Forest bathing ๐ŸŒณ

Breathe Deep, Unwind Deep: The Transformative Power of Forest Bathing

In today’s fast-paced world, feeling constantly plugged in and on edge is becoming the norm. But what if there was a simple yet powerful antidote to stress, anxiety, and even physical ailments? Enter forest bathing, a practice with roots in Japan known as shinrin-yoku.

Forest bathing isn’t just a walk in the woods. It’s a mindful immersion in nature, using all your senses to connect with the sights, sounds, and smells of the forest. It’s about slowing down, leaving your worries behind, and simply being present in the moment.

But why is this so beneficial? The science is clear: forest bathing offers a wealth of advantages for both your physical and mental well-being.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety: Studies show that spending time in nature lowers stress hormones like cortisol, leading to feelings of calm and relaxation. The gentle sounds of rustling leaves and birdsong have a naturally calming effect, while the fresh forest air is invigorating and cleansing.

Boosted Immunity: Trees release compounds called phytoncides, which have been shown to increase the number of natural killer cells in your body, strengthening your immune system’s ability to fight off illness.

Improved Mood and Well-being: Forest bathing has been linked to increased levels of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with happiness and well-being. Immersing yourself in nature can reduce feelings of depression and improve your overall mood.

Enhanced Creativity and Focus: Stepping away from the constant stimulation of technology allows your mind to wander and defragment. This can lead to increased creativity, improved problem-solving skills, and better focus when you return to your daily tasks.

Deeper Connection with Nature: Spending time in the forest fosters a sense of connection to the natural world, which can be incredibly grounding and restorative. This connection can lead to a greater appreciation for the environment and a desire to protect it.

Getting Started with Forest Bathing:

Forest bathing is accessible to everyone, regardless of age or fitness level. Here are some simple tips to get started:

  • Find a quiet forest or natural area near you.
  • Leave your phone and other distractions behind.
  • Engage your senses: listen to the sounds, smell the air, feel the sun on your skin.
  • Move slowly and deliberately,focusing on your breath and surroundings.
  • Sit or lie down beneath a tree and simply be present.
  • Start with short sessions and gradually increase the duration as you feel comfortable.

Remember, forest bathing is not about achieving anything; it’s about simply being in the moment and allowing nature to work its magic. So, take a deep breath, step into the forest, and discover the transformative power of this simple yet profound practice.

xoxo

MTB trail National Park Veluwezoom

I went on a little road trip to the Netherlands. It was a short 90-minute drive to the national park Veluwezoom and I arrived right before sunrise.

I took my bike on a nice 2-hour ride and loved it so much. Though you will find more hiking trails at Veluwezoom, I totally digged the MTB trail: tree roots, mud, forest trails, uphill passages and a nice flow.

Will definitely come back.

xoxo

Summer Bike Moments

Collect moments, not things. โ˜€๏ธ I know, sometimes we all get caught up in a busy life, stress about work and responsibilities. Donโ€™t forget to hit the pause button when things get stressful. Remember to enjoy the little things, make memories and take goodย care of yourself.

I for myself take my sweet ride on happy bike dates, exploring new places.

Enjoy your summer days. โ˜€๏ธ


xoxoย 

Thru hiking North Sea: 212.56 km in four days and 24 minutes

Holy cannoli, this was my most intense hike so far: hiking over 200km along the coast, mainly on paved roads.

The Route

I wanted to do the Stoertebeker trail along the North Sea coast. My crazy idea: to make it more challenging, I wanted to finish the whole trail within four days, without knowing the location, the conditions or anything in this region.

The training plan 

Together with a fitness coach, we created a four-week-training plan focusing on endurance and strength training, working out six days a week – on Wednesdays, I trained three times a day. Though endurance is key, you definitely need to integrate strength training, since this kind of hiking is a lot of stress for your body. Generally, long-distance hiking is an intense activity that requires some training. Don’t start such a trip without the proper preparation. Also, if you are new to long-distance hiking, you should go for a light, easy first tour.

These steps might help you to prep for your next ultra hike or thru hike:

I. Aerobic exercises: these kind of exercises are perfect for hiking, since they allow you to keep going for a substantial amount of time. Training your endurance will keep you going physically strong through your whole hike. I went for running, hiking and biking.

