still needs a bit of practice. So I already know how to build a fire. The ideal conditions are: super dry wood and no wind. We'll see how it works out in the end.

I would like to take you with me on my great adventure. To begin with, I would like to share a few thoughts with you. What I expect. What I can expect. What preparations I am making. I still have to see when exactly it will start.

I want to share my big adventure with you differently than before. I am a bit excited. What I want to do this time is not read from my diary but let my thoughts run free and I hope that's okay with you.

So. Very briefly about the Thoughts: Why cross the Alps?

For years I have been dreaming of going on pilgrimage. Probably like all the people around me or all the people who otherwise want to go on pilgrimage, hIt somehow started with a story about someone who went on a pilgrimage. For me it was 10-15 years ago when I read Hape Kerkeling's book "Ich bin dann mal weg". I I thought "WOW" I have to do that too. If he can do it, then I can do it too! I am now in the luxurious position that my two children no longer live at home. Thanks to my studies and professional training, I can now take the time to be away from home for a longer period of time to help with homework. But with the homework... It never really worked out for us. It's probably because they noticed that I'm not a fan of homework. But that's another story. 

Okay, but the idea actually came from Hape Kerkeling. It was clear to me: I wanted to go running too! But running is not one of my favourite activities at all. I prefer to ride my motorbike or take the bus. I prefer to take the train even more. Sometime last year, I started wandering through the woods here and there.
And found that quite beautiful. I thought to myself: this is actually the best! I am closest to myself. I decide my pace and can stop at any time.
I also have that feeling when I go on a motorbike trip. It is fantastically beautiful and I am very very close to nature. Closer than with a camper or by train. But just but not so close. I can't just stop like I do when I'm hiking when I'm riding a motorbike. Just stop and let your eyes wander. I also feel that thea may sound very spiritual now, that my soul always keeps up exactly with the pace I'm running. Which is not very fast, if I'm honest.

We go hiking a lot in Switzerland. I enjoy it in the mountains! However, until now it has only ever been one-day hikes. So early to somewhere, then walked, walked, walked and back again in the evening, pretty tired! I always had a lot of fun doing it, and I still do. Nevertheless, it is time for me to start a longer journey.
Normally you would say: okay, then go on a two or three day trip. But something in me tells me to take a break for four weeks. Professionally, a four-week break is not so wrong.
And I really want to try this now. I can already see that there is a somewhat longer one coming here. But the point is that I can explain it to you once: What then do I expect from such a crossing of the Alps, What then do I expect from a journey, from a hike for four weeks criss-crossing. Drough the mountains and past beautiful places. I had already mentioned it. I want to be one with the beautiful nature. I want to be at my own pace. I want to breathe fresh air which is conjured up by red bakers. I expect smiling people, nature and beautiful weather. Mostly I expect good and especially dry weather. Preferably without wind. Most of the time it's not so easy to keep expectations, but I keep on hoping. As is always the case with expectations, sometimes they come true and other times they don't. I can also say that I don't expect it, but that I look forward to it. And what comes, that comes and wIf something doesn't come, that's okay too.

I just took a little break. I had sat down in the forest. I had lit my little fire. I had made my coffee and then a wonderful elderly couple came over. They just sat down and chatted with me. That led to me having to interrupt the podcast. So much for my expectations. But that's the way it is - now let's move on.

I am glad to see mow little I can get by with. I love the idea of minimalism. I love the idea of getting by with as little as possible and still being happy and content. And I love the idea of being as original as possible.

What am I looking forward to?

I am looking forward to experiencing this original being. I look forward to feeling the closeness of nature. I am also looking forward to seeing how little I can get by with. II'm also looking forward to being outside, it's so nice there. most beautiful anyway. I'm also looking forward to feeling my body. I expect it will be quite noticeable. As I still have no idea how to build up my fitness until June, which iI need to get over these mountains. But that remains to be seen and I'm a bit afraid of it. But I am confident that I can build up my fitness while running.
And I'm looking forward to living out my adventurous spirit. The older couple asked me: are you driven or is it da need to make this journey? She sees a difference in it. For me personally, it's more like this: II have a need to make this trip and sometimes I feel driven to plan and organise everything.

