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Sauerland
Sauerland
Bagpipe, Saukopf and Oberneger
Curves until you drop. A tour through the Sauerland is simply a well-rounded affair. And some of the place names are guaranteed to be remembered for a long time.
Joachim Deleker
07/09/2002
As if by chance, Birgit and I come to this old-timer tractor meeting. Angry tongues could now claim that my old XT 500 had found its way there by itself, so to speak, and would not cut a bad figure among all the exhibits. After all, single cylinders are single cylinders? only that such a Lanz Bulldog, as I learn, comes along with a full 7350 cubic centimeters of displacement. “It’s a two-stroke diesel with a 20 centimeter bore and a good quarter of a meter stroke,” the proud owner explains to me, looking a little amused at my “steam hammer”. Well. Birgit ?? in the saddle of a Honda Dominator? and I get out of the field; we have steered our “small-volume” single cylinders into the Sauerland for completely different reasons ?? to see if there is already something of summer to be seen in the highest mountains in Westphalia in June, but east of Siegen, in the headwaters of Lahn, Eder and Sieg, it doesn’t seem summery at all. The sun barely makes it over the tops of the dense spruce forests. Only in the few clearings are bright yellow dandelions spreading. On a small, bumpy road we bump up to a height of 600 meters. The frosty season has left its mark and has eaten considerable holes in the tar, which has already been patched up in abundance. High time actually for the road builders, but more than a provisional repair with a lot of gravel will certainly not happen here. So take off the gas and carefully steer through the curves. Next to us, the still young Lahn rushes downhill very lively, with a little imagination can almost be reminiscent of an alpine torrent before it calms down again in the valley of Bad Laasphe. With which we ended up within a few kilometers in the summer. In addition to the bright dandelions that cover the lush green meadows, we discover blooming gorse and purple lupins that are moved back and forth by the lukewarm wind. That calls for a break. The hot engines tickle softly, every now and then a bumblebee hums past, and far away a freight train rumbles through the valley. The warming rays of the sun feel infinitely good. Almost too warm for black leather pants. But we don’t want to complain, and you can cool down quickly anyway. Behind Biedenkopf, the main road climbs back up into the mountains. We promptly come to an elevation from which, according to the map, there should be a great view. Much better than the panorama, however, is the name of the hill: bagpipe, 674 meters above zero. Birgit and I can hardly suppress a grin under our helmets. At all these names in the Hochsauerland. No sooner have we digested the bagpipes than we read Saukopf and Oberneger. But it gets even better. To the north of Lennestadt is a mountain called Mondschein, we roll through the Faulebutter settlement and finally reach Schlipruthen at the foot of Mount Baukloh, but we are still a long way from that. First of all, let’s go north, targeting the Rothaar Mountains, where the highest mountains in North Rhine-Westphalia are. No alpine giants, of course, but at least quite handsome peaks. The small streets, which are always drawn as yellow lines across the paper on the general map, turn out to be almost car-free even on weekends. So perfect conditions. Except for the fact that paths branch off again and again that are either not signposted at all or only to the next village. At some point we don’t feel like stopping at every intersection and looking at the map. Somehow disturbs the whole rhythm. From now on we just let ourselves drift. We’re going to get out somewhere; the tracks actually seem like they were made for us. One curve follows the next. Without interruption. And the two enduros feel right at home on the not always good surface. We also try to remember the many changes in direction. In Dotzlar we turned right, in Elsoff left and in Wunderthausen right again. Or was it the other way around? Does not matter. For a while, at least. Because when we come through the same village for the third time, slightly disoriented, we prefer to consult the map again. Winterberg is not far anymore and attracts with numerous restaurants and cafes. Some hosts have even put tables and chairs outside. A bold idea at just 13 degrees. But after all, the name Winterberg is no coincidence: the place is at least 770 meters high. Sunshine has to be enough to sit outside, the Winterberger is not exactly spoiled with pleasant temperatures. Presumably, in the mild Rhineland, he would almost feel like in the tropics, while we as Rhinelanders are more inclined to call the Rothaargebirge high alpine. In other words: It is freezing cold up here. We jet towards the warmth again, descend into the Sorpe Valley. Here, too, the road remains narrow and winding, the villages with beautiful half-timbered houses. A valley like from a prospectus. Soon, however, a summit cast a spell over us, the highest of all mountains in this region: the bare Asten. Quasi Mount Everest of the Sauerland, the top of which will want to be reached via the “north route”. On foot. We move into our “base camp” for this expedition at the eastern end of the Sorpe Valley. True to style on a campsite. As night falls, damp, cold clouds of fog creep out of the meadows, and the next morning the tent is covered with a thick layer of hoarfrost. No wonder at this height. We pack our rucksacks with chocolate bars and hot tea, lace up our boots and bravely march off with the altimeter in hand, thinking of Reinhold Messner and his Everest ascent. That is of course motivating: Despite the mountain air becoming increasingly poor in oxygen, we are making quite good progress. And then finally ?? shortly before noon the last steps up to the summit. We are 841 meters above sea level. Somehow there is still no euphoria. The summit plateau is ideally accessible with a restaurant, chip shop and parking lot. At the weather station we also learn a bitter truth: The Kahle Asten is not Mount Everest in the Sauerland at all. It is only the second highest mountain, something like K2 in the Himalayas. Only a few kilometers further north, the Langenberg drills its summit exactly two meters higher into the sky. The disappointment is huge. Birgit and I shuffle