II. Walk: You need to walk on a daily basis. Walk to work, to the supermarket, your doctor’s appointment. Walk as much as possible.

III. Resistance Training: You need to build your muscular strength along with boosting your muscular endurance growing skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles connect to bones that move the mechanics of your body. Building these muscles are important for long-distance hiking due to the intensity of hiking on the body – especially on paved roads. I myself focused on my legs, hips and core and admit that I neglected my arms, chest and shoulders a little. I definitely should have included more strength training for my upper body. That is one big learning for me.

IV: Use your gear: Pack as light as possible and only take along what’s really necessary. This one is crucial. A loaded backpack should not weigh more than about 20 percent of your body weight. For me, this is still too much, but when you have to take along your camping gear (tent, sleeping bag etc.), it is tough. Practice hiking and running with your gear, wear weights on your treadmill runs and train on similar terrain to figure out what works best for you. I tried all my different pairs of shoes and then had one pair customised for my feet so that I could manage it on paved roads. The same applies for the backpack: take the smaller and lighter version. You will regret everything else. Since every body is different, I can only share what worked for me: adidas terrex shoes and Ortovox Traverse 38 S (particularly suited for women).

V: Mental training: Believe me when I tell you that it is going to be tough and painful. But you need to prepare yourself and develop a plan to tackle possible obstacles, tiredness. I integrated meditation sessions and already knew how painful it can get. I just remembered my alpine crossing and knew how much it is gonna hurt at some point. You need to find your own way how to deal with it. In the end, for me, it was music. When things got rough, I listened to hard rock and metal, I even sang or rather screamed along. But, hey, it worked. So, you do you. But practice it, put yourself in uncomfortable situations and find out what works best to pull through. This is crucial because, honestly, about 30-40 % is your physical strength, the rest is your mental strength.

The check list 

You can find my pack list on Instagram. Make sure to check 2 days prior your starting date because weather conditions and circumstances can change. This is what happened with me. I had pretty bad luck regarding the weather conditions so that I had to take along my heavier camping gear. Since I was mainly camping and temperatures dropped to 5-6 degrees Celsius, including some rain and heavy wind gusts, I knew I needed to stay warm. Also, when you hike alone like I do, take along some legal self-defence weapon, first-aid kit, share your route with friends and family and enable GPS-tracking just to be on the safe side. Have regular check-ins, let your folks know how you are doing.

The stages

Stage I: Leer – Emden – Pilsum – Greetsiel: 51.73 km – Tuesday, 10 a.m. till 8:30 p.m.

I know “hate” is a strong word, but I hated it so much. Wind gusts of over 30 km/h, some rain showers, walking on the so called dike was not possible due to the heavy wind gusts. At one section I tried to climb over a fence but then got struck by the wind and almost fell. For me, that meant that I had to go road hiking with 15 kg on my back. Yep, the most painful of it all. 50k on paved roads, through strong winds and rain showers. I hated every single second. It really, really sucked. That was the moment when I made some adjustments to my first stage. I initially wanted to hike 90k through the night, but no chance in hell. So I stopped after 51.73 km and needed some rest and a hot shower. I think I slept for 3-4 hours. Boy, it hurt soooooo much and I was freezing like crazy. There were moments when I thought to simply screw the whole thing, forget about it. – I definitely needed some motivational messages from my friends. Talking, yelling and sharing a bit of self-pity helped. Actually, it helped a lot. I won’t name the people here on the blog, since they know that I am talking about them and how grateful I am for their support. ๐Ÿ’—

Stage II: Exploring Greetsiel – Norden – Norddeich – 31.43 km – Wednesday 5 a.m. till noon

I got up before sunrise and needed some coffee, explored the beautiful city of Greetsiel before I continued for the next 25k. This wind was killing me. AGAIN, strong winds, some rain, it was so freaking cold, my feet hurt. I told myself over and over again that I will pull through. It was mental. I needed my strong willpower, simply forget about the pain, just walk – just keep walking till you reach the beach in Norddeich. I reached it at around noon and wasn’t able to walk one single step further. I was just resting in my beach chair, couldn’t move, was just laying there in the sun, hoping to recover, afraid to look at my feet. But I knew at some point I had to take my socks off and take care of them. They hurt, blisters all over, man I felt like crying. So, I took out my first aid kit, used all the special foot care I took along and taped my feet. From this second onwards I knew that I will keep them taped till the end of my hike.

