An Advent Overnighter

Overnighters are good for body, mind and soul and should also be covered by health insurance. But above all, overnighters are possible all year round.

Of course, it’s much more pleasant in summer when it’s light and warm for a long time. But you can also do Overnighters in winter. However, it is advisable to take a few precautions to ensure that it is an all-round pleasant experience:

It’s best to ride in company!

Cycling alone is also good, but it can quickly become boring, especially when you’re riding through the countryside in the pitch dark. That’s why cycling together is a good option, because the conversation with the others replaces the unseen landscape.

Originally, we wanted to cycle separately to the planned overnighter site, but then I decided to take the train to Kiel for exactly these reasons, so that we could start together with Nils and Gunnar.

Finding the right destination accommodation!

Our original plan was to meet in the Segeberger Forst at a site organised by the Wild Schleswig-Holstein initiative. However, you’re not allowed to make a fire there and the prospect of sitting around a cooker in the cold wasn’t so appealing. Overnighters at this time of year are usually travelling in the dark, setting up camp in the dark and then lying there. That’s great if you just want to get out again and don’t care. But if you want to have a bit more of an experience and maybe even a fire, then you have to plan differently.

So we took the opportunity of the joint start in Kiel and spontaneously changed our plans. Our destination was now Lake Plön, where Nils had found a suitable shelter. There were actually two places to spend the night: a barbecue area for our planned fire and a very large hut right by the lake just a few metres away, where we could pitch our tents. That’s the advantage of winter overnighters, because the places that are usually overcrowded in summer are now empty.

Maybe take a little more with you!

I’m now a very minimalist traveller and in summer I also keep things very minimalist. In winter, however, I make an exception because I value a dry set of clothes. Wet clothes are no good in the cold and as riding is of course also sweaty, I have a dry set of longsleeve, hat, long pants and this time also long overtrousers.

They always say that you should be careful not to sweat in winter. I like to believe that, but I just don’t manage it. I’m always sweating, especially when I’m riding through mud and muddy, soggy forest paths. It just takes strength to get through it. And that in turn leads to sweating. But I wear clothes that wick away sweat well, are breathable and keep me warm even when they’re wet. I also wear a down jacket, which is packed ready to hand and quickly provides warmth. I either dry the wet clothes outside when it’s really cold and dry. Or I take them into the tent or bivouac sack and warm them up again, at least for the morning.

It is also important for me to have a separate set of gloves with me. I take these for setting up the tent, for example, because the poles can be very cold. And I also take more equipment with me in winter, such as a warmer sleeping bag, a warmer inlet, tent, cooker and food. And that’s completely ok, because I’m not on a race, I want to experience a nice overnighter and therefore allow myself this ‘luxury’.

Finding the right route!

At this time of year, the paths are usually muddy and if it has rained the days before, you have to be prepared for even more mud. And then you’ll have to re-plan your route here and there to avoid the worst of it.

In addition, there is often hunting in winter and some forest and meadow sections are then closed. I had an experience in the Spessart where I was on tour with Tobias in January and we were woken up by hunters. You should also bear in mind that slopes that are actually easy to ride in the dark can often be very strenuous.

We set off from Kiel at dusk at 3.45 pm and after 30 minutes it was already pitch black. But that in turn gives you a new experience, because riding through the forest in the dark is really interesting.

We were also able to compare our lights and talk shop.

We had planned a route out of Kiel towards Plöner See, where our destination hut was located. The route there was a suitable mix of forest paths and roads. In between there was a short stop for two Christmas biscuits and the realisation that we had lost track of time. We thought it must have been around 8pm, but it was only 5.15pm.

Remember to take breaks!

Speaking of breaks: they’re not as great in winter as they are in summer. As soon as you stop, you start to cool down. I usually try to ride in such a way that I don’t need any breaks. So I manage my energy even better and ride more energy-efficiently.

And if I want to take a break, I look for a warm place, such as a petrol station, a bakery or a supermarket/barbecue. I can be warm there and have a short rest without freezing.

Make a fire!

This is optional and not always feasible, but it helps immensely in the evening if you want to chat, eat and drink without getting cold. You can look for places where a fire is permitted. Barbecue huts, for example, which are usually empty in winter.

So we bought some firewood in Ascheberg on Lake Plön and then cycled the last few kilometres to our destination like lumberjacks. But you shouldn’t underestimate how much wood a good fire needs, which is why the two sacks were empty very quickly. So we got some more from the forest, which was a bit damp but still burnt well. And as we don’t do bushcraft here, I had a barbecue lighter with me to get the fire going quickly.

Drinking hot wine!

You just need something warm in your belly and hot wine is of course a good choice these days. With or without alcohol, hot wine warms you up from the inside and makes it more pleasant outside. We had bought a bottle in the supermarket just beforehand (another tip for picking up a snack in a shop along the route) and then warmed it up on the cooker. And to get us really hot, we had a shot of rum from Gunnar’s hip flask.

Speaking of drinking: you shouldn’t forget to do this on the way, because the cold means you often forget and the water on the bike is always ice-cold. Thermos flasks are certainly a good idea, which you can fill with warm tea or juice before the start of the ride. And you can treat yourself to a little more to drink when you stop at petrol stations or markets/bakeries, as it’s not as cold there as it is in the bottles on your bike.

Breakfast in the morning banishes cold and worries!

The night in the tent on Lake Plön was wonderfully warm. I had my Cumulus Panyam 450 with me and also the Sea to Summit Reactor Inlet. Together with the down jacket and long pants and lying on the Neoair Xlite, it was a good combination. We even overslept a bit and didn’t get up until 7am. But professionals as we are, everything was packed by 7.30am and we were on our bikes.

First we did a few kilometres to warm up. Specifically 23km, because Nils wanted to take the opportunity to show us the landscape in the grey of the morning. Daylight at last, which we had been waiting for for 16 hours.

The landscape around Lake Plön and Holstein Switzerland was actually very beautiful. Again and again we had to climb small hills, which provided good warmth.

In Plön, we finally made our way to a bakery to have a hearty breakfast. This is always a highlight for me: simple filter coffee, chemical bread rolls (they are the best) and a few side dishes. That’s all I need. It’s warm, you can sit down and it gives you strength for the kilometres ahead. Fortunately, the predicted rain was delayed, which is why we arrived back in Kiel around midday after almost 70 kilometres, virtually dry.

We were actually in good spirits and wanted to continue on to Denmark, where we would cycle from shelter to shelter, make a fire in the evening and spend the night. And then we’d come back in the spring. Unfortunately, the rum was empty, so we’ll do that next time.

And what are your tips for a successful winter overnighter?