The house route: Werner “Mini” Koch

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The house route: Werner
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The home route: Werner &# 34; mini&# 34; Cook

The home route: Werner “Mini” Cook
Rock ‘n’ Roll with Africa Twin

When the desk overflows, one appointment chases the other and the air is getting thin, MOTORRAD tester Werner is there “Mini” Just cook one thing: Get on the old Honda Africa Twin and dive down. To the Swabian hinterland between the Neckar and the Danube, for example. The clocks run differently there, the time has sometimes stopped.

Werner Koch

09/12/2007

Get out, get away. Quickly laced up the small rucksack, pulled the old motocross jet helmet over, into the antiquated enduro leather boots and the 20 liter fuel barrel filled to the brim. Motorway towards Munich, hated, but now the best, because the fastest way. After 30 kilometers, Burg Teck greets you on the right. Hold on for a few more minutes between fat trucks and hurrying representatives who are still trying to do business today in their luxury limousine in the left lane.

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Exit Weilheim unter Teck, a traffic light, a short traffic jam. Ufff, made it. The Honda climbs from Hepsisau in the flat, bustling Neckarland up the steep, curvy Alb eaves onto the rough hills and after a short, gloomy gorge towards the sun. At the Randecker Maar, a volcanic, crater-like basin with a fantastic view, stop for a while. So much time has to be. Also a good opportunity to fill your rucksack with snacks made from fine Alb cheese and fragrant farmer’s bread from the hidden village shop. Outside, the suppliers for the sheep’s cheese compete against each other.

Look back. In search of winding terrain, the motorcycle clique discovered the Swabian Alb over 30 years ago as an alternative to the touristically overcrowded Black Forest. The meager volume of traffic alone used to make even sunny Sunday tours a technical bend in the past. And that still applies today – provided you know where. Popular excursion destinations such as castles and palaces should be avoided, as well as federal highways. But those who mark their territory on the map with intuition and patience have the best maps on the Alb. Which of course means that the house route does not follow a strict direction, but rather crosses the most beautiful landscape with the most winding roads seemingly aimlessly. Which poses a not inconsiderable navigational task for motorcyclists who are unfamiliar with the location. But that’s the way it is in life: You have to work for the most beautiful things.


The house route: Werner


Gargolov

A wide view from the 869 meter high Robberg.

The right device for the expedition in the limestone low mountain range: my Africa Twin 650, type RD 03, first year of construction, 71,000 kilometers young and for me THE travel aunt par excellence. Why? Because after the first comparison test with the BMW R 80 G / S (MOTORRAD Heft 13/1988) it was clear to me: We need a monkey twin – sooner or later at least. As a calming counterbalance to my roaring racing rolls and rough cross machines, just the right vehicle to let your mind wander.

Especially since legal and semi-legal gravel roads are not uncommon on the Alb, the fat tank covers the entire lap and the route, which is garnished with plenty of curves, does not disturb an Africa Twin.

Because anyone who thinks that the Alb plateau is actually a surface, i.e. flat, will be surprised. The 650er sails on long, bumpy curves over the mountain ranges, on the crests of which you can catch a glimpse into the far distance for a brief moment, before the house route plunges deep into the karst valleys to Seeburg.

The Erms gurgles chuckling under the wooden bridges in the direction of the Neckar Valley, while I swing with the Honda onto the ridges near Munsingen, take a hook to the east and after a winding descent through the Muhltal, I land in Sondernach.

A small spot in the damp and shady Schmiechtal, the geologically pristine Danube valley. Actually nothing special. Or is it? What is not noted either on Wikipedia or in the official village chronicle: The Sondernacher have a difficult position among the villages incorporated by Schelklingen. If there’s a fair or other festivities in the neighboring huts, the Sondernachers have to be on their guard. “Of course, d’Sondernacher is coming – but it’s okay that he’s getting uff d’Gosch nuff,” boasted a half-strength moped driver at the Baren inn in Hutten. The vain quarrel between the villages has a long tradition: While all Schelklingen parishes, including huts, are ruled by basic Catholics, there is only one Protestant church in Sondernach. War of faith in 2007 after Jesus Christ – who would have thought. But the clocks go differently on the Alb.

Out of enemy territory, the Africa Twin climbs the Lutheran Mountains, crosses the federal highway 312 on a narrow strip of asphalt and curves over Granheim to Indelhausen in the Lautertal. On sunny weekends you can cycle, paddle and grill here so that it just smokes. Tubingen, Reutlingen and Stuttgart city bugs galore and no fewer motorcyclists, who unfortunately too often confuse the curvy valley with the Nurburgring-Nordschleife and often cut themselves into the bushes. Why a photo from MOTORRAD is used as a street poster as a warning: “The road is not a race track.” A curiosity on the side: I’m the dashing Kawasaki driver on it.

The house route takes you via Erbstetten to Mundingen, only to plunge a few kilometers further down a steep slope to Lauterach an der Donau. Squeaky. Anyone who misses the view from the edge of the forest over the onion domes of Obermarchtal and the Upper Swabian region is your own fault and should make up for it.


The house route: Werner


Gargolov

In the Schmeiental there is hardly any space for rivers, roads and railways.

Preferably on the 767 meter high Busses, the Swabian holy mountain. The footpath to the pilgrimage church of St. Johann Baptist is always worthwhile, as with good visibility the view extends over the Federsee, the Allgau mountains to the white, sugared Alps. Hunger? Hunger! Well then, off to the blank. I cross the Danube via Buchay, Dietelhofen and Datthausen and lean the old Honda against the garden fence in Zwiefaltendorf near the Blank brewery. Finest Swabian cuisine for the advanced. Unfortunately, the best at Blanks is now taboo: delicious, naturally cloudy beer from the family’s own brewery. Which is why an overnight stay in an inn with friends is part of the annual ritual. Cheers.

With a “God protect you” As far as the innkeepers say goodbye, I disappear at Zwiefalten into the narrow valley of the Aach of the same name, roam the Wimsener Hohle and hang around a few darned bends over the villages of Gauingen, Upflamor and Ittenhausen on the smallest paths west to Inneringen.

Deserted, with barren, stony soils, the term “rough Alb” hits the nail on the head here. Which not so long ago meant that the residents were scattered around the world in search of their happiness through bitter frost and famine. Only with the industrial settlement of many machine and textile factories in the countless valleys did the living conditions improve for the grubby but honest and down-to-earth elderly people.

Those who indulge in rocky gorges and stone pinnacles will get their money’s worth now. I spin over tight serpentines to Hettingen, take the most beautiful curves along the crystal clear Lauchert to Veringenstadt in the direction of Sigmaringen and change over Harthausen, Benzingen and Blattringen into the narrow valley of the Schmeie to Storzingen. Unrecognized as a small side valley of the wild Danube gorge, the freshly paved asphalt strip winds southwards and flows into the Danube shortly before Dietfurth. You go up the river through rocky breakthroughs to Thiergarten. There, turn right to Stetten am kalten Markt, a top-quality cornering challenge arises. Have fun.

With which the house route takes its turn to the north and steers purposefully, but always on small, winding paths back to the starting point. Last alpine highlight: the descent from the Nebelhohle to Unterhausen near Reutlingen on a remote and rarely used mountain road.

Oh, where did the adventurous gravel roads go, would you like to know? Sorry, I’m not