Hiking for Street Nurses 2021: 2 km through pitch-dark tunnel in Eben-Emael

20 June: Straight through a newly sown maize field? That's what Komoot wanted, but I had my doubts whether this was a good idea. I don't like seething farmers.... However, a local resident confirmed that the path could be used. It leads to the hidden entrance to a 1.7-km-long tunnel Who crosses the hill. And there began my adventure through the pitch-dark tunnel.

The long stretch through the unlit tunnel was fine, yet somewhat frightening. The surface was easily walkable, I had also checked, but almost nobody walks all the way through it. So I took tremendous care not to sprain my ankle or fall, because in that underground location I obviously had no coverage to call for help. Nor could I check on Komoot how far I had progressed. Steps into complete limbo.

When I turned off my headlight late in the tunnel, it was pitch black and absolute silence prevailed. This was a very alienating but also enriching experience. I found myself in the middle of a black hole, nothing to hear or see. A foreshadowing of death? Who knows....

Along the way, I drew some atmospheric images of the military tunnel furniture. At one point, when I started seeing lots of beer cans and other human waste, I suspected I was approaching the exit, but suddenly I found myself in front of a closed wall. 'Oh my god, I shouldn't go all the way back after all!", shot through my head.

Right next to my corridor, however, was a parallel corridor that could occasionally be entered through a ford. I retraced my steps for a hundred metres or so to the last ford and, oef, in the far corner I saw light. This corridor gave out onto the exit.