Alright, gather around folks, let me tell you about this one time I got lost in the Black Forest – yes, the one in Germany. It was supposed to be just a regular hike, you know, a bit of fresh air, some alone time, but boy, did it turn into an adventure I didn't sign up for!
The Unplanned Detour
I've lived in Baden-Württemberg a few years ago; the place is perfect for hikes and walks in nature as the landscape is gorgeous. But one time I've decided to check out the famous Black Forest. After a year living there, it was unacceptable to me that I haven't visited the Black Forest yet, specially a forest with so many medieval tales around it and me being a big fan of all those medieval literature.
It started off as a typical hike in the morning. I was trekking through big maintained trails, enjoying the solitude. I was prepared for a picnic and a book later. The Black Forest is like this endless sea of green, with paths that twist and turn, each corner promising new wonders. The way was beautiful, I strolled across this delightful bridge that crossed over a river, meandering through the rocks. The deeper I went the more the forest looked like somethig straight out of a faretale. So much so that eventually I wondered off the maintained trail; not so worried as back then, and still today, I've always loved bushwhacking.
Soon enough I wasn't able to find my way back. I found and followed couple of narrow paths but didn't seem to lead me anywhere out of the forest or back to a main maintained trail.
Realizing I'm Lost
After a hour having no luck getting anywhere, now, past noon, I decided not to risk getting too lost, so I stopped trying to find the way on my own and started to use my phone to find a path back. I wasn't worried yet but a small anxiety was starting to creep inside me. Specially because my phone's signal was very bad and the phone's battery was going down real fast as it always does when the phone is constantly looking for signal.
After two hours I finally reached a big path; I was exhausted, had drank all my water, eaten all my food and the phone was about to die. Now on the path, I've decided to memorise part of the way and turn off the phone so to save battery. I kept walking to make it out of the forest before dark, all though it was summer and I still had time before the sunset, I didn't know in what end of the forest I would came out.
Now I'm again calmer. From time to time I pass by hikers or cyclists and I don't feel so much in the middle of nowhere anymore. I walk, probably about two or three hours, when I turned the phone back on to check on the map and I realise I must have missed a turn. So a fix my direction and keep going. I get surprised to see that it's already 6PM; slowly I meet less and less people on the paths. After a whole day walking, I can't wait to be out of the forest, as most of that hike hasn't being fun but distressing.
Even at this time of the year, in forests, the evening descends sooner; noticing how dark it already is, I reach for my phone to check the time, only to realize it's completely out of battery. Now, I'm anxious again. Luckily, I remember the way; from here on, it's just straight ahead, impossible to mistake. So, I walk and walk some more and just as it keeps getting darker and darker and keep getting more and more worried.
But then, while I'm in the middle of my thoughts going through all the worse scenarios of what could happen to me, in my head, suddenly I'm interrupted by a figure I spot quite far from me, but that I could still see clearly, it was a lynx. I freeze, my eyes widen, I freak out inside. The lynx was on my path, it seemed to be eating something and might not have noticed me. I hide behind a tree near me and observe the animal. I'm not sure the fear I'm feeling at this moment is reasonable, it might be enhanced by the exhaustion and stress, or it might be just the fact that I don't know anything about lynxes and can only imagine the worse, but I try to stay calm.
I watch the animal feeding, it takes what felt like 10 minutes maybe, and then it goes away carrying the rest of what it was eating. I wait for a long time before I continue walking. In fact, I cross the area where the lynx was running, and walk a lot more until it's so dark that it's too difficult to proceed without a flashlight. It's really dark now, and I can't even tell what time it is. I start hearing creaks and twigs snapping in the dark. From time to time, I have the impression of seeing a silhouette of something moving not far from me. It's just creepy, I'm not used to be alone in a forest and I don't know if you have had this experience before but this solitude in the woods, this Waldeinsamkeit feeling is a unique feeling really close to fear that isn't quite like anything you would feel anywhere else.
The Long, Spooky Night
Although frightened, I kept walking for a while, hoping to see a light on the horizon, but nothing. Eventually, it got cool, I was too exhausted and creeped out, and just couldn't walk anymore without hitting a branch or stumbling on a rock or something. So, I stopped.
Night in the Black Forest isn't like your typical night in the city. It's dark – like, 'can't-see-your-own-hands' dark. The sounds of the forest at night, they're straight out of a horror movie soundtrack. Every rustle and crack had me imagining all sorts of things. I found a relatively safe spot to settle in and grabbed my picnic blanket with a thermal backside, and covered myself with it, promising myself I'd find my way back at dawn. Sleep? Yeah, that's a joke. I was for sure gonna spend the night trying to make peace with every shadow and sound. However, with all the little noises you hear in the forest at night, and all the things you think you see and all the things you imagine in your head, it gets pretty challenging to fall asleep, but after a entire day of walk and stress I did drift off.
I woke up several times in the middle of the night cold, hearing things and once or twice even being pocked by some animal. It was awful, I was restless but eventually the night ended.
A Morning Revelation
As soon as it was bright I was up, really even before the first light filtered through the trees. I stretch myself, went use nature's restroom and got back to the path when I realised I was already at the end of it. The forest ended just a few dozen meters away from me. Right in front of the exit was a vine plantation and a hill therefore I couldn't see any house or village light. I felt so far but I was actually so close, I just couldn't see it.
The grapevines owner was probably not expecting visitors, but those grapes, they were a lifesaver – literally! I had never thought breakfast grapes could taste so gourmet; I was starving.
Finding My Way Back
The vineyard was my clue. I knew these plantations were usually close to a village. Following the edge of the vineyard, I finally found a trail – a real one. A few hours later, I was back home, looking like I had been on a survival show.
The Aftermath
Now safe and sound, the adventure seemed almost surreal. I had been lost, saw a lynx, spent a night in the wilderness, and had breakfast in a random vineyard. It was terrifying, exhilarating, and, in hindsight, a bit of a laugh.
Footnote:
I've condensed some details to keep the article concise, but if you're interested in the full story, please do let me know! I'd be delighted to include all the additional insights in my upcoming stories.
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