The Westerwolde Walking Weekend, a now traditional event, is always in June. But that date does give food for thought.
This is stated by Henk Oosterhuis, chairman of the organizing Stichting Wandelen in Westerwolde.
“The changing climate means that we will be talking about this within our board,” he says. “And especially the higher temperatures that we often see in June.”
Additional water stations
This was the case this year, for example. The walking weekend was in Ter Apel and was faced with very warm weather. “We placed extra water stations along the route and had a car drive on a very hot part that contained water and could transport those participants who could not or did not want to continue. The chance that we will have to take these types of measures will increase in the future. That’s why we have to discuss whether we want another date.”
The Westerwolde Walking Weekend attracts people from all over the country. They can walk long distances in two days, up to 40 kilometers. The number of participants is usually more than 700. “But we hope for growth in the coming years,” says Oosterhuis. “June has been the month of the event from the start and is also very suitable in itself, often just before the holidays. But as I said, the climate is changing.”
No more dogs
The 2024 edition is in Sellingen and is still in June, but it already has a change. Where previously walkers with dogs could participate, this is no longer possible. “Our routes regularly pass through nature reserves where dogs are not allowed. We often made a special loop for walkers with such an animal, which ran slightly differently, but that is a lot of extra organizational work. That is why we will no longer allow walkers with dogs from now on.”