Fräulein Draussen
The blog Fräulein Draußen, or “Ms. Outdoors”, is devoted to the small and big adventures we can experience in our everyday lives. No matter whether they occur in the local mountains or somewhere in the vast reaches of the world. The blog is devoted to the love of nature and the yearning for freedom. Its focus is self-determined travel, done alone or with companions. Hiking, trekking, travel, road trips – the whole ball of wax, if possible. It’s filled with enthusiasm and a pinch of courage. And it is not just for the Fräuleins!
Fräulein Draussen,
Fräulein Draussen (“Ms. Outdoors”) is been online now since 2013. How would you describe your relationship with travel blogging – then and now?
“I operated Fräulein Draussen at the start purely as a hobby in addition to my full-time job; it became my main job in 2016. Much to my own happiness not much has changed really over the years, when it comes to my basic relationship to blogging. Naturally, I invest much more time in it now, in creating articles or managing my social media channels. In addition, I am clearly much more professional now with my tasks than before. As always, however, I have a certain ease in managing my contents and channels, and I have the freedom to choose to write about things that will be of interest to my readers (and to myself) and also get them excited. That is very likely because I carefully choose to work with advertising partners, who to a large degree finance my blog, which also fit me and my blog.”
You are often out and about in challenging areas and come to a point that everyone (every hiker) knows so well when you do not know if you can go on. What are your tips for “successful crisis management”?
“Sit down, take a deep breath, eat chocolate – and repeat as often and as much as necessary. You just cannot appreciate how much good a little break and a piece of chocolate can do for you! And other than that, what holds true as it does in the rest of your life: Do not panic. Always try to consider the problem very objectively. And that also means to accept that bad days are also simply part of being “out there”. Whether it is raining cats and dogs, the track is overgrown, or you are suffering from homesickness. In the end, it is those very days that make trekking so special and so totally fulfilling. In particular in the moment when you determine that you have conquered your own inner beast and that there is always sunshine after the rain (in more ways than one). At the same time, it is also totally OK to know your own limits and to base decisions on that. In the end it is really all about being outside and enjoying the time there.”
On your travels, you come in contact with many countries, types of countryside and cultures. What transforms a trek for you into a “feel-good” trekking experience?
“I feel the best on trekking tours when I am in countries and regions where people with outdoor boots on their feet and rucksacks on their backs are not too unusual of a sight. In these cases, you often feel a wholly different, much more intense kind of connection to the local people and to the country itself. An example of that is Great Britain. That was one of the reasons why I chose that island country for my first big long-distance trek (1,500 km/932 miles in 3 months). There, the passion for “hill walking” and other outdoor activities is in fact very deeply rooted in the culture. You experience that for one with the excellent infrastructure, but also in many other small ways. There, the 70-year-old, quite properly dressed bed & breakfast owner reaches courageously for your muddy, not-so-great-smelling trekking boots to stuff them with newspaper. And there you will also sometimes find homemade cookies or a dry barn with a coffee pot along the route for tired hikers. Indeed, “trail magic” just like the standard of the American long-distance hiking trails!”
My tour: South West Coast Path The path is the longest way-marked hiking trail in Great Britain and an official National Trail.
- Character:
- Coast hiking trail
- Start of the tour:
- Minehead
- End of the tour:
- South Haven Point
- Duration:
- 1.248:00 hours
- Equipment:
- Hiking and camping equipment, light hiking boots
Wide expanses of beach, wild waves, steep cliffs – and a narrow path that snakes along them and slowly fades into the distance. The South West Coast Path on the southern coast of England stretches for a distance of 1,014 km. It is the longest hiking trail in Great Britain and one of my absolutely favourite hikes. It is well marked and is not really technically difficult. But it will still place some physical demands on you. After all, the total height climb is about 35,000 metres! In theory, you can hike the trail at any time of year. But the best time is May and June or September and October. And, of course, it is a great choice for a day outing or short multiday hikes.
My shoes for…
Long-distance hiking: INNOX PRO GTX MID Ws
“No matter whether you are setting off on any easy day tour on flat land or a multi-month long-distance hike – the INNOX is just right for all sorts of uses and joins me on most of my tours.”
Mountain hiking: LADY LIGHT GTX
“I really like hiking boots that are as light as possible. But, up in the mountains or during demanding trekking, I will occasionally need something more robust. The LADY LIGHT GTX offers both.”