Deutschland-Trail Gravel-Edition: Liveblog on the bikepacking tour across Germany

I started bikepacking as a way of travelling from A to B. Be it to a music festival, to family reunions or to visit friends. So, on the one hand, the journey was the goal and, at the same time, the goal was the destination.

This is also how the route for the Germany Trail bikepacking campaign came about. In eight days, I'm travelling from a business trip to Tour de France Femmes back to Munich - around 900 kilometres and 10,000 metres in altitude. And because it's always best together, I'm always happy to have company.

There will be regular updates here in the live blog and you can follow me live on the map and ride along a bit yourself.

More about the bikepacking tour

>> Germany Trail Gravel Edition presented

>> The route: Take part in the route planning

>> Ride with us! Accompany Sandra on her bikepacking tour

>> The packing list for the bikepacking tour (coming soon)

Register for a ride

You want to accompany me for a while? Sign up using the form! You'll then receive further details and a link to a WhatsApp community where we share the latest adjustments.

Route & departure times

Stage 1, 16 August: From the border triangle to Saarbrücken

On the first day, almost 130 kilometres and a good 1800 metres in altitude are on the agenda. It gets off to a wild start with a challenging stage.

>> 9 am departure from the Europe Monument in Schengen.

Stage 2, 17 August: From Saarbrücken to Zweibrücken

Today there are slightly fewer kilometres (95) and also fewer metres in altitude (800) on the plan, it goes from Saarbrücken to Zweibrücken. We meet directly in front of our hotel for a joint descent. The route also starts there.

>> 9 am departure from the Hotel Madeleine in Saarbrücken (Cecilienstr. 5)

Stage 3, 18 August: From Zweibrücken to Neustadt an der Weinstraße

The third day has not yet been fully planned. It will be between 100 and 125 kilometres and over 1000 metres in altitude. We have booked a wild camping site where we will pitch our tents. Who are we? That's Pia Nowak, the photographer and videographer, and me, Sandra Schuberth.

>> 9 a.m. departure from the submarine "Brandtaucher" (Geschwister-Scholl-Allee 13, 66482 Zweibrücken)

Stage 4, 19 August: From Neustadt an der Weinstraße to Neckargerach

From our campsite, we drive to Neustadt an der Weinstraße, where we want to have breakfast before we really start the stage. We'll reveal the breakfast spot in the WhatsApp community (see registration for a ride). After about 120 kilometres and 1500 metres of ascent, we reach a campsite in Neckargerach, where we pitch our tents.

>> We will have breakfast in Neustadt an der Weinstraße at around 8 a.m. and then set off. Location follows

Stage 5, 20 August: From Neckargerach to Stuttgart

On the fifth day, there are slightly fewer metres in altitude again. So far, there are 1000 metres of elevation gain over about 100 kilometres. The rough route looks like this:

Stage 6, 21 August: From Stuttgart to Ulm

We have made a change to the route! Instead of travelling to Schwäbisch Gmünd on the sixth stage, the route now takes us to Ulm. The route takes us across the Swabian Alb. And one advantage: on the next day, it is no longer 150 kilometres to Augsburg, but much less. We are looking forward to a route of around 100 kilometres with 1500 metres of elevation gain on 21 August.

Stage 7, 22nd August: From Ulm to Augsburg

It gets flatter towards the end. Due to the route change, the penultimate day of the Deutschland Trail is 100 kilometres and 500 metres in altitude.

Stage 8, 23rd August: From behind Augsburg to Munich

The last day is dawning and we are setting off early today, as our goal is to reach Munich at 1 pm. We meet up at Maxxis (bikemarketing BMG GmbH) at Provinostraße 52 in Augsburg at 6.45am to set off together. We set off at 7 a.m. for the last 90 kilometres or so.