I was sleeping in a beach chair and it got really, really cold at night with some rain. Yeah, the images look romantic, it sure can be romantic, but not alone at night, when it’s raining, windy and about 5 degrees celsius. I woke up at around 2 a.m. and needed to put on additional layers cause it was so freaking cold – counting the hours till sunrise.

Stage III: Bensersiel – Neuharlingersiel – Harlesiel – 56.4 km – Thursday 4:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Mentally, this was my lowest point. I did not get enough sleep, my whole body hurt, my feet hurt even worse and I just had to cry. I was a real pussy, couldn’t stop crying in the morning because of the pain and tiredness. After having walked for about 5k, I just sat on a bench and cried, I knew I needed to let it all out. I mean, I was alone anyways. For the whole trip, there were no hikers, no other backpackers, only sheep on the dike and some annoying e-bike tourists. And since it was still pretty windy, nobody would hear me cry. Once again the messages from some of my friends helped. And it helped that I could just send them voice messages. I needed some time till I could pull through. But then I did.

Generally, this stage was the most annoying route. Man, I cannot stand these special kind of e-bike tourists: a special tribe of people that looks a little unfit, they completely block the trail and are yelling at you when you are passing by foot. They were everywhere during this stage. So, I just put on my music and walked, just walked. At some point adrenaline and other stress hormones kick in, you forget about your pain and your body just functions. You become a robot. But it helps. It really is amazing what your body can do.

In the afternoon I finally reached a great camping spot, took a hot shower and fell asleep pretty early.

Stage IV: Carolinensiel – Schillig – Hooksiel – Schortens – 53 km

Sometimes I tend to make my life unnecessarily more difficult than it needs to be. On Google Maps I found this cute camping spot in the middle of some forest, right at a lake. So, I thought to integrate a little detour going to Schortens, checking out this pretty place instead of going directly to Wilhelmshaven. Yeah, the joke was on me.

In the beginning of my tour, I had the best time. I slept amazing, had some great coffee in Carolinensiel and walked on sandy beaches in Schillig, one of my most favorite places on this route. And guess what, I finally had wind gusts coming from behind and the sun was coming out. Man, I loved it and put on my Greenday and Guns ‘N Roses playlist, sang along and just walked, smiled, had fun. The fun part has been pretty rare in the first two days. I even had so much fun, that I missed a turn and accidentally did another detour, went back and stopped at the beach in Hooksiel. Afterwards, I went to Schortens, to this supposedly beautiful camping spot. Well, the images look nice, but the lake is right next to a German BundesstraรŸe (federal road): pretty noisy, the service was awful and when you had to use the facilities, you had to gag cause it was smelling like a sewer or cesspool.

This was another cold night and I just wanted to finish my tour.

Stage V: Schortens – Wilhelmshaven: 20k – finished Saturday at 10: 24 a.m.

Once again I got up before sunrise and just wanted to finish this trip. I hiked as fast as I could – like there was no tomorrow. Sometimes I was even jogging with my 15kg backpack. I so didn’t care and just wanted to arrive, which I did. I think it was by far my fastest route. Completely out of breath and extremely happy, I crossed my finish line – and then arrived at the hotel in Wilhelmshaven. Hallelujah!

Active Recovery: From Saturday till Tuesday, I stayed in a hotel and worked on my active recovery – daily swims and sauna, some relaxing walks, lots of sleep and some private time. Sauna, swimming and lots of sleep helped me to fully recover. Sunday was a special spa and personal day somewhere else: sauna, relaxation and private time all day long. โ˜€๏ธ

It was a lot of stress to my body. Sometimes I couldn’t really eat, in fact, today, Tuesday, was the first day where I could eat three regular meals. And it still hurts. I can tell that my digestive system needs a little more time. On other days during my tour, I needed to force myself to eat something, and then it was almost next to nothing. I definitely pushed my body, but am pretty darn proud that I managed it. It might not sound as tough to you, but for me, mentally and physically, it was. Walking on paved roads is insane, it hurts like hell, you really need the right gear and good muscle strength. And when you have strong wind gusts and rain, cold weather coming along, it’s just tough. It just is.

