Canyon to Rapha — a bikepacking tramp across Germany: Part 2
Day 1 (Canyon, Koblenz -> some lightly wooded area near Ballersbach)
Distance: 91 km
Terrain: Rolling hills, lots of gravel and dirt roads.
Strava link: https://www.strava.com/activities/1566446968
It’s now been over a week since I arrived back in Berlin and it feels like a lifetime ago, or even like it was someone else’s life. Which is ironic, because when you’re bikepacking long distances across ever-changing terrain it often feels like the morning was the day before. Your comprehension of time is completely different and it’s only when you are in the moment that you can appreciate this fact. When you’re moving, time is literally mapped out across the contours of the land. It’s something that truly makes travelling by bike an experience like no other.
In this post, I’ll try to “briefly” cover my first day. I took photos, made notes, tweeted when I had service and even managed a podcast (sort of)! I’m so glad that I did, as these little records act as punctuations in an unforgettable journey that’s too long to remember in its entirety. If you’ve done anything similar then you’ll appreciate this paradox.
It’s also at this point then that I should point you to Part 1 if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet: Day 1 (or technically Day 0)
Having lived in Koblenz for over 2 years, I knew pretty much every road out of the Rhein valley. So of course, I had decided to throw caution to the wind and planned a route up some roads I’d never even seen before. What could go wrong? Well, after only 9 km I found myself hitting a 20% wall that turned off into a steep footpath. Of course, I rode it. At least I did until I turned the corner to find a set of steps that stretched up to the heavens. I dismounted, cursed Komoot for letting me be so stupid and lugged the bike up the unforgiving gradient in the sweltering heat. I’d fallen at the first hurdle and hoped there wouldn’t be more issues that I’d unwittingly planned for myself. I’d started late so this was the last thing I needed on Day 1.
Before long I was back on my bike and rolling up, over and down a plethora of gravel roads that snaked in and out of luscious fields overlooking the valley below. I finally felt as though I’d escaped the gravitational pull of my starting point and could concentrate on the ride. That night I’d be wild camping and it hung over me like a dark cloud in an otherwise blue sky. Whilst I was perfectly happy camping, I’d never tried to do it in a random location after a day’s riding. I was nervous that I wouldn’t find somewhere suitable before sunset. I pushed it to the back of mind and pushed on.
The Germans love a good bench. There is a cornucopia of them strewn across the country and in some of the unlikeliest of places. But these are a godsend when you’re looking for somewhere to sit down and take a break. You learn to ‘treat’ yourself to stopping. Sometimes when you feel like it and sometimes when you’ve earned it: “10km more and then you can have a break”, you tell yourself. So often on this journey, I would find myself on a bench staring at the world from a viewpoint so seldom sought after.
I was already carrying my dinner for the night (Thai dried-noodles) so all I needed was some water. Unexpectedly, in the middle of some woodland, I found a drinking fountain. I went to fill up my bottle only to get a face full of highly pressurised water. Just as well it was a hot day! The water actually shot out several meters away from the tap and as the mosquitos began to descend upon me I decided it wasn’t worth the bother and raced away.
84 km and 5 hours of riding later, I found some more water in a town called Herborn. It was dusk and I knew I needed to find somewhere to sleep soon. I rode on and after 7 km I spotted a small wooded patch away from the road. I slipped on my jeans and waded through the tall grass up to my chosen site. I spent a good amount of time making sure there weren’t any dog walkers or hunters in the area. I inspected the site and found a badger sett nearby but there was no time to find anywhere else. I was setting up camp far enough away as to not disturb them. I locked my bike to a tree and waited for the sun to start setting before pitching my tent. The tent was as small as they come — a proper one-man tent without enough room to even sit up in. This made everything more difficult.
Around 10 pm I finally set about cooking my dinner. I quickly discovered that I’d used way too much water and worse still, that I’d forgotten my spork! Just as well there was no-one around to watch me pour this wholly inadequate meal into my face.
I brushed my teeth, zipped up the tent and wriggled my way into position amongst the belongings that lined the inside of the tent. Day 1 was done and all I needed was a good night’s sleep…
