TH-Wildau - News
Tropical night in October and happy hikers - a look back at the 1st Wildau cloverleaf hike
Done and happy. That's how the hiking enthusiasts of the 1st Wildau Cloverleaf Hike on 13 and 14 October looked when they arrived at their destination on the campus of the TH Wildau. They had covered 25, 50, 75 or even 100 kilometres. Four hiking routes, each 25 kilometres in length, in changing weather conditions and hiking at night offered the participants varied tours in the region around Wildau.
100 kilometres in 24 hours - a sporting challenge that the Technical University of Applied Sciences Wildau (TH Wildau) wanted to take on together with hiking enthusiasts from Wildau and the region. On 13 and 14 October 2023, more than 75 hikers accepted the invitation to the "Wildau Cloverleaf". Whether 25, 50, 75 or even 100 kilometres - all routes had their charm and very varied conditions.
In addition to students and employees of the TH Wildau, the organisation team of the university sports department of the TH Wildau and their hard-working helpers were delighted to welcome many citizens, some of whom had travelled from Thuringia especially for the hike.
Tropical start
More than 30 participants gathered at the start and finish point, the canteen of the TH Wildau, for the first stretch on Friday evening. The tour towards Bindwow lasted over five hours into the night - in a tropical night with temperatures of over 20 degrees Celsius, storms and rain. After arriving in Wildau, a little rest was in order and shortly after midnight a slightly smaller group set off on the next stretch to Kiekebusch in the west of the region. With the night in their bones and up to 50 kilometers to cover, the group arrived back at the campus in Wildau in the dark early on Saturday.
Between meadows, forests and lakes
Shortly after six o'clock, additional new hikers set off on the third route towards Zeuthen, Eichwalde, briefly to the edge of south-eastern Berlin, into the lakes of the region and back to Wildau via Niederlehme. In noticeably cooler air, for some with 75 kilometers in their feet and already 18 hours in hiking mode, they returned to the canteen at lunchtime to recover, where refreshments were ready for everyone.
While some collected their hiking certificates, around 30 people went on the last lap via Königs Wusterhausen and Senzig along the Zeesener See lake via Bestensee, through Krummensee and along the Nottekanal via the Funkerberg in Königs Wusterhausen to the final finish at dusk. A small highlight was a beaver that swam alongside the hiking team in the Notte Canal and immediately became the subject of many smartphone photos.
Mammoth march completed
The participants in particular, who had completed the mammoth 100-kilometre walk, were visibly exhausted, but still happy to have covered this considerable distance with a smile on their faces. The canteen team also provided hot food and drinks. Prof. Jörg Reiff-Stephan, Vice President for Studies and Teaching at the TH Wildau, presented the walking certificates and gift bags. And so the first cloverleaf hike was completed after 24 hours on Saturday evening.
"For me, it was the first time to walk such a long distance by day and night and a new opportunity to test my limits and feel how long 100 kilometers can be. With the cloverleaf system, it was also possible to say at any time that 25 or 50 kilometers would be enough. With the hiking guide and the catering around it, it was also easy to concentrate on hiking alone. The cloverleaf system with its variable routes makes you want to do more. Thanks to the organizing team," summed up Carsten Hille, an employee at the TH Wildau and one of those who ran the entire distance.
Picture gallery
Impressions and finishes of the hike can be found in the gallery on the TH Wildau website: www.th-wildau.de/wanderung
Further information
Information on university sports at TH Wildau and the winter semester program that has just started can be found at: en.th-wildau.de/university-sports
Contact person at TH Wildau:
Arne Sippel
University Sports
TH Wildau
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone +49 (0) 3375 508 111
E-mail: hochschulsport@th-wildau.de
Contact persons External Communication TH Wildau:
Mike Lange / Mareike Rammelt
TH Wildau
Hochschulring 1, 15745 Wildau
Phone +49 (0)3375 508 211 / -669
E-mail: presse@th-wildau.de
Caption: A hiking group receives instructions from one of the hiking guides shortly before the start.
Text: M. Lange / Picture: F. Seeliger