Sam Smith Heads to Bavaria

Sam Smith, the 2019 Expedition Grant recipient, is finally heading away to trek King Ludwig's Way in Bavaria, Germany. A New Zealand comedian, author, husband, and father, he is, in his words, "definitely not a British singer-songwriter." Sam was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 2015 and is partially blind, but he can’t wait to test himself.

Sam Smith, his wife Meg and their kids.

King Ludwig’s Way is an 8-day, 120km trek and has been a long-standing goal for Sam, who will travel with his wife, Meg. Unfortunately, the COVID pandemic and closed borders delayed his trip, offered through World Expeditions, until 2023.

We asked Sam about his trip and what it means to him. Here's what he said:

"Comedians are famously lazy people, and I am no exception. However, I hope to walk King Ludwigs Way in southern Germany. It's a stunning 8-day, 120km trek through beautiful Bavaria and ends at the incredible Schloss Neuschwanstein - the castle in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and the basis for the Disneyland castle. I've been obsessed with it since I was a kid and the moment I see that will be pretty incredible. 

"120km is a very long way for lazy bones like me. My MS means I struggle with fatigue and overheating, so I have been training hard to learn how to control that. And it's working! I'm feeling fitter than ever and excited about physically testing myself. 

"Getting to Germany is going to be amazing. I cannot wait to take my home-based yodelling skills to the mighty alpine slopes and look forward to testing my German-speaking skills. If I'm honest, I'm also looking forward to eating my body weight in Schnitzel.  

"But most of all, I want to show other people with MS that this diagnosis doesn't stop you from achieving your goals. If a lazy-bones like me can charge across a country on the other side of the world, so can you!" 

We are very excited for Sam and wish him every success. But we do need your support to help others like him get the help they need to achieve their goals in the outdoors. Click here to donate in support of Sam's trip.