Bikepacking to South Africa: Wiebke Lühmann on her exciting quest for independence

Wiebke didn't have a relaxed "I'm off then" moment. Of course, she had planned the tour for a long time: a bikepacking adventure to Kilimanjaro with her boyfriend. But the relationship broke up during the planning phase and the dream was over. Heartbreak. A low that gave rise to a new idea in the Freiburg native. To do so, she had to quit her beloved job and flat share, convince her highly concerned father and, above all, overcome her own doubts that kept coming up: Do I really want to do this? Crossing the whole of Africa by bike, as a woman, alone?

In October 2024, she sets off from Freiburg, but by the time she reaches the south coast of Spain, she cannot shake off the remaining doubts. On the ferry journey to Morocco, she is advised to cancel this solo trip. Africa cannot be compared with Europe. Wiebke makes up her mind and pushes off in the direction of the Atlas Mountains.

In her recently published book "Immer Richtung Süden", Wiebke tells the story of her 430-day bikepacking adventure from Freiburg to Cape Town - 20,000 kilometres through half of Europe and 18 African countries. The fact that not everything went smoothly along the way could already be followed live on Instagram during the tour. But in the book, you can take a deeper look into her inner life and empathise with her many personal stories. There is, for example, the bike theft in the Sahara, her terrible 30th birthday in the Liberian jungle, the rollercoaster-like encounter with bikepacker Julien and, at the end, the challenges of her return. Basically, you follow Wiebke on her exciting quest for independence. Her narrative is sometimes loud, sometimes quiet, sometimes combative, sometimes tender.

Anyone who has already toyed with the idea of travelling to Africa by bike will also learn a lot about the entry requirements of the various countries. The stress of reaching the next border before your visa expires, when to pay bribes and when not to. Which equipment is essential for survival and what is better to do without, also to save weight.

The book is available at Delius Klasing Publishing HousePrice: 24,90 Euro

The bikepacking adventure in the cinema

Wiebke Lühmann was accompanied on several stages of her journey by her friend and filmmaker Fabienne Engel. The film about the African adventure is now being released in cinemas under the title "Same Sun".

The dates at a glance

12.03.26: Hamburg - Savoy (sold out)
16.03.26: Berlin - Zoopalast (sold out)
17.03.26: Leipzig - Passage (sold out)
18.03.26: Frankfurt am Main - Astor (sold out)
19.03.26: Cologne - Filmpalast (sold out)
21.03.26: Düsseldorf - Cyclingworld Europe (sold out)
22.03.26: Munich - Astor (sold out)
23.03.26: Karlsruhe - Schauburg (sold out)
24.03.26: Stuttgart - Metropol (sold out)
26.03.26: Freiburg - Harmonie (sold out)

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