About

I got into hiking because a group of friends and I couldn't agree on a holiday. Some wanted to go on a cruise, others wanted nothing to do with it. So a friend and I decided to go on our own. We didn't really know where to go, but he had hiked with his parents as a kid and remembered it being fun. So we gave it a shot. We picked Sweden, rented a car and drove off without a plan, with bags that were way too heavy. That's where my love for hiking started.

Being a hiker in the Netherlands has its good sides. We have beautiful forests and wide open fields full of flowers. But if you love mountains, it's a bit of a pain: you drive for hours to reach even the smallest hills. That makes training for the mountains a challenge. Running helps with stamina, but nothing compares to actually hiking in the mountains.

My first lesson

On my second trip to the mountains, I thought it was a good idea to go to the Dolomites at the beginning of October, completely unprepared. I didn't bring gloves, our flashlights weren't fully charged, and I hadn't checked the route.

Halfway, the route turned out to be closed, so we had to walk 13 km back through a snowstorm. What we also didn't know was how fast the weather changes in the mountains. We turned around at about 3 in the afternoon and didn't reach the car until 9. By then it was completely dark, and we had no working lights.

At one point I took out my phone to check the route on a steep, narrow step down the side of the mountain. I put it in a pocket without a zip, sat down, slid to the step below and kept going through the snow. Only later did I find out my phone was gone, most likely lost on that slide, with the route on it. There was no signal at all, so my friend couldn't look it up either. The path was completely snowed over, and we walked a full kilometre the wrong way in the dark before we found our way back. At the foot of the mountain, a very kind couple who ran a small inn took us in and gave us warm soup while we pulled ourselves together.

What I took from it: the mountains won't be kind to you if you're not prepared. Tell people where you're going, keep a backup of your route in case something goes wrong, and always check the route and the weather before you leave.

Why Polderpeaks

I started Polderpeaks because I found it hard to keep track of all the gear I own and what I pack. It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a trip and forget some of the most important things, like a map or gloves. I hope Polderpeaks helps other hikers avoid problems on the trail, see clearly what they need, and have a better time out there.

And yes, I still start every hike wearing too many layers. You warm up fast once you're moving.

Next up for me is the Cumbria Way in May 2027, with a few weekends away in my new camper before then.