What I Learned About Overconfidence During a 20-Hour Winter Walk
This is the story about how I failed my biggest challenge.
It all started after my first semester in a new city. I had just finished my last exam, and a question popped into my head: Can I walk all the way home? About 100 km. What seemed like a simple idea turned into one of the hardest challenges I’ve ever faced. Here’s what I experienced.
It was mid-December. I crushed my exam in the morning, came home, ate lunch, and relaxed for a bit. I prepared some food for the journey: a baguette with ham and cheese, a chicken wrap, and a small box of nuts and dark chocolate — my energy boosters. Unsure how much water I would need, I overprepared and filled my bag with seven litres. I bundled up in layers of clothes and set off.
The First Hours
The first few hours were surprisingly pleasant. Walking with a heavy backpack along sidewalks and roadsides, I felt confident. Drivers seemed annoyed, but I wanted the shortest route. After a while, I looked back and realized I had barely covered 10–15% of the distance. That was humbling, but I kept moving.
By the evening, I had my first meal and felt good. But as hours passed, reality began to hit. Eight hours in, my body was signaling it was time to sleep — but I couldn’t.
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Night
Ten hours brought the cold, forcing me to keep moving to avoid shivering. Twelve hours in, my feet and legs ached, my back was stiff, and my mind was exhausted.
At thirteen hours, blisters started forming. Shortly after, I lost my way in the woods with barely any light. The path split, and I had to make a decision. I tried pushing through the woods, trusting I would eventually meet the trail again. I thought it would save energy, but I was wrong. Maps were of little help with weak phone signal, and I felt completely disoriented. Eventually, I found my way, but the energy cost was huge for just a few hundred metres.
By hour fifteen, I wanted to quit. I was deep in the woods at 5 a.m., freezing, and every step hurt. I had to rest frequently, shivering even on benches, and force my legs to move again. When day broke at hour seventeen, the sight of the morning light was a small relief. I crafted DIY poles from branches to ease the pain in my legs, and they helped surprisingly much.
The Last Kilometres
The last stretch was slow. I finally reached a place where I could take public transport home — just 20 km left, a quarter of what I had already walked.
This experience taught me several lessons. Overconfidence can make even a simple idea feel achievable, but preparation is key. Next time, I will travel lighter, pack more food, and bring trekking poles. Even though I didn’t reach my original goal, I now know I can push further and smarter next time.
