Phone off, Guidelight on
Fresh autumn air tingling in your nose, dewdrops on fiery red autumn leaves, red and white dotted mushrooms sprouting from the ground - who says the outdoors is only for summer? In autumn, nature is perhaps at its most beautiful. And also at its most interesting: there is so much to see in this season! Autumn weekends are the perfect time to take an extended autumn walk. Leave your phone, tablet and earbuds at home and head out into nature together.
With the days getting shorter and the evenings longer, it's appealing to entrench yourself on the couch under a blanket. But autumn in particular is a great time to be outside - there is more to see at this time of year than any other season. Not only does nature put on a true spectacle of colors and shapes in autumn, animals also show themselves more. Dusk falls early and as the sun sinks behind the horizon, the forest comes alive. Turn off your phone and load up your Guidelight - no news, apps, or calls for a while, just enjoy all the beauty nature has to offer together.
The muddy paths of the Biesbosch
The Biesbosch is the largest freshwater tidal area in Europe, unique because it is connected to the sea via the Nieuwe Waterweg canal. In other words, in this freshwater area, it also ebbs and flows. Therefore, it happens regularly that the paths are under water, so by all means do not put on your white sneakers for this hike. In autumn there is a lot to see in the Biesbosch. Tip: Leave early in the morning to see the marshlands at dusk. Truly a beautiful sight when the patches of fog above the water slowly dissolve in the morning light. The Biesbosch is home to all kinds of animals, from foxes and deer to pine marten, mice and beavers. During one of the organized twilight tours, you have a great chance of spotting this wild life. Take the Guidelight with you to illuminate your path or turn up the bulb to use the Guidelight as a spotlight to illuminate a special mushroom, for example. The twilight tour ends at Observatory Mercury, where you can take a look at the sky through the huge telescope.
Wildlife spotting at the Veluwe
The Veluwe is the largest and oldest nature reserve in the Netherlands, and is the place to spot wildlife. The autumnal hilly landscape full of heaths and pine trees is the backdrop for the red deer's rutting season. From mid-September to mid-October, these mighty animals go in search of a mate for the winter. The rutting route is a walk of over eight kilometers that leads you past observation post the Elsberg. Especially early in the morning after a cold night, you have a good chance of hearing a red deer belling. Set off before sunrise and let the Guidelight light your way to the observation post. Use the rotary knob to infinitely dim the Guidelight to mood lighting as you take a seat at the observation post while you patiently wait for wildlife to pass by. You'll need a little luck and a dose of patience, but perhaps a red deer, wild boar or Scottish Highlander will appear out of the morning fog.
Rafting and hiking in the Ardennes
Feel like a real adventure? In October and November you can book the Packraft trail, a challenging two-day hike in the Belgian and French Ardennes. With just some instructions, an inflatable raft and a small food supply you head into the woods. After 10 km of hiking through valleys full of rock formations and past impressive viewpoints, you inflate the raft to paddle another 10 km back to basecamp. The Guidelight is splash-proof, so it's perfect for this expedition (provided you don't drop it in the water). In the evening you can recover from your sporting efforts around a crackling campfire, and after a night in your sleeping bag, explore another part of the Ardennes the next day. Book a Packraft adventure here.
"Lighting should allow us to adjust its position, use, function and intensity to our needs. The Guidelight is your buddy during adventures and romantic moments far away or close to home." - Floris Schoonderbeek