Of course, I lost a few pounds, but mostly water, also some muscle mass and fat, but after my first check-up today, things look good. I will receive my recovery plan tomorrow after my 30k bike ride and will then get my training plan with the Adidas club. After one challenge is before the next challenge. ๐Ÿค˜๐ŸผWill share more details soon. ๐Ÿ™ƒ

Accomodations

I only share the accommodations and inspirations I can really recommend.

Sleeping Beach Chair: This is a very neat idea and I totally digg the whole concept. BUT: I would pick a different time and location next time. It really needs to be warm and you need to make sure that you have enough privacy. That wasn’t the case in Norddeich – I felt like a tourist attraction. Also, in Norddeich you have to bring your own sleeping bag.

This sleeperoo was initially on my bucket list for this summer, preferably in a more romantic setting, but I found out that they filed for insolvency. ๐Ÿ˜ž

So, a romantic beach chair in Schillig or Hooksiel it is – but only during a hot summer night with enough privacy. ๐Ÿ˜Œ

Harlesiel Glamping: My host Markus was wonderful – excellent service beforehand, very accommodating, friendly and the lodge I booked was so warm and cozy. They really took care of the little details so that you could feel at home. And the facilities were just around the corner, all very clean and great taken care of, opportunities to cook and hang with others – really a great place. I would definitely come back. ๐Ÿ™ƒ

My favorite places

My four favorite spots were in Pilsum, Greetsiel, Schillig and Hooksiel. I will share all specs and details on these little beauties later this week here on the blog. These locations are definitely worth a visit and I am positive that I will come back.

Recommendation?

Will I do it again? HELL NO! NEVER EVER! This whole trail is not for hiking – seriously! For biking, yes, but even then, I wouldn’t pick this particular route. The stage from Leer to Emden was pretty boring to me. Though Leer itself has its charm, the bike route isn’t sexy. Also, I don’t like mass tourism and there were too many of these “special” e-bike tourists that will just get on your nerves.

Do I regret it? NO! I am proud of myself, that I pulled through – again, thank you so much to the special people that supported me, listened to my WhatsApp messages and helped me pull through. It is amazing what your body is capable of.

Did I have fun? Honestly, most of the time I hated it. I was swearing, wining, yelling – I did have my fun moments, though. ๐Ÿ˜…

Will I do another thru hike close to my new home? A sure yes. I was already looking for some trails where I can walk on sandy beaches or something more “hike-worthy”. The bucket list is still in the making, but Denmark is surely on it and I will look at other places along the North Sea coast as well.

So, this is it for my recap on my thru hike. If you have any questions or wanna know more, just drop me an email or a DM on my social channels.

xoxo

German interview with Gela Allmann

This is a German interview I did in May 2018 for my old magazine โ€œVโ€™s Worldโ€, which I shut down after my mountain bike accident. I decided to republish it here sharing a very important message with all of you: never give up! Donโ€™t let anyone tell you what you can or cannot do. Fight for yourself, be kind to yourself live your dreams and make every single moment count. โ˜€๏ธ So this is for everyone who needs a little motivation when life gets rough. ๐Ÿซถ๐Ÿผ

โ€œFight – Smile – Love!โ€

Das ist das Lebensmotto von Extremsportlerin, Coach & Model Gela Allmann. Fรผr mich persรถnlich ist Gela eine sehr groรŸe Inspiration. Sie transportiert so ein positives Lebensgefรผhl und inspiriert mich mit ihrer unglaublich motivierenden Art immer wieder aufs Neue. Wenn ich nach neuen Touren & Challenges stรถbere oder auch, wenn ich mal gerade ein Formtief habe, schaue ich mir ihre Instagram Stories an und alles erscheint so viel leichter und positiver. Es gibt einfach so Menschen, die einen begeistern, andere positiv mitreiรŸen โ€“ Menschen, zu denen man aufschaut. Fรผr mich persรถnlich ist Gela genau so eine Person.

Sport-Idol Gela Allmann: eine wahre Heldin

Gela Allmann wuchs in Markt Indersdorf auf und studierte Sportwissenschaft in Mรผnchen. Sie ist Diplom-Sportwissenschaftlerin mit dem Schwerpunkt Sportmanagement und verfรผgt รผber einen Master in โ€žSport, Medien und Kommunikationโ€œ. Als Profi-Sportlerin im Team Dynafit Germany war sie vor allem als Berglรคuferin sowie Skibergsteigerin aktiv. Zudem arbeitet sie erfolgreich als Model, Moderatorin und Coach.

