Click here for this week’s European Volksmarch schedule.
It looks as if Hürth-Knapsack, Germany, is the busy place for IVV events this weekend.
You can actually custom-design your own triathlon. The Wandergesellen Alt-Hürth 1991 e.V. is offering walks of 7, 11, 20, and 30 kilometers. They also have marathon walks of 42 and 50 kilometers. For the bike enthusiasts, there’s a 31 kilometer cycling route. You’ll have to bring your own bike because they will not have rentals available. To top it off, you can do a swimming event as well. There is a new swimming location this year, but they will have a shuttle bus to take you from the start hall to the Familienbad De Bütt swimming pool.
If this is not enough to keep you busy, there is also a 13-kilometer permanent trail you can walk. For all events, with the exception of the marathon and the permanent trail, a model semi-truck is the award. Marathoners will receive the usual patch and certificate. The permanent trail awards IVV credit only.
We know it is a bit early to think of Christmas markets, but Hürth-Knapsack is offering a Volksmarch on Dec. 9 that will take you through the old city’s Weihnachtsmarkt. We’ve got it penciled in on our calendar already.
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Another interesting walk this weekend is in Malberg/Eifel, Germany. The Spang- dahlem Eifel Wanderers are hosting their 36th Volksmarch through the lovely Eifel region. This walk is very convenient for the Spangdahlem and Bitburg military communities and a short drive for the Baumholder folks.
Start the 5 and 10 kilometer trails both days between 7 a.m. and 3 p.m. If 20 kilometers is more to your liking, start between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. You must complete your walk by 5 p.m. We have done this walk before and have loved it! There are plenty of hills, but it’s still a great walk with excellent food at the start hall. Look for us there on Saturday and let’s talk Volksmarching.
The prize for completing one of the trails is a coin featuring the club’s logo. If you are not a coin collector, you can choose a beer mug from a previous year’s walk. The real prize is walking through the beautiful countryside, so make sure you bring your camera!
For more information, e-mail the club at eifelwander@hotmail.com.
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If you live in the Baumholder area, the Volksmarch in Heimbach is right next door! You could warm up there enroute to the Malberg/Eifel walk. The walk starts at the Besenbinderhalle between 6 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Saturday and 6 a.m. and 1 p.m. This walk is for IVV credit only.
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We just received a flier on the upcoming Wiesbaden Volksmarch on July 8. There will be more information coming.
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Notes about this week’s events:
• The walk in See, Germany, is convenient for the walkers in the Hohenfels area.
• This week’s abbreviations for towns in Italy: Cimpello instead of Cimpello di Fiume Veneto. The start for the walk in Udine Sud Baldasseria is at Scuola elementatre Maria Boschetti Alberti, Via Baldasseria Media.
• Now for some notes from Clark Soeldner, the guru of Italian volksmarching:
Parts of the 21- and 42-kilometer routes at the Pove del Grappa walk are along the trails from the First World War. The marathon walk takes you to the top of Monte Grappa, where you will visit the WWI Ossuary, a final resting place for more than 23,000 Italian and Austrian soldiers. On a clear day the views are fabulous!
To get to the Chiuppano walk, take the A-31 exit at Piovene-Rochette. Expect serious grades in the mountains.
E-mail volksmarch schedule information to two. walkers@yahoo.com. brochures to The Huffakers, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09703-0278.
