Black Forest cake in the Black Forest

This one is very important to me, just like my Yosemite story.

I grew up with very humble beginnings and went to a small Christian missionary school. A lot of missionaries from South Africa visited our school, and they served it by teaching us English. One time they invited my friend and me for Christmas dinner.

I remember going to their house and watching them barbecue meat. I had never seen people barbecue before that. They put on a very elaborate, wonderful dinner for Christmas. After a very good meal, they served a beautiful piece of cake that they had baked from scratch, as authentic as they could make it. After my first bite, I asked them what it was. They said it was called Black Forest cake, that it came from the Black Forest region in Germany, and they explained how the layers of the cake resemble the Black Forest.

I ate the whole piece and shamelessly asked for a little bit more. That was the day I told myself that I really wanted to see this beautiful mountain range in Germany, and have a piece of real, authentic German Black Forest cake.

Feldberg

In October 2015, after riding across Ireland and Holland, I got there. I rode my bike into the Black Forest and then went up on foot to its highest point, Feldberg.

On the way I bought a piece of Black Forest cake from a local baker, an old grandma. I told her my story, and how I wanted to have Black Forest cake in the Black Forest. She generously cut me the biggest piece. She warned me that it was going to be a cold night. I thanked her, and I didn’t really care.

I carefully wrapped the cake and carried it with me on my run to the summit. I stood on top of the Black Forest, looking at a stunning sunset, unwrapped the cake, and had my Black Forest cake in the Black Forest. Then I cowboy camped on the summit, under a rock to get out of the wind, and came back down the next day.

As I posted it at the time

Sunset from the summit of the Black Forest, Germany. The dream was a simple child like one. Back in India while growing up in a poor suburb, someone offered a piece of Black Forest cake and a dream was born! To eat a delicious Black Forest cake while sitting at the summit of the Black Forest!! It took nearly 17 years but it did happen. This was my view from the highest point of the Black Forest range! Watching a stunning sunset while enjoying an amazing Black Forest cake! I closed my eyes and thought, dreams mean work but also dreams do come true!

Having a dessert was a luxury while you are fighting for one good meal a day growing up in a suburb in Chennai. When someone offered a slice of Black Forest cake for Christmas, I had tunnel vision for a second. Went on to research and found that it originated in the Black Forest region in South Germany. A dream was born: to enjoy a delicious Black Forest cake while sitting at the summit of the Black Forest mountain range. Dreams do come true. Grabbed the biggest slice and ran up to Feldberg, watched an epic sunset while enjoying the dessert. What is this magical thing. God!! It tasted heaven. Glad to strike off an item from my bucket list. It may sound silly to some of you, but it was an epic moment of my life, for I knew the hard work, time and toil that had gone in to make it happen.

After a long run exploring the surrounding peaks, I slept at the summit under a rock bivy to escape the winds in subfreezing temperatures, just so that I could see this. Worth it. Good things definitely come to those who struggle and endure and wait!! Lesson learned: find a camp site before it gets dark.

The trail takes it all but also gives back a thousand fold more. I forgot to carry any food during the run in the Black Forest (Schwarzwald) mountain range in Southwest Germany, but the trail was full of blueberries all along the way. Just returned from an epic adventure after summiting Feldberg and sleeping in my billion star hotel.

A glorious sunset, a freezing cold and windy night in my billion star hotel, and a beautiful sunrise to finish it with. Feldsee lake at the foot of Feldberg, the highest point of the Black Forest mountain range. The colors and reflections were unreal. 40km in the bag.

Hiking trails, stunning vistas, mountain lakes, brandy soaked cakes: the Schwarzwald (Black woods) of Southwest Germany has everything a fell runner needs to satisfy his soul.