Walking 50k for the World Water Run
The routes I walked and some additional information on each route.
I was inspired by Mina Guli (through this podcast) to take part in the World Water Run from March 16-22. Since I can’t currently run, I walked my 50 kilometers. I’d like to share my experience with you.
Bit of background information
I live in a canton (that’s a Swiss state/province) called Aargau. It borders Germany in the north and that border is the river Rhine. We have a lot of water in my region as water from 40% of the entire area of Switzerland ends up here. So, what I’ve decided to do is walk along the rivers Aare, Reuss, Limmat and Rhine. This is to highlight that we are in this together. Water is a global issue and a common good that we should all value as such. Switzerland is still okay on water, but it feels like we are quite blind to our climate becoming drier – especially in winter. I’ll write about that elsewhere.
Day 1 – Front door to Holderbank (12 km)
Since I didn’t really have a plan of where to walk along the river Aare, I just started at my front door and followed the stream across the street (Suhre) downstream to the river Aare. It’s a route I’m quite familiar with. I love walking and cycling in this area. What I like most about it is that there have been many re-wilding efforts made in the past decades and the river has been given more space. A new refuge was created next to the hydropower plant for fish and other animals. It’s just beautiful. Along this stretch of the Aare there are also a lot of beavers You can see their handywork all along the river – amazing creatures. It was a beautiful day for a walk and I created this relive video with my pictures.
Day 2 – Bremgarten to Mellingen (15 km)
Last time I walked here I watched this beaver (video zoomed in from a safe distance). I loved this stretch that was part of a long-distance hike I did last year from Muri AG to Frick. I can highly recommend this one to everybody who lives around here. Something you have to know about hiking in Switzerland (apart from what I wrote about here, never questions a route taking you up a steep hill. There will be a reason for that – always. This is especially the case along this route. A large part of it is up in a forest looking down onto the river Reuss below. I’m not very good at taking breaks, but here I just had to. I sat on a bench overlooking a particularly beautiful part of the river for about half an hour just listening to the water below. Just wow. Here’s the link to the video I created.
Day 3 – short loop to clear my head (2.4 km)
Difficult day somehow – short loop right outside helped as did Raclette for dinner. On this loop I walked along the water the entire time. It’s a little slice of heaven surrounded by industrial buildings. There’s a chocolate factory there as well. It’s a route I often walk at lunch time. I didn’t take that many pictures on this occasion. Video.
Day 4 – Turgi to Döttingen (13.8 km)
Brand-new route for me. I was a bit nervous as I didn’t know what to expect and if the route was going to be nice. I needn’t have worried. It was stunning. There was one part where I couldn’t walk along the water, but I was rewarded by a train passing right next to me. Anybody who follows me on Twitter knows how much I love trains. Also, along this route I found out that nobody from Liechtenstein had registered to take part in the World Water Run. So, I just had to get on their case right away. At one point I looked out across the water and saw a road going up a steep hill on the other side. I remembered hating that hill on a bike ride a few years back. I was glad to be walking on the other side of the river where it was (reasonably) flat. I walked past the Paul Scherrer Institute, one (well actually two) of our nuclear power plants and a hydropower plant as well. This route really had everything. I’m going to continue walking along the Aare to the Rhine in the near future. I’d only done that by bike. Videolink.
Day 5 – Laufenburg to Stein AG (11 km – the video only shows 9.5 km)
To wrap things up I walked along the river Rhine. The Rhine makes up the border with Germany for most of the way between Lake Constance and Basel - the area around Schaffhausen being the exception. I had walked that entire route (195 km) last year. It was my very first long-distance walk, and I very much enjoyed the experience. So, there was a bit of nostalgia in it as well. I picked this stage because for most of the way you are right by the water, the starting point was easy to reach by bus and it was the shortest official stage along that route. It’s so calm, I can’t even tell you. All you hear is birds and the odd train passing on the German side. That’s all you hear. I decided to pop across into Germany for a bit and stopped the recording on relive. I then forgot to switch it on again after. That’s why only 9.5 km are recorded. Watch the video here.
Some thoughts
I walked these 50k to highlight what’s at stake, to show the beauty of the area I’m lucky enough to live in, to be part of a global effort and because listening to the movement of water boosts my mental health. It’s difficult to imagine that so many people around the globe do not have access to clean water or proper sanitation and here I am enjoying walking along rivers without having to worry about where my next drink of water comes from. I could and would drink out of each of these rivers. The inequality of it all just really hit home. Not sure how yet, but I need to be more involved in the global water security effort - somehow.
I’ll keep posting my walking/hiking videos on my YouTube channel
Did not realize you did a 50 km.? walk for water in increments. Beautiful photos of the pristine blue water in the rivers that you could even drink. How lucky you are! Enjoyed the train and beaver 🦫 too! Countryside is lovely and you are very brave to just take a step out the door and follow the marked trails. Noticed few people if any in the videos. So happy you were able to do this for yourself and water week!💦🌍 You posted first your entry identification? So very much the involved in the “run” or walk for water. Today is Friday and the conference ends with so many ideas floating around in heads; hope they are actionable and implemented quickly for the sake of those not so fortunate. 😊