In this article: ‘What would it be like to… go camping during autumn break?’
I often ask myself, ‘What would it be like…?’ to do or experience a certain activity or situation. And whenever possible, I actually put it to the test. Driven, it seems, by a huge curiosity, I am eager to discover the (physical and mental) experience of a specific situation, activity, adventure or situation. I want to know what it would be like or like… To explore or push my own boundaries for example.
In this blog; ‘What would it be like to… go camping during autumn break?’
To wander through the woods, and escape the hustle and bustle of the big city? (I live in The Hague).
Taking autumn walks while the paths are carpeted with leaves. Hot chocolate in the late afternoon and crisp mornings at breakfast. The autumn break was knocking on the front door, and I felt a longing to be in the woods / in nature (in a tent). So, I packed the tents, sleeping bags, hiking boots, and positive thoughts, and headed for the woods. A couple of hours drive from our home. I suspected there was a fair chance of chilly nights. And chilly they became. Especially the first night (the temperature dropped to just 3 degrees Celsius). My head, nose, cheeks, and ears were having a hard time. Whenever they were exposed outside the warmth of my sleeping bag; I could feel the temperature drop right against those specific parts of my body. It sort of turned into an ice cube.
It brought back various flashbacks and memories of other autumn breaks. Like that one trip to Luxembourg a few years back, when we camped in similar weather conditions. Back then, the temperature dipped to around 2 degrees Celsius. The next day, we went rock climbing; I was wearing a winter coat, and my fingers were half-frozen (not exactly ideal for going climbing). For a moment, I wondered what on earth we were doing. The one upside: we had the entire climbing spot to ourselves.
And even further back (in memory), we took our tent to the south of France during the autumn break. Again for rock climbing (in Orpierre). That time, I didn’t questioned myself what on earth we were doing on that moment. Because the climbing weather condition was fantastic during the day, with beautiful sunshine and great temperatures around 23 degrees. Autumn had transformed the entire area into shades of orange, red, and brown. It was like wandering through a William Turner painting (‘Sunset’). Once again, we had the entire climbing spot to ourselves. We enjoyed hours of climbing and stunning views, looking out over the surrounding forests and the distant Alps from the summits. But there was a reason for that solitude. The moment the sun dipped below the horizon (mountains), an intense cold set in. After dinner, we dove straight into our sleeping bags; otherwise, it was literally unbearable. The temperature plummeted below freezing.
Back to here and now. I hadn’t expected it to get so much colder in this part of the country (and I’d forgotten to check the forecast). Just this morning in The Hague, during my run along the beach, I’d seen people diving into the sea. (And honestly, I would have preferred doing that to running.) But that first night in the woods, it turned bitterly cold. On the flip side, I got exactly what I’d asked for. Leaving the warm sleeping bag in the morning was a bit of a challenge, but once I was out, I was treated to a beautiful sight: we were camping in an open clearing surrounded by tall trees.
I was handed a hot cup of tea to warm up further in the crisp outdoor air. That refreshing dip in the sea can wait for another time. Bring on the winter days.
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