Bei einem Foto-Shooting fรผr die Zeitschrift Fit for Fun verunglรผckte Gela im April 2014 auf einem Berg in Island schwer. Kurz darauf scheint ihr Leben als Sportlerin und Model zu Ende zu sein. Nach einem quรคlend langen Sturz 800 Meter รผber Felsen und Eis gleicht ihr Kรถrper einem Trรผmmerhaufen. Doch sie hat รผberlebt und begibt sich mit รผberwรคltigendem Kampfeswillen auf einen zรคhen, schmerzhaften Weg: von der vรถlligen Bewegungslosigkeit im Krankenbett, kleinen Etappenzielen wรคhrend der Reha bis zum ersten Berggipfel nach dem Unfall. Alleine beim Lesen und Schreiben dieser Zeilen bekomme ich schon wieder Gรคnsehaut.


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Doch sie hat es geschafft, nach diesem Schicksalsschlag neu anzufangen und hat sich mit ihrer magischen, positiven Art zurรผck ins Leben gekรคmpft.

Interview mit Gela Allmann

Als ich selbst wieder intensiver ins Training eingestiegen bin, habe ich es einfach mal als Gelegenheit genommen, Gelas Story zu erzรคhlen und mir zugegeben auch ein paar Tipps von ihr geholt.

Wie bist Du damals zum Bergsport gekommen?

โ€œIch gehe schon immer mit meiner Familie in die Berge, habe aber doch 1,5h Fahrt entfernt gewohnt. Mit Anfang/Mitte 20 als ich dann ein eigenes Auto hatte und selbst losfahren konnte, bin ich von Mรผnchen aus oft zusammen mit meinem damaligen Freund los. Irgendwann habe ich mich dann jede freie Minute ins Auto gesetzt und bin zum Berg gefahren, habe immer mehr Freunde mit gleicher Passion kennengelernt und bin selbst immer schneller die Berge hinauf โ€“ bald im Laufschritt, weil ich die Kombination aus Laufen und Berg- und Naturerlebnis absolut faszinierend fand.โ€

Was bedeutet der Bergsport fรผr Dich?

โ€œBerge bedeuten fรผr mich immer Freiheit, Naturerlebnis, Kopf frei bekommen, durchschnaufen, Zeit zu Reflektieren, eigene Grenzen austesten, Sport und Bewegung, SpaรŸ mit Freunden โ€“ all das, was ich liebe und mich auch sehr erfรผllt.โ€

Was sind Deine drei Lieblingsorte in den Bergen?

โ€œAch, am liebsten mag ich es direkt vor der Haustรผre. Ich lebe nun in Fischbachau, quasi zwischen Spitzingsee und Schliersee und liebe alle Berge, die ich gleich mal by fair means besteigen kann. Besonders angetan haben es mir auch die Dolomiten und ich liebe das Zillertal.โ€

Liebst Du eher den Bergsommer oder den Winter?

โ€œBeides ist gleich gut und es ist wunderbar, dass es beide Jahreszeiten gibt und Sommer wie Winter so geniale Sportarten bereithalten. Wenn es Neuschnee hat und der Schnee glitzert in der Morgensonne, du stampfst durch den frischen Powder, das ist groรŸartig. Aber genauso schรถn ist es in luftiger Kleidung und leichtem Equipment im Sommer mit Stรถcken einen Gipfel im Stechschritt zu erklimmen und die langen Sommerabende am Berg zu genieรŸen.โ€

Wie sehr hat der schlimme Unfall damals Dich verรคndert und woher hast Du die Kraft genommen, wieder hochzukommen?

โ€œDer Unfall hat mich in erster Linie kรถrperlich extrem beeintrรคchtigt. Mein rechtes Bein ist bis heute recht stark betroffen. Ich hatte einen Abriss des FuรŸhebernervs und habe hier keine volle Funktion mehr. Zudem fehlen mir im rechten Knie alle vier Bรคnder, der Meniskus und ich habe einen stark geschรคdigten Knorpel, was mir eine Laufbelastung derzeit nicht wirklich mรถglich macht. Ich gehe also mit Stรถcken bergauf und fahre mit der Bergbahn wieder hinunter oder mache eine Kombination aus Bike & Hike โ€“ steige wenige Hรถhenmeter wieder ab. Der Weg, รผberhaupt wieder dorthin zu kommen hat mich ein halbes Jahr stationรคren Klinikaufenthalt und eine Reha und Physiobehandlung bedeutet, die bis heute andauert. 