I would like to learn to live a bit haphazardly on this trip. That means getting rid of this "being driven".
Of course I do I also have a few thoughts. Of course I have a few Fears. But I realise that this is quite normal! The Fear of experiencing my physical limits, that the backpack is just too heavy, that I get lost and I'm quite afraid of being alone in the tent at night. I think I'm a bit afraid of being alone in general. Whether I can get along with myself. Do I still like to be alone with myself after a while? When it gets completely dark and the sounds fs unknown to me? I have never slept outside all alone in my life! Yes, I'm curious about that, and yes, that I am.eight also scares me a little.

Now briefly to the Preparation:

How I prepare myself is still an exciting topic. I think there are many ways to prepare for such a journey. You can train. You can get fit. I have a completely different approach.
I just watched a lot of outdoor videos on YouTube and feel extremely well prepared. I know that's not the most ideal but that's what I'm doing right now. So I watch all kinds of survival and outdoor videos.
And I think they do that pretty well in the videos out there. If I watch it long enough, I tell myself that it will come over to me. That's my preparation at the moment.

I'm already dreaming of the mountains. I dream already from the moment I see the sunrise over the mountains and I look out of my tent. IBut at the moment I'm not even dreaming about a I'm not thinking of a tent that wants to be pitched in the rain, but rather of the really romantic sunsets and sunrises. I cook my tea or soup romantically. I'm a big fan of the self-fulfilling prophecy, and that's why it's becoming a reality, so to speak. will also come to pass.
I now run regularly so that I can get back into it a bit. Of course, not 20-30 km every day and not up and down hills! I just run as it suits me.

And in the meantime I have almost all the equipment I need. I didn't want to buy so many new things. I actually wanted to start running with what I already had. But I had to realise that, especially with the tent, I had to switch to a lighter alternative. I so I ordered a new tent, which will arrive in the next few days. I have also ordered two small things. For example another Functional shirt and long pants, as it can get chilly even on June nights so high in the mountains. As a real survival outdoor freak, I finally had to have a proper knife. I have ordered everything and the package will surely arrive in the next few days.  

From then on I am ready! Then I'll really be ready and just have to wait and see. There are now only two and a half months left until The beginning of June and then it starts. As you can see, it's now the final phase of preparation and I'm really excited.

But what's next for the podcast?

I'll try to report on my preparations from time to time. Maybe I can still go into the forest to take the pictures. Maybe you can hear the birds chirping in the background.
I would like to take you with me and see how my preparations are going. I have already made a no packing list and have already done a test run and the weight should be as little as possible. With the Weight of the backpack I would like to come under 10 kg. But that will be quite heavy. So I'll have to see how I do it and maybe I'll have to leave something out or I'll just carry more than ten kilos around with me. But that remains to be seen.
The trip itself will probably start at Whitsun (beginning of June).
Then there will probably always be a live episode of which there may be no transcripts. I'll have to see if there's a way to type it out live. ABut I definitely won't do that on the road. You know, my goal is to be able to record the whole podcast exclusively with my phone. That means working on the move.

If you have any tips, ideas, questions for my trip, let me know. I would be very happy if you asked me about this topic. Because through your questions I am developing a new understanding for my journey.

Finally, because the sun is slowly setting and I'm getting chilly, mAll I want to do now is take a leisurely hike home and walk through the forest again, I'll be back in a few days.I am so excited about my adventure!
I look forward to your comments if there are any tips, ideas or suggestions, please let me know! I am totally grateful for every thought and idea. You're starting to notice that I'm not really prepared yet. I'm not an outdoor professional!
I'll just give it a try and let you share it with me - I'd be very happy if you got in touch with me a bit during the trip.

Shownotes for iTunes listeners: https://www.leben-pur.ch/020-mein-abenteuer-alpenueberquerung-wer-wie-was-wieso-weshalb-warum/

Info:

Bushcraft Essentials Wood Hobo Stove

Wood & Forest: Frienisberg in the Bernese Lake District