down to base camp, feeling depressed. We are sure to set off to the summit of the Langenberg at some point, and the next morning our single-cylinders will roar through the valley again. Or better: through the valleys. We keep to the north on the small and fine roads ?? there doesn’t seem to be anything else here either ?? and see the Rothaargebirge slowly disappearing in the rear-view mirrors. Occasionally a tiny connecting road leads us from one valley to the next. Exciting curve compositions that overcome quite steep slopes. Like the wonderful route from Brunskappel to Elpe. We are really getting going, we would never have thought what delicacies are hidden in the Sauerland. In between times we notice the many beautifully restored half-timbered houses. More beautiful living hardly seems possible anymore. A short stretch of federal road brings us from our dreams back to the straight asphalt. Weekend traffic. Driving in the Colone? Enemy number one when it comes to driving pleasure. Does not matter. Eyes shut and go for it. And immediately set the indicators again and headed for the country road. We gamble through Arnsberg and ?? oops ?? suddenly marvel at a route that was definitely planned by a motorcyclist. There is simply no other way to describe the path to a small pass in front of the village of Sundern. We have found a perfect arrangement of curves, turn the motorcycles in Sundern, drive back down to Arnsberg and then up again to Sundern. Now we are completely dizzy. But some roads deserve a triple drive. Even if tens of other motorcyclists are of the same opinion and drive us crazy, no question that such a route mutates into a hill climb at the weekend. With all the consequences. Unfortunately, numerous crosses on the side of the road remind of the lost battle for tenths of a second. Fortunately, the road calms down a little behind the pass, only has a few switchbacks ready to expire to Sundern. We head for the nearby motorcycle meeting point Sorpesee. Coffee and cake. As well as numerous bikes of all types. The old and popular game of seeing and being seen. At least entertainment is provided; we almost have to force ourselves to start the single cylinder again. The piece of cake and the sun on our faces made us lazy. But the further course of the route to Plettenberg brings our reflexes back into shape in a flash thanks to its numerous serpentines. Past Finnentrop and Kirchhundem we take another course for the Rothaar Mountains ?? we want to see what this line, curled in red on the map, is all about, leading up to the Rhein-Weser tower. Actually atypical for this region. Originally the Sauerland was only covered with beech, oak and birch. After their stocks were completely cut down, in order to be able to meet the increasing demand at the beginning of the industrial age, fast-growing spruce plantations were planted, which still dominate the landscape. Every time I am surprised at what can still be done with an old XT 500. You just have to drive with foresight enough. Because of the brakes, which actually aren’t. And at night because of the six-volt spark. A lighter makes more light. But the sun is still shining when we reach the Rhein-Weser Tower, which marks the watershed between the two rivers. From up here we have a wide view over the thousand mountains ?? at least that’s what it says? of the Hochsauerland. But there isn’t much time left before this day comes to an end. And in the late afternoon, the lukewarm spring air blows away. High time to start the way back. This is delayed, however, because behind Erndtebruck there is again a traffic jam on the country road. Bad luck. We slowly cheat our way past until we can make out the reason for this creeping caravan. It is the Lanz Bulldog that is driven to top speed by its pilot. The giant stew vibrates home at 18 km / h. His driver will certainly have a successful weekend as we have had.
Info
The finest roads in North Rhine-Westphalia congregate in and around the Rothaargebirge, guaranteeing lots of driving fun on summer days. It doesn’t always have to be the Alps.
The A44 runs north of the Sauerland from Kassel to Dortmund, and you can reach the mountains from practically every exit on a route leading south. The A45, on the other hand, runs through the middle of the Sauerland. If you leave the train here near Siegen, for example, you will quickly find yourself on the great routes in the Roothaar Mountains. Spring begins in the higher elevations around three to four weeks later than, for example, in the mild Rhineland. By the end of May at the latest, nothing should stand in the way of a tour through the higher elevations of the Sauerland. From a simple campsite for seven euros to a five-star hotel, everything is available. By far the largest offer are private pensions and inns. Outside the high season, the spontaneous search for a room is not a problem. Reservations are only recommended in midsummer or on weekends such as Easter or Whitsun. Information: Tourist Office Hochsauerland in Brilon, phone 02961/943229, Internet: www.sauerland-touristik.de. Worth seeing The Atta cave in Attendorn hides the biggest surprise in the Sauerland: a stalactite cave with stalagmites and stalactites up to four meters in size. The four are unique Bruchhauser stones, the highest of which rises 87 meters. These are the remains of ancient volcanoes whose hard lava rock has withstood erosion for millions of years. Slate is still a popular material in the Sauerland to protect the weather side of houses from the rigors of nature. If you want to find out more about the gray material, it is best to visit the slate museum in Holthausen. From there it is not far to the Kahler Asten, the highest accessible point in the Sauerland at 841 meters. A rare high heath landscape that is reminiscent of Scandinavia spreads out around the summit. Those who prefer to drive according to the road book can order the Sauerland road book with four round trips from the tourist center in Brilon (see above). The HB-Bildatlas Sauerland for 8.50 euros is a bit old, but it is still well suited for preparing a tour. There are beautiful landscapes in the book »Rothaarsteig«, which was published by Tecklenborg-Verlag and costs 20 euros. For tours through the Hochsauerland, the general map sheet 4 on a scale of 1: 200,000 is recommended. Distance covered: around 500 kilometers, time required: two days
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