The best way to get your mind off of not traveling home and instead spending your first Christmas away is to embark on another adventure. Luckily, life in Germany provides adventures just around the corner. Sunday called for one and the nearby Black Forest echoed with an answer. This echo was mega influenced by the arrival of my new outdoor gear from Blacks & Millets. I don't know exactly what it is about Germans, but they tend to enjoy hiking more than most other cultures and they certainly dress the part. Two years in Germany (and no signs of leaving anytime soon) meant it was time to gear-up and join the masses.
I am already equipped with the skiing essentials, but other outdoor items not-so-much. My obsession with The North Face and longing for the even more expensive German equivalent, Jack Wolfskin, are a little over-the-top for the actual amount of activities I do, so I was uber excited to go some guilt-free online outdoor clothing shopping. Since I already have a couple great jackets, I decided to drive in and snag my first pair of hiking boots since my days in girl scouts, some quality breathable walking socks to pair up, a sporty pair of pants for protection against the elements, and some ever-so-practical The North Face gloves so I could keep warm and take photos, check maps, etc. After all, getting into hiking is kind of like starting yoga, it's just more fun to dress the part. Sometimes it's tough to get the best price in Germany, so I was thrilled to be shopping with Blacks and Millets, who both ship worldwide for only 5 GBP.
MY PICKS: HI TEC Women's V-Lite SpHike Mid Waterproof Hiking Boot and Bridgedale Women's Woolfusion Trekker Sock from Millets| Montane Women's Terra Ridge Pants and The North Face Women's ETip Gloves from Blacks.
In fact, I love these gloves so damn much, I asked my friends at Blacks and Millets to throw in an extra pair for you, my friends. Unfortunately, I can only giveaway one pair, so please use the Rafflecopter widget below to enter. All entries will be verified.
After getting suited up, Lauren and I set out for what was initially a hiking excursion between Kaltenbronn and Bad Wildbad, two mountain towns in the upper Black Forest. We hopped on a S-Bahn (local suburban train) and headed out of the city and into the nearby great outdoors. We arrived at our stop in Obertsrot and checked our directions. Next was to hop on a bus toward Kaltenbronn. A bus pulled up across the street immediately and we dashed to find out if it was our bus. After showing him our directions on the DB app, the bus driver informed us we should go the other direction. About 10 minutes later, we realized his (and our) error and checked the bus schedule. Instead of waiting an hour for the next bus to come (oh, Sundays in Germany), we decided to walk in the correct direction until the next bus arrived. After over an hour of walking, it never came. Add this to the list of travel fails...
As the rain picked up and our stomachs began to growl, we decided to forego the original route and hike to the next town of Weisenbach. It might not have been up in the mountains, but this Black Forest town was charming as anything. We began to follow signs for the Sängerheim, a guesthouse and restaurant atop the hill, which still provided us an opportunity to get our hike in and further wet our appetites. Knodelsuppe, Maultaschen, Käsespätzle later, we were satisfied and ready for our hike down and could enjoy the incredible scenery even more.
Best of all, all my gear kept me dry and warm. I wore cold gear leggings underneath my pants, since they are waterproof but not lined for winter and just the pictured socks with my hiking boots. Despite it raining the entire time, my feet stayed dry and warm and I did not slip the entirety of the trip. With all that traction and ankle support, I totally understand the hiking boot hype now.
Upon arriving back home in Karlsruhe, we couldn't resist grabbing a hot chocolate with Amaretto, especially in a snowman mug.
What are your outdoor gear essentials?
11 comments
Gorgeous, simply gorgeous! You, Lauren, the Black Forest and the gear.
ReplyDeleteGear essentials?
Golf: hat, glove, balls, tees, hat, clubs, etc, etc.
Hiking: barefoot or sneakers.
Swimming: board-shorts
Drinking: Scotch whiskey & a tumbler.
Love, miss, proud of, and for, you!
Happy Holidays.
Always,
Daddio
How cute are you!? Good for you for going on a hike while the rest of German expats board ourselves us indoors and eat gummy bears (or that might be just me..). You did such a great job with your pictures despite the rainy day, I love the one with the bench!
ReplyDeleteohh you look like the perfect hiker. i love millets and blacks stuff- they are awesome. i feel like i always wind up getting a little lost whenever I decide to walk somewhere or miss a bus. that hot chocolate sounds divine.
ReplyDeleteGreat giveaway! I always have cold hands and feet so I need warm gloves and scarves and also good boots and a hat and everything that keeps me warm!
ReplyDeleteWhat a brilliant giveaway and just in time for the cold winter months too! You look great in all your hiking gear!
ReplyDeleteStill looks like a fun outing! Way to make the best of it in a charming-looking town! :-)
ReplyDeleteLuckily for us, we have the French-mega store, Decathlon, here as well as a local Polish company that makes decent and affordable outdoor/sport clothing. That's where I got my hiking boots, socks and waterproof jacket.
I love hiking! I got really into it ever since I moved to Norway and I need to do more of it once I'm back in Germany! :) It's a great way to really explore a place! And great giveaway, too - I was actually looking into buying these gloves, but couldn't find them in Norway so far, but now I'm keeping my fingers crossed! ;)
ReplyDeleteI just LOVE mine. They aren't warm enough for subzero biking or something, but they are perfect for wearing around and the really do work well with smartphones!
ReplyDeleteAren't good sporting goods stores just the best? So fun to browse and they always inspire and adventure.
ReplyDeleteI just got my DSLR back from home so I was overly excited to use it again, which partly inspired the trip. We should plan a day somewhere; we're too close not to!
ReplyDeleteThis place looks gorgeous!! For cold weather, I am all about the layering and waterproof stuff.
ReplyDelete