If you are looking for a way through rivers, canals and lakes, you can find an exciting route. Matthias Kaßner did that and swam a 30-kilometer lap around Berlin’s Müggelberge.
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Matthias Kaßner did not want to accept a year without a highlight. The 52 year old swim adventurer is on his way to swim the famous Ocean’s Seven. To the English Channel, North Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, and Catalina Channel Tsugaru Strait he wanted to tackle his sixth stage this year in the Molokai Channel in Hawaii (An overview of Kaßner’s previous long-distance swimming). The plan was to start in September. Then came the pandemic. “After my swimming plans vanished into thin air, I looked for alternatives for which I could get by with a little less training and for which I didn’t have to travel far,” says Kaßner to swim.de. The Berliner’s idea: a long swim around the Müggelberge.
A look at the map of Berlin’s southeast shows that it could work. If you swim through the Seddinsee, the Gosener Kanal, the Müggelspree, the Müggelsee, the Spree and the Dahme, a circle of rivers, canals and lakes is about 30 kilometers long. Many open water swimmers are familiar with Müggelsee swimming, where the athletes swim from the west bank of the lake to the Rahnsdorf lido on the other side. Kaßner would complete this section in the opposite direction. What is already a real challenge of 3.5 kilometers for some swimmers would only represent a little more than a tenth of the total distance for them.
Start at 5.40 a.m.
A boat and company can be organized quickly, so Kaßner can start preparing for sport. “At some point I knew all the sections from the water. Except for the Gosen Canal, in which you are actually not allowed to swim. ” He chooses a small beach in the Schmöckwitz district as a starting point. From there it should first go through Seddinsee and then go counterclockwise in a circle. “This way you can take advantage of the current in the Müggelspree and later only have a slight current against you in the Dahme”, he calculates.
The day before the planned start shows that the organization is often more difficult than the swim itself. The guide of the escort boat wants to take the boat from Spandau to the starting point in Schmöckwitz, but can no longer get through the lock in Klein Machnow because it is closed in front of his eyes for construction work. What now? No swimming without a boat, that’s for sure. Accompaniment is essential on such an adventure. The crew takes care of the course and the regular catering and tries to relieve the athlete of all worries so that he can concentrate solely on his crawl moves. It is also important to have a critical eye from a reliable person on the boat who repeatedly encourages and motivates, but if in doubt also slows down or breaks off the entire project. Fortunately, the team can organize a replacement boat from a rental company at short notice. Nobody suspects that this will result in completely new problems.
Through lakes, canals and rivers
Friday, 5.40 a.m. It’s finally starting. The swimming begins. Kaßner: “I jumped from the boat into the water and swam to the bay and started swimming there. It was pitch black, which was very exhausting for the skipper with the unknown boat on the unknown route. First it went through the Seddinsee. The water was calm and warm and I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise. “
After less than 90 minutes, the lake is done and Kaßner swims into the Gosen Canal. It is the only section that would actually have required a permit. “The canal turned out to be beautiful and there wasn’t a single boat on the way,” reports the athlete. But he is not entirely at ease. “I wanted to get through here as early as possible.”
Problems with stomach and boat
Shortly afterwards, Kaßner becomes uncomfortable again in the winding Müggelspree. This time, however, there are more tangible reasons: stomach cramps! Now! “I felt sick, I was seriously thinking of giving up,” reports Kaßner. But he manages to motivate himself and keep swimming.
“I kept taking on small stretches and not thinking about what was still ahead of me. So now through the Müggelspree to the Müggelsee. Then by the lake and so on. That worked quite well. “
Matthias Kassner
If the physical problems weren’t enough, the boat would start to twitch at this point. First, a rope with the drinking bottle gets caught in the propeller. “Fortunately, my crew was able to repair the damage, but the bottle was gone. So we had to make a replacement from a cut water bottle, which from now on I had to swim back to the boat with every feeding. What was worse, however, was that the engine started to stop all the time, which later turned into a huge problem. “
Rough seas on the lake
Kaßner continues through the Müggelsee, the largest lake in Berlin. It is very wavy and the swimmer soon vomits. Although he feels better afterwards, it doesn’t last long. And so, nausea and stomach cramps are Kaßner’s constant companions until they reach their destination. Later on there are leg cramps and exhaustion. “I swam from the Müggelsee through the Spree and through Köpenick – beautiful from the water! The long way down the Dahme then became a single fight for me. ”
The boat’s engine keeps failing. Once the wind almost pushes it into the embankment. Eventually it will be enough. The crew calls the rental company and switches to a replacement boat in the middle of the Dahme. Kaßner now always swims ahead, lets himself be caught and swims ahead again.
“It was generally very difficult with the boats because they couldn’t drive my speed. I had to look forward a lot, which became very exhausting in the long run. And what I didn’t know about swimming in the ocean: I often felt alone. “
Matthias Kassner
Finish after 13 hours
The last piece through the Dahme, then the beach in Schmöckwitz is reached. Some friends are expecting Matthias Kaßner, who managed to circumnavigate the Müggelberge after 13 hours and 7 minutes. Kaßner would like to have his swimming officially recognized at marathonswimmers.org. If someone should take the route again, the organization collects times and creates a list.
Swimming is characterized by a wide variety of landscapes. Starting with the relatively wide Seddinsee, which is lined with forest on both sides, through the very narrow Gosen Canal, which is also beautifully located in the forest. Then you swim through the Müggelspree, through New Venice, along beautiful, expensive waterfront properties. Then through the wide and in my case rough Müggelsee. Continue through the Müggelspree, past an old brewery and abandoned factory buildings. Finally through Köpenick, past Köpenick Castle and into the Dahme, which opens wide here and leads along derelict industrial sites. Finally, it goes through wooded area again and along a regatta route to Schmöckwitz.
Conclusion by Matthias Kaßner
Picture gallery of the Müggelberg circuit:
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