Story from Belgian HH competition '97

This weekend we had our first HHcontest. Participants were in teams of two and had to visit 6 places in a certain order. This places were all in the North of France and were accesable sometimes only by very small roads. There were large part of highways as well. Total distance about 1000km.

We left in Antwerp at the Belgische Liftersfoundation (Liften is Dutch for HH), with 5 teams. There were 2 cancellations just before departure.

(Wheater forecast pronounced -7 at night, this frightnened some people). The first team left at 19.45, Friday evening 31/10/97, the fifth team at 21.00.

First destination was Chalons-sur Marne, France. There we had to take a picture of the Cathedral.

Teams were allowed to take public transport to the border of the city. 3 teams chose for the highway via Luxemburg, 1 team went via Lille, France and 1 team just took the direct shortcut, containing no highway at all.

When me and my pal arrived in Chalons, at 4.50 saturndaymorning, the other teams had allready made the evidence-photograph of the Cathedral there. So we were about 3 hours behind the others. Unbelieveble how fast they made it, on a fridaynight...

Next destination then was Varennes-en-Argonne, a small village that can only be found on a good Michelin-map. The first of November was a holyday so HH was quite hard. WOnder by wonder it went very well. After been offered thee en coffee at 7 o clock in the morning, by the guy from the Highway-tollstation, we got back on the road. By then it was indeed -7 degrees. 3 other teams were far ahead. On the small local roads. But all Saturday long we were very lucky. We flashed from Varennes to Verdun(picture of the citadel) and from Verdun to the Sthroumpfparc near Metz and by the time we arrived in Luxemburg we had passed 2 other teams. We just saw them standing on the roads here and there. There was only one team in fromt of us, we guessed. The last photograph we had to take was one of the clock of the Antwerp Cathedral. The hour on the clock, that was the hour you officially arrived. Me and my friend arrived there at 17.30.

We still have to develop the evidence-photographs to see if all the teams visited all places, but right now it seems that my team and Jeroen's team ended neck on neck, with only about 15 minutes in his advantage.

Remarkable was that about all participants ended with only 2 hours in between, and this on a parcours of over 1000 km. Maybe HH is not about luck... it just WORKS!

One team spended all night long on a highwayjunction north of Metz. One slept for an hour, without sleeping-bag. He got undercooled. What can we learn about this? HH should be well-equiped and be aware that HH can turn into surviving. And what's more, but I guess you all know: avoid HH on junctions of highways, stick to gasoline-stations, exits and toll-stations!

This team took a train back and is out of the league. No hospital was required.

The others had a great time, we're planning to bring Belgian-Hitchhikers in contact with each other and we'll have a new contest soon, in April I guess.

What about having some foreign guests then?

Now it's time for some wintersleep!

See you back on the roads soon!

Peter Triest

MC STOP

for the Belgische LiftersFoundation