2024-08-25 53 10

Sun 25 Aug 2024 in 53,10: 53.7538654, 10.0136727 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

right next to a path through the Henstedter Moor on the Rhen, Henstedt-Ulzburg, Schleswig-Holstein

Participants

• π π π (talk)

Expedition

Ok, here's the deal:

I'd spent the last few days in North Rhine-Westphalia and was considering going home that day for several reasons. When I saw the hash was very close to home and reachable, this became another reason to go, and I ultimately chose to do so. Would I have gone home without the extra motivation from the hash? I don't know, probably. But I can't say for sure.

Anyway, after netting 2024-08-25 50 7 in the morning I spent around two hours running around Cologne before taking the train to Duisburg so that I'd have two buffer hours to make it to the hash before midnight. The train accumulated about 15 minutes delay on the way to Duisburg, but it was fine since the train to Osnabrück was also delayed by 20 min. It was already clear I wouldn't make my connection in Osnabrück. However, that train also accumulated ever more delay, and they finally decided it would ultimately not continue to Osnabrück but instead end at a random station before; everyone who wanted to go to Osnabrück should get off at Münster and board the next one. That was the second buffer hour gone.

The next train to Osnabrück also came in somewhat delayed and was the most packed regional train I'd ever been in. I'm serious when I say you couldn't even fall over. I had to stand on the single step between the train floor and the platform, which was not wide enough for my feet so I had stand at an angle and alternate which leg bore more weight. Do not recommend. Of course, due to its crowdedness, the train was delayed, and I narrowly missed my connection to Bremen, making it clear I would not be able to reach the hash before midnight.

After getting dinner in Osnabrück, I boarded the next train to Bremen, which had no delays, and finally the one to Hamburg, which arrived a few minutes late at the main station. However, I only had a few minutes to spare to make it to my S-Bahn, since the U-Bahn was currently closed for a few stations. I ran for it, but of course the train had stopped at the southernmost end of the main station and I just missed the connection. This meant another extra hour. Very annoyed by the entire German rail infrastructure, I called someone to come pick me up from Ochsenzoll and arrived home a little after 1 pm.

Now, I wasn't sure whether to count this as Time constraints or Not attempted and asked people in the Discord server, who naturally had five different opinions on the matter, mostly saying it should count as Time constrains as I would have made the detour to the hash if my trains had been on time, so I will follow the majority and claim this as expedition.

It goes without saying that I made a proper retro expedition to the hash by bike the next day.

Photos

to follow