This weekend’s walk in Bad Marienberg, Germany, features the first swim event of the year to be sponsored by the International Federation of Popular Sports (Internationaler Volks-sportverband, or IVV). You can choose from three walking distances and two swim distances. The prize for these events is a scented candle in a glass holder. If you want more, there are three permanent walks in the area that offer a total of five more walking routes. You can get a lot of IVV stamps in Bad Marienberg this weekend.
In the Stuttgart area, the event in Darmsheim is a Stammtisch walk for the Stuttgart German-American Wandering Club, so look for their blue club flag at a table in the start hall. If you are new to volksmarching, or even an old pro, they’d love to meet you and swap walking stories. Start time for this event is 7 a.m., and you can walk 5, 10 or 20 kilometers. The prize is a B-medal at the reduced price of 3 euros.
In Belgium, there are two walks very close to each other Saturday. After walking in the morning at Battice, you could take part in the afternoon walk 15 kilometers away in Housse. Please note that while the Battice walk is both Saturday and Sunday, the Housse walk is Saturday afternoon only.
The impending closure of the USAG Baden-Wurttemburg installations in Heidelberg and Mannheim also means the unfortunate end to the long-standing Heidelberg International Wandering Club early this summer. But as the door closes in one area, a window of opportunity opens in another. At present, there is no walking club for the Wiesbaden American community, but with many of the jobs from Heidelberg and Mannheim moving to Wiesbaden, we wonder why a very successful club can’t move, too.
The Heidelberg International Wandering Club wants to continue its legacy through the creation of a Wiesbaden International Wandering Club. We know there are many volksmarchers in the Wiesbaden area and with the creation of the new club, we see the possibility of a new nexus for volksmarching in central Germany.
The new club could offer members bus trips to European volksmarches, an annual kiddie volksmarch to introduce the sport to young wanderers and ultimately create a Wiesbaden annual volksmarch that we hope could be the envy of the volksmarching world!
“Build it, and they will come.” However, for a club to exist, the Wiesbaden International Wandering Club needs members! The HIWC would like to see how much interest there is in having a volksmarch club serving the Wiesbaden American community. If you might like to join a new Wiesbaden International Wandering Club, either as a board member or regular member, please email the HIWC at hiwc@yahoo.com , mention your interest and provide your name and contact information.
There is a need for new leaders to help shape the development of this new club. Here is your chance to be among the “founding fathers” for this exciting new club. We will keep you informed of the club development!
If you’re interested in finding out more about volksmarching in general, visit the HIWC website, www.hiwc.de.
E-mail volksmarch information to two.walkers@yahoo.com . Mail brochures to Bob and Lorraine Huffaker, CMR 460, Box 278, APO, AE, 09752.
