Zwolse Bos (woods) in the Veluwe 18-07-21

So my plan for Sunday was to go exploring in the Zwolse Bos in the Veluwe National Park .

The Veluwe is a forest-rich ridge of hills (1100 km2) in the province of Gelderland in the Netherlands. The Veluwe features many different landscapes, including woodland, heath, some small lakes and Europe’s largest sand drifts.

Planning Phase:

I had planned on Saturday evening first a few different routes and my aims were to do around 15kms plus a few small hills as we say here in the Netherlands. (You won’t be needing Naismith’s rule here when calculating height climbed)!! #Flatasafart #lowerthanasnakesbelly…

I had also checked the Apps that I prefer to use when route planning Gala GPS, Alltrails, Hiker and Cairn on my phone which I like to look at as they typically offer a range of different maps and details;

NB: Safety note here, I always navigate by map and compass as most of the walk/hiking apps really do use up your power in the phone, and of course your phone potentially may be your life saver in an emergency, so I use it sparingly!

Preparation Phase:

The Backpack was ready, it was going to be hot today so made sure had extra drink and Cap to take and luckily for me my walking buddy Richard (Rottenkicker) was coming too and he makes mean sandwiches. Otherwise, I always take the basics in my backpack see Outdoor preparation.

So, equipped with my Solomon Shoes, new Brubeck hiking socks (which I had worn for a few days to wear in) Brubeck Outdoor SS t shirt I was good to go!

Final kit check done before setting off, Backpack, map and Suunto compass, phone for photos (and checking walking apps), what a Bummer, my phone had given up completely on me, although upon reflection it was probably better than I knew in this phase, rather than getting out into a remote location, only to learn my phones fate!

Lets Go:

Panic over, I went and collected Richard and we were off. The location was only 30mins drive to where we parked the car, time to ‘rock & roll’.

Start point established and we set off, heading towards our first hill Witte berg (well it’s perhaps just a contour in height) , It didn’t take long but the hardest part was ensuring we didn’t get wiped out by the mountain bikes racing around .

Next stop the Tonnenberg which was around 5kms away, but first it was time to hydrate so we stopped for a drink on a conveniently placed bench (most of the hill peaks have one to sit and look around . There are also a lot of woods which is great but it meant that you needed to constantly ‘thumb the map’ to ensure that we always knew our location on our travels (it would be easy to get lost.

There were many detailed paths on the map which had been closed off and young trees had been planted, (always check you have the most up to date map available) so it was fun fighting your way through to get to a known path.

Travelling through the undergrowth we were pleasantly surprised when a Deer rushed out and ran directly past us, this was just stunning and amazing to see, and the highlight for the day.

We got to the Tonnenberg and the colours of the heath and trees were beautiful. It was time for Lunch so a drink and a sandwich were suitably devoured as we watched the mountain bikes rush past and the runners doing their morning long runs. (Tip, get the most talented person to make the butties)!

So, it was time to head back to the car via Map and again it was a puzzle due to some routes being closed again with reforestation, but as I suspect it’s to keep the bikes out.

At the car a quick drink to quench our thirst and homeward bound. Richard and I chatted about things like the phone problems and lack of signal in many areas. So, thinking about this particular learning point, it’s always helpful to be competent with your map and navigation skills.

Brubeck hiking socks fitted well and are very comfortable , breathable and most of all fitted well on my neck of my legs which I find with some socks they are too tight. My Brubeck Outdoor SS t shirt well did the job keeping me dry and wicking away the sweat from my body helping me to stay comfortable throughout the whole of the journey.

Solomon Shoes were great as ever, light and comfortable and kept my feet dry during some places which were boggy.