Anne-Kristin Beutel turned her passion for packrafting into a career

In early 2022, 50-year-old Anne-Kristin Beutel chose the Harz as her new home. Originally from the Altmark region, she had lived in Bremen for 30 years and wanted to work outdoors in nature. Since March 2024, she has offered packrafting tours around the Oker Reservoir through “Rafts on Trails”. The combination of hiking and paddling—or simply paddling—lets visitors experience both forest and water, and it has caught on.

“It’s wonderful to share your passion with other people,” Anne says, delighted with her new calling. A trained educator and graphic designer, she had originally completed a trekking guide qualification for her job as a travel educator at Guide Academy Europe. During the training, under the motto “Train as you guide”, she also found inspiration for her own outdoor business while travelling between the Odenwald and Bad Reichenhall.

The idea for “rafts on trails”—packrafting adventure tours in the Harz—actually came to her during a private after-work outing on the Oker Reservoir. “I was lucky: Harzwasserwerke was immediately open to my idea and gave me the opportunity to plan and present the project,” says the nature lover. “I also won over the state forests for my offer.” Group activities in protected areas are a sensitive issue. “The advantage of my age is that I can calmly and thoughtfully take one step at a time,” Anne explains with a laugh.

Shortly after launching, she was able to offer her first tour at the end of March 2024. Since then, adventurers aged 12 to 70 have joined her on the water and in the forest. “After months of planning and overcoming various obstacles, seeing the first paddlers happily out on the water—as if booking with rafts on trails were the most natural thing in the world—was a real moment of joy,” she says.

During the first year, she focused on gaining experience, celebrating successes and adapting her offers. Groups now also enjoy joining the tours, including bachelor and bachelorette parties looking for a shared outdoor adventure. Team events also launched in 2025 and have proved popular.

The adventure tours are popular with families with older children, too. Anne has recently added options for families with children aged eight and up. “I listen to what participants want and respond to enquiries by adapting my services. Safety and nature conservation always come first in the planning,” the founder stresses.

To prepare for self-employment, Anne attended WiReGo’s startup modules, which cover the key topics involved in planning and launching a business. Through the advisory network, she also received tax and legal advice. Her goal is to build her business for the long term and, if possible, keep running it until retirement.

“Turning your own business idea into reality takes a lot of courage, patience and creativity—and, of course, a project you believe in,” Anne says to other prospective founders. “Being outdoors with such wonderful people and seeing the unique moments that happen on every tour is the best reward for all the effort.”

Find out more about her offer: raftsontrails.de