Psychisch und mental hat mich der Unfall in zweiter Instanz sehr geprรคgt. Ich bin sehr viel dankbarer fรผr jeden Tag, jeden Moment โ€“ ich habe die Endlichkeit des Lebens gespรผrt, da wird man sehr demรผtig vor dem Geschenk des Lebens. Zudem bin ich kompromissloser und ehrlicher mir selbst gegenรผber geworden. Ich weiรŸ, dass niemand anderes die volle Verantwortung fรผr mein Leben trรคgt als ich selbst. Damit liegt es auch an mir selbst, ob ich im Leben glรผcklich bin oder nicht. Ich kann mich jeden Tag mit meinen Gedanken und Handlungen aufs neue dazu entscheiden, genau das zu tun, um ein glรผckliches Leben zu fรผhren. Erst wenn ich wirklich glรผcklich und im Reinen mit mir bin, kann ich auch andere glรผcklich machen und Verantwortung fรผr sie รผbernehmen โ€“ das habe ich lange nicht verstanden.โ€

Woher nimmst Du Deine unglaublich positive Energie?

โ€œAlso ich muss sagen, ich habe eine ganz tolle und starke Familie hinter mir, die mir tolle Werte mitgegeben hat. Hier liegt definitiv der Ursprung meiner positiven Energie. Ich weiรŸ, dass ich nicht alleine bin โ€“ auch in der Zeit nach dem Unfall waren meine Familie, mein damaliger Partner und viele Freunde fรผr mich bedingungslos da. Das gibt unglaublich viel Kraft. Ich ziehe auch einfach sehr viel positive Kraft aus der tรคglichen Dankbarkeit fรผrs Leben. Wenn es mal nicht so rund lรคuft sage ich mir: โ€œSchlimmer geht immer!โ€ Und dieser Spruch trifft eigentlich auch wirklich immer zu. Ob wir Situationen positiv oder negativ einstufen, das liegt in unserem eigenen Ermessen. Ich hatte so unglaublich viel Glรผck bei meinem Unfall. Ich denke, ich bin ein Glรผckskind: Ich kann gar nicht anders, als Dinge positiv zu sehen. Ich bin am Leben und habe doch sehr viele der Fรคden selbst in der Hand. Scheitern, Hindernisse und Krisen gehรถren dazu โ€“ ich sehe sie als Lehrmeister, um an ihnen zu wachsen.โ€

Du bist nicht nur Skitouren-Profi, sondern auch eine Expertin in Sachen Trailrunning. Was muss man alles als Hobbylรคufer beachten, um in den Sport einzusteigen?

โ€œHahaha, ich war โ€“ das muss ich gleich dazu sagen. Man muss SpaรŸ daran haben und auf das eigene Gefรผhl hรถren, sich nicht selbst รผberfordern. Dann kommt alles andere von ganz alleine. Unter Druck und Zwang verkrampft man sich meist nur. Es geht ja beim Trailrunning auch darum, die Berge zu genieรŸen und wรคhrend des Laufens eins mit der Natur und der Bewegung zu werden, in den vรถlligen Flow zu kommen, die Gedanken loszulassen. Das ist genial.โ€

Welche Ausrรผstung sollte man sich zulegen und wie trainiert man fรผr seinen ersten Lauf am besten?

โ€œIch empfehle leichtes Equipment โ€“ jedes Gramm mehr geht am Ende auf die Gelenke. Wichtig sind gute grippfeste Traillaufschuhe, leichte Trail-Stรถcke, ein Headband oder Mรผtze, ein leichter Rucksack fรผr den Transport von den wichtigsten Utensilien: Trinken, ein/zwei Riegel, eine Sonnenbrille, Sonnencreme, evtl. ein Wechselshirt und immer eine leichte Windjacke oder รคhnliches, falls am Berg doch einmal ein Wetter aufzieht. Das darf man nie unterschรคtzen. Ich habe auch immer ein Handy fรผr den Fall der Fรคlle dabei โ€“ sollte tatsรคchlich einmal Hilfe nรถtig sein.โ€

Ich weiรŸ nicht, wie es Euch geht, aber ich habe schon jetzt wieder Sehnsucht nach neuen Outdoor-Abenteuern. Egal wo, auch ich liebe diese Ruhe, Gelassenheit und Freiheit in der freien Natur.

