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Preparation
Preparation
The ZevenheuvelenHike is a popular hiking event, and registration fills up quickly. To participate, it is essential to sign up as soon as registration opens. The event offers four different distances. In 2023, I completed the 28‑kilometre route. That distance is comparable to hiking 40 kilometres on flat terrain, because it is a trail hike: I am climbing and descending almost the entire track, with hardly any level sections to recover.
The Start
The Start
The ZevenheuvelenHike starts and finishes at Museum Orientalis, which is located near Nijmegen but not close to the railway station. For the 28‑kilometre route, having a car, a bike, or accommodation nearby is practically necessary. I chose to stay in a hotel. I was fortunate to get a room, because in 2023 a Psychology convention was being held in the same hotel. I even saw my former psychologist there; I assume he was attending the event. After completing the hike, public transport is available for the return journey.
28 km
28 km
The 28‑kilometre route is the first to start in the morning. Because the hiking and running events take place on separate days, and because the different distances begin at staggered times, the hike never feels crowded even though it is very popular. Some trail runners even use the hiking event as preparation for the trail run held the following day.
The Hiking Trail
The Hiking Trail
The hiking trail follows the same route as the running trail. Parts of it overlap with the Pieterpad, while the third day of the 4Daagse van Nijmegen also passes through this area, though that event uses paved paths. A key difference between trail hiking and other organized hikes is that the route is almost entirely uneven and unpaved. It winds through the forests and hills around Berg & Dal and Nijmegen, making it a true trail experience.
Not The Usual Hiking Trail
Not The Usual Hiking Trail
This trail hike requires endurance, fitness, and good balance. The surface is unstable, great for the joints, but challenging for stability. With every step I had to stay alert: noticing how far my foot sank, how I placed it, and being ready to correct the movement when the ground behaved differently than expected. Demanding, yes, but undeniably beautiful.
Climbing & Descending
Climbing & Descending
The elevation changes along the route can be considerable. It is a beautiful track, mostly unpaved, with continuous climbing and descending, and it demands a great deal of physical effort. Such terrain is uncommon in organized walks; on marked long‑distance paths such as the Pieterpad, it appears only on certain stages near Nijmegen. The 28‑kilometre route is comparable to hiking about 42 kilometers on flat terrain. Do not attempt this hike with a backpack filled with items that can break or cannot get wet. The trail is muddy, and falling is a realistic possibility. Because balance is required throughout the entire route, packing light is essential.
Track Time
Track Time
The route is almost entirely composed of climbs and descents, with very few flat sections in between. As a result, there is little opportunity to recover during the hike. My second segment turned out to be the slowest, most likely because I had not realized beforehand how demanding the track would be. The first part was fast, the second noticeably slower, and the third settled into an average pace. A photo of the graph showing my hiking progress is included with this blog.
Heartbeat & Breathing
Heartbeat & Breathing
After completing the Camino Portugues in 2016, I deleted the app that tracked my speed and distance, intending to replace it with one of those fancy bracelets that monitor velocity, kilometers, heart rate, breathing, etc. But I kept hiking without buying one, simply noting my start and finish times, which worked well enough. On this trail, however, I became again aware of my heartbeat and breathing. At several points I was hiking above my optimal heart rate, not ideal, but unavoidable given the terrain. Not every part of the track is suitable for stopping to catch breath; pausing would mean blocking other hikers on the narrower parts of the trail. Whenever I could stop to recover and drink some water, cola, or eat something, I did. The bracelet is still on my wish list, but it no longer feels essential the way it would have been during the Camino and this trail hike. I now see it more as a luxury item, which places it lower on my list of priorities.
Food & Water
Food & Water
Taking enough food, water, and other drinks is essential, because this trail consumes a great deal of energy. Some of that energy needs to be replaced immediately during the hike, and the rest right after finishing. There are very few opportunities to buy food or drinks along the route, so hikers must bring what they need. At the finish, however, there are food trucks and other places to eat for anyone who didn’t pack enough. There is also music at the finish area for those who enjoy a bit of celebration and still have energy left.
Rest Before & After
Rest Before & After
I would love to take part in more of these organized trail‑hiking events, but there are not many of them. That is why I still satisfy my appetite for unpaved hiking by following the marked long‑distance routes in The Netherlands, such as the Pieterpad, Westerborkpad, Hanzestedenpad, Marskramerpad, etc. The Zevenheuvelenhike is organized by Gramin Zevenheuvelenloop, which also hosts events such as the Alfa Laval Stevensloop, the Zevenheuvelentrail, the Goffert Run Festival, the Seven Hills Record Run, the Zevenheuvelen Wintertrail, and the Montferland Half Marathon. This hike is one of the few organized walking events where participants receive a start number and can view their split times for each of the three sections of the track at the finish.
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