Up- and Downhill with Handbike and Dog

01.07.2007

Alexander Epp enjoys his tours into nature
© Epp

Mr Epp, why do you do this kind of monster-tours?
After a suicide attempt at the age of 22 I was forced to use a wheelchair. I have also been suffering from diabetes for 33 years. I just want to see how far I can come under my own steam. Also, I can stay outside in nature. Above all, this is great at night with a starlit sky.

How does it look like when you are travelling?
The longest tour took three weeks, but usually I am away for 10 days. I sleep outdoors without a tent, for this is what I can do everywhere. With a tent I would not be allowed to do so. I just need my sleeping-bag and an extra covering, a bivouac, to keep off the rain. This covers the bag and offers more protection for the head. I take food with me lasting about three days, everything is durable. Afterwards I have to buy new stuff. Due to my diabetes I really have to be careful with what I eat.

The tours seem to be quite exhausting
Yes, they are. And they get more and more exhausting. Furthermore, I do not drive such long routes anymore and every second day I take a break.

Why do you travel by yourself?
I have already asked if somebody wants to accompany me, even in a magazine article. But those people who responded to it changed their minds after short talks.

 
Epp's hand bike is full of baggage © Epp

What is the reason for this?
They do not even know that you need certain things for such tour which are pretty expensive, especially waterproof clothes and shoes. My optimized complete equipment cost round about 5.000 Euro. If you just want to try out such a trip you would have to invest at least 1.000 Euro to enjoy it. Most of the interested do not see why they should do this and book package tours. Another reason is that most of them are not good enough in using their wheelchair outdoors. During my tours I fall over with my hand bike from time to time. And if this happens you have to get back into it by yourself.

Which situations are the most difficult ones?
Fetching water is sometimes hard. I carry with me only a little bit because otherwise my baggage would be too heavy. I have a porcelain filter with which I clean water from puddles, rivers and lakes. But if I want to reach a lake I often have to get down a slope. In such cases I have karabiner and ropes with me. And hand shoes, so that my hands do not get hurt when I crawl. During my trips I almost crawl as often as I drive.

Did you have any dangerous situations?
During my first long tour I almost died because I overestimated myself and I did not have anymore power. I wasn’t able to do anything for a while until I recovered. Today, I always take a mobile with me for emergencies which is switched off all the time.

 
The camouflage net protects Epp from courious gazes © Epp

How much time do you need to prepare your trips?
I have lists for everything in my computer. If I want to stay away for ten days there is registered which clothes or medicines for my diabetes I need. With these notes I could theoretically start within three hours. This is a result of my experiences.

Which goals do you want to achieve?
I want to reach higher parts of the mountains. Meanwhile I have seen everything within my range. With my hand bike I cannot get uphill that far. And if you know everything it gets boring. Perhaps I will someday make it to drive down a mountain at least. Up to now this seems to be rather impossible to me because it is too precipitous. And I won’t do anything that endangers my life.

Don’t you fear to exhaust your body?
No, because the trips make me healthier. Actually, I should have already gone to dialysis some time ago, for my kidneys suffer from the double burden from diabetes and wheelchair. But I did not want to. And due to the travels my values are better, although my doctor throws his hands up in horror. After every trip I also think I will never do this again but than I want to start again.

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