An dieser Stelle ein ganz groรŸes Dankeschรถn an Gela fรผr dieses tolle Interview. Fรผr mich ist und bleibt sie eine wahre Inspiration, jemand zu dem ich aufschaue und der mich immer wieder daran erinnert, wie viele Sachen eigentlich total nebensรคchlich im Leben sind. 

Das Leben ist nicht immer nur toll und positiv, vieles kรถnnen wir nicht selbst beeinflussen. Aber wir haben es selbst in der Hand, wie wir damit umgehen. โ˜€๏ธ

xoxo

photo credits: Martin Erd Photographer

featured image: ยฉMichael Mรผller Photographer fรผr Dynafit

โ€”

English Summary: Gela Allmann โ€“ German Athlete, Coach & Model

Gela Allmann is a German athlete, coach and model who was a successful professional Skimountaineering & Alpine Running athlete at the Team Dynafit Germany. For me personally, she is a great inspiration, always motivating others with her positive energy.

Her contact with skis was at the age of four. Gela has always been fascinated by mountains and by endurance sports like running. But it took her more than 26 years to discover her passion for the competitive sports Mountainrunning and Skimountaineering. In fact, she first started skitouring at the age of 26 when some friends took her to a skitour in the Alpbachtal โ€“ she was totally hooked, right from the start.

In April 2014 she had a terrible accident, falling down a descent over 800 altitude meters of pure ice and snow during a fotoshooting in Iceland. Gela broke several bones in her whole body, cut the main artery of her right leg as well as the nerve, which is responsible to lift her right foot. She was literally between life and death and had to undergo many surgeries, fighting for her life.

She truly had some guardian angels and came back even stronger, inspiring with her positive attitutude towards life. For me, she is a true heroine.

Check out this English interview.

Waterfall Geisterholz

This one is a very nice route near my new hood – roughly 18.5 k.๐Ÿฅพ๐ŸŒณ

The area is a nature preserve called Geisterholz in Oelde. A magical forest ๐ŸŒณ with an extremely pretty waterfall and an old avenue of chestnuts. A very calm and peaceful place. โ˜บ๏ธ

xoxo

Hiking Teutoburg Forest

The Teutoborg Forest is a range of low, forested hills in the German states of Lower Saxony and North Rhine-Westphalia.

Outdoor and sports enthusiasts will love this area. Here are some impressions from my 6-hour hike: 25.7 km, accumulated elevation 579 m and a heavy backpack. 

We started at the Externsteine, then hiked to the Falkenburg Castle – including some detours – and ended up at the Hermann monument. The latter was actually pretty disappointing, especially since you had to hike on paved roads, but the area between Horn Bad Meinberg and Berlebeck was beautiful. ๐Ÿ˜Œ

So, if you are in this area, pick any of the endless MTB or hiking trails and enjoy yourself.

xoxo

Hello Bike Season 2023

I had a little โ€œbikecationโ€œ, enjoying a long weekend off, riding my bike, checking out the latest bike stuff at the Cyclingworld Europe and simply hanging with a great crowd.

Cyclingworld Europe

They call it Europeโ€˜s finest bike show for a reason. Bike and e-bike enthusiasts come together to explore the latest trends, try new bikes, meet like-minded people or to simply get inspired for the upcoming bike season.

Gravel and cargo bikes are becoming even more popular, so does bike packing and I also noticed a higher interest in e-bikes, being a sustainable alternative for either public transportation or your car. Sustainability was obviously omnipresent. Let me just say: Hello wooden bikes or wooden art.

What I always digg at these shows is the whole bike culture. I love the attitude and lifestyle, always meeting new people or discovering hot stuff or cool brands such as STYRKR or Cyclepunks. Loved it.

Getting fit for the bike season

I myself started with my workout routine to get fitter this season. Since the weather was perfect, I literally rode my bike till it hurt.

But I already created my bucket list and cannot wait to get out there. Wild and free!

xoxo