German BR24
Jurgen Dirigel of Nuremberg and his horse
Jurgen Diriger of Nuremberg, Germany, has a grand plan: a 35-day test drive on horseback from Klairsheim to the Great Wall of China should prove that humans and animals are well prepared for the harsh journey to China.
For Jurgen Dirigal, it was the adventure of his life. For a year, the 52-year-old from Nuremberg has been planning his journey along the New Silk Road to the Great Wall of China. He lovingly stroked the beige fur of his 13-year-old Andalusian mule horse "Peu". "I don't think he knows what's prepared for him. He likes to go out, on the road, and can do stretching, which we've already practiced. But I think he prepared for him what dreams to do, to dream," Yurgen Diriger said with a laugh.
Take a test ride before the adventure "Great Wall of China"
But before Jurgen Dirigle rode his Andalusian horse across many countries, he first tried his ride along the German green belt. From Ober-Frankenhof to Lübeck on the Baltic Sea, the country is about 900 kilometers.
His goal is to travel about 30 kilometers a day, with one day off every five days. Only one point of luggage is allowed. Dirrigl said he would only carry items he needed every day in his suitcase. This weighs him about eight kilograms. The rest were transported by the support vehicles he took every night.
The tour is accompanied by a vintage adventure vehicle
Emanuel, 37, and his two dogs, will accompany Jurgen Diriger and "Peu" to the Baltic Sea as it is a rehearsal to the Great Wall of China. Jurgen Dirigal will then travel about 17,900 kilometers across 19 national borders.
During the trip, Emanuel would take care of the sleeping place and the foal. Jurgen Dirigal said that because it comes from Eastern Anatolia at the latest, feed in the wild will become scarce. That's why the vintage expedition vehicles Emanuel drives on his travels are always loaded with 300 kilograms of hay and 450 liters of water.
Horseback riding 900 km to fight blood cancer
In addition to the Great Wall of China, Jurgen Dirigle has a second plan. He wants to win 10,000 new stem cell donors on the trip and plans to do some typing activities along his route. The impulse stemmed from his friend's serious illness. "She has leukemia and probably won't see us leave again because there are no donors," Direg said.
Unfortunately, there are still many people who don't know that a cheek swab is enough to type, and bone marrow can be collected through blood in an outpatient clinic. So stem cell donation isn't a big deal, Diriger continues. The former journalist planned to travel to the Baltic Sea for about 35 days.
The people of the Silk Roads
In the coming year, his path will begin along the New Silk Road, leading to the Great Wall of China. "To what extent was the project planned and implemented?" Above all, "What about the people along the Silk Roads?" These are the questions That Diriger wanted to articulate during his journey.
Video diary of travels
Find out on his blog how Jurgen Dirigel performed during his test drive along the German border to the Baltic Sea. The 52-year-old can also find his project "Vom Ländle to Land der Mitte", which is funded by donations, on common social media platforms.
On February 22, 2022, he will set off from Klairsheim on horseback in the direction of China, and about two and a half years later, Jurgen Dirigal wants to reach the Great Wall of China with his teammates.