Had a good laugh! I looked at the board and something really "jumped" to my eyes: I focus on using that and won on second try.
So, as a hint, if your route is long and you don't see how to cut, you're probably doing it wrong. Observe the initial configuration: it's in itself a key to the solution.
Wooooooo... That was such a struggle to me! I was blind for a long while, unable to see how to exit. I knew it's possible because others solved it. That's what kept me at it. But it was soooo hard! And then suddenly I saw it and it was so simple... I won straight after that.
I will never understand how it is possible that our mind can get blocked like that.
Insights