The First Step

They say the first step is always the hardest — and for the Nord Süd Trail, that moment came on April 20, 2020. That’s when the trail’s initiator, Soulboy, set off along the Heidschnuckenweg. Because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it wasn’t possible to start from Sylt as originally planned — though this was later made up for. Among thru-hikers, such a change in route is nothing unusual; it’s a well-known practice called a “flip-flop.” Perhaps it was precisely because of the pandemic and the resulting lockdown that over 1,700 people gathered on the social media app Find Penguins to virtually follow the very first thru-hike.Thus, April 20, 2020 can rightfully be considered the birthday of the Nord Süd Trail.