More or less spontaneously, we (a good friend and former colleague and I) set off at 11:00 am for the Velmerstot Climate Experience Route near Veldrom, a small village that still belongs to the town of Horn Bad Meinberg, to test how long we can walk in a day for our project in September (a hike through the Alps).

We drive together for half an hour to the starting point of the hike, which is signposted as 17.9 km (a slight detour is worthwhile, more on that later), and are lucky enough to find a parking spot. The parking lot is fortunately right at the start of the route, so we pack our gear as usual and set off.

We cross the Silberbach stream and tackle the first climb with humor, admiring the view of the surrounding countryside for the first time after just over 1.5 km. The weather is kind to us, allowing us to see for miles into the distance – however, the pleasant warmth also means we quickly break into a sweat – could this be a first omen of what the hike ahead will be like?

Station 01: Prussian Velmerstot and Lippe Velmerstot

As we reach the Lippische Velmerstot mountain, the previously admired view is once again overshadowed, and this won't be the last time it happens. We're lucky; when we arrive, there are no other visitors at the famous rocks besides us. This gives us plenty of time to take some photos and change lenses for the first time. The backpack, far too large for this hike, also elicits smiles from the hikers arriving later. We joke that the wearer would surely have to be turned upside down if he fell on his back – just like a beetle. Fortunately, this theory isn't put to the test on this hike.

From the Lippischer Velmerstot, we continue to the Preußischer Velmerstot – here we take our first short break for a drink before climbing the Eggeturm tower to enjoy the view from the top. From here, we can also see Hermann, about 12 km away, in the distance, watching over the Lippe region, whose history is largely shaped by the Romans and Germanic tribes and their battles. Back down from the tower, we come across some goats and sheep, who probably enjoy the fresh air just as much as we do at this point.

Station 02: Break with a view

The path we're now following is very well signposted, so we can easily keep to the red "K" marker without straying too far. My good friend finds a walking stick along the way, which he accompanies for the rest of the route, as he insists that this particular stick is very versatile. We cover the next four kilometers at a brisk pace and arrive in the village of Kempen. The local restaurants are very inviting, making it difficult to resist. At this point, we decide we'd rather cover a few more kilometers before taking our first "proper" break – at least, that was the plan.

Just 500 meters further on, right at the turn into a field, along the red K marker, we have to take a break because swallowing a small insect is causing an unpleasant cough. A blessing in disguise, one might say, as the view we enjoy during our snack break seems truly unique. We gaze upon Kempen, the surrounding countryside, and can admire the splendor of the Lippe region – making a swallowed insect almost a small price to pay. We also take some wonderful, sunny photos here, perhaps the best of the entire hike.

Station 03: The Bielstein Cave with its hatch hole

Refreshed and feeling a bit sluggish, we set off again after a few minutes – from Spellerberg along the Steinbeke River to the "Bielstein Cave with its Hatch Hole," a station not directly on the route. The slightly muddy path to the small cave provides clear evidence that a walking stick is certainly not a bad piece of equipment, as it offers increased stability during the short climb. We can already see signs that there might be a cave here, as we walk through a small gorge with rugged limestone until we finally reach a small sign that provides information about the cave. The cave is closed to the public, as the area is a protected bat habitat (and the entrance doesn't appear to be particularly large). Our little detour ends with a short, slippery slide before we rejoin the Climate Experience Route.

The next 500-900 meters of the path we walk are lined with wild garlic plants, so the typical scent of wild garlic fills the air – almost making us hungry. The path then leads us past the Bauernkamp café-restaurant, where, thankfully, there are once again guests enjoying the outdoor seating, over the Ebersberg hill, and along the Ebersberg shelter.

When we get back to the car, our route tracking shows that we've actually covered 20 kilometers. The clock now shows a time of six hours, and we're optimistic that we'll be able to complete our plan in the Alps one way or another.