Medienberichte

The 'Lone Rider' takes on Namibia's South

AROUND THE WORLD ... Walter Lepper, a man pedalling around the world, holds the map showing the route he has covered. So far Lepper has cycled through Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States of America. He intends to cycle across Namibia on his way to Zambia.

On the left side of the road, one might see a lonely rider. He is Walter Leppers, a German citizen cycling around the world at a speed of approximately 15 kilometres per hour.

When he passes, the only sound one hears is the steady flow of his breath and the hum of his pedals moving up and down... up and down.

Leppers has been on the road since April 2012. He entered Namibia on the 15 June and will explore the country until the end of August. Even though the roads are straight in this country, he is not in a hurry. Thus he enjoys the scenery, visits places worth visiting and spends time with the people he meets along the way.

“It was 30 years ago. We were on a holiday with my wife, doing a bicycle tour in Europe, when we decided that when we are finished with work, we will go on a journey from which there is no hurry to come back,” Leppers recalls.

Unfortunately things did not go as planned and Leppers lost his wife unexpectedly 18 years ago. The loss of a loved one, however, did not hold Leppers from fulfilling his dream. When he reached the age of retirement, he began pedalling and has not stopped since.

Starting his journey from Germany, Leppers headed south-east, crossing through Austria, Greece and Turkey, and entering the Middle East.

“When one is riding the bicycle, you see the natural change of cultures and landscapes,” he says.

“On the bicycle, one can feel nature, see where the landscape goes up, where it goes down, smell the scents of the surroundings and hear the sounds of life.”

So far, Leppers has travelled a distance of more than 64 200 kilometres. The distances travelled per day has varied from 190 kilometres per 10 hours in the Argentinean plains to 22 kilometres for 10 hours in terrains with only a narrow path for a road.
“The bicycle is a perfect means of transport. The speed is high enough to progress but slow enough to stop wherever one wants to. One rides on the eye level of the people and is thus always among the people,” Leppers explains.

He has passed through 40 countries and does not recall one country where he did not feel welcome. Surely, bad people have crossed his way, but Leppers emphasises the importance of meeting people with openness.

“When looking into the eyes of someone, one can feel if the person is worth your trust or not.”

“If I have a strange feeling about something, I simply ride on.”

The past years have not only taught him about the versatility of the world, but has also given him a new outlook on life. Living on the road from parcels strapped to his bike has taught him of all the “unnecessary things” in life, - that one does not always need all the things you think you do and can survive with less.

Having travelled through countries that repeatedly make international headlines due to violence and tragedy, Leppers has realised that it is not the ordinary people who are behind these atrocities.

“Everybody simply wants a better life for themselves and their families. Wars, famine and terror are not the creations of the people, they are the creations of the ones holding the power. And it is the ordinary people who suffer the most,” he said.

Leppers has traversed through several African countries and Namibia has proven to be a country of surprises. Upon entry, the cyclist did not expect to ride through a country with such pristine landscapes, long distances and sparse population. It is also a long time since Leppers has been pedalling on gravel roads.

Riding through scenes rarely traversed by bicycle, the journey has also been one of memories and thoughts.
“When pedalling becomes as easy as breathing, one forgets that you are moving. That is when you get to think,” Leppers says.
From Namibia, his journey will continue to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo, Gabon and all the way up the western coast of Africa to Morocco. From Morocco Leppers will take the ferry to Spain and ride through Spain and France all the way to his home in western Germany.

“If God so allows, I will be back in Germany in about July 2016. That is the fastest I can go,” Leppers says with a smile.
- Nampa

The 'Lone Rider' takes on Namibia's South

AROUND THE WORLD ... Walter Lepper, a man pedalling around the world, holds the map showing the route he has covered. So far Lepper has cycled through Europe, Asia, Australia and the United States of America. He intends to cycle across Namibia on his way to Zambia.

On the left side of the road, one might see a lonely rider. He is Walter Leppers, a German citizen cycling around the world at a speed of approximately 15 kilometres per hour.

When he passes, the only sound one hears is the steady flow of his breath and the hum of his pedals moving up and down... up and down.

Leppers has been on the road since April 2012. He entered Namibia on the 15 June and will explore the country until the end of August. Even though the roads are straight in this country, he is not in a hurry. Thus he enjoys the scenery, visits places worth visiting and spends time with the people he meets along the way.

“It was 30 years ago. We were on a holiday with my wife, doing a bicycle tour in Europe, when we decided that when we are finished with work, we will go on a journey from which there is no hurry to come back,” Leppers recalls.

Unfortunately things did not go as planned and Leppers lost his wife unexpectedly 18 years ago. The loss of a loved one, however, did not hold Leppers from fulfilling his dream. When he reached the age of retirement, he began pedalling and has not stopped since.

Starting his journey from Germany, Leppers headed south-east, crossing through Austria, Greece and Turkey, and entering the Middle East.

“When one is riding the bicycle, you see the natural change of cultures and landscapes,” he says.

“On the bicycle, one can feel nature, see where the landscape goes up, where it goes down, smell the scents of the surroundings and hear the sounds of life.”

So far, Leppers has travelled a distance of more than 64 200 kilometres. The distances travelled per day has varied from 190 kilometres per 10 hours in the Argentinean plains to 22 kilometres for 10 hours in terrains with only a narrow path for a road.
“The bicycle is a perfect means of transport. The speed is high enough to progress but slow enough to stop wherever one wants to. One rides on the eye level of the people and is thus always among the people,” Leppers explains.

He has passed through 40 countries and does not recall one country where he did not feel welcome. Surely, bad people have crossed his way, but Leppers emphasises the importance of meeting people with openness.

“When looking into the eyes of someone, one can feel if the person is worth your trust or not.”

“If I have a strange feeling about something, I simply ride on.”

The past years have not only taught him about the versatility of the world, but has also given him a new outlook on life. Living on the road from parcels strapped to his bike has taught him of all the “unnecessary things” in life, - that one does not always need all the things you think you do and can survive with less.

Having travelled through countries that repeatedly make international headlines due to violence and tragedy, Leppers has realised that it is not the ordinary people who are behind these atrocities.

“Everybody simply wants a better life for themselves and their families. Wars, famine and terror are not the creations of the people, they are the creations of the ones holding the power. And it is the ordinary people who suffer the most,” he said.

Leppers has traversed through several African countries and Namibia has proven to be a country of surprises. Upon entry, the cyclist did not expect to ride through a country with such pristine landscapes, long distances and sparse population. It is also a long time since Leppers has been pedalling on gravel roads.

Riding through scenes rarely traversed by bicycle, the journey has also been one of memories and thoughts.
“When pedalling becomes as easy as breathing, one forgets that you are moving. That is when you get to think,” Leppers says.
From Namibia, his journey will continue to Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Congo, Gabon and all the way up the western coast of Africa to Morocco. From Morocco Leppers will take the ferry to Spain and ride through Spain and France all the way to his home in western Germany.

“If God so allows, I will be back in Germany in about July 2016. That is the fastest I can go,” Leppers says with a smile.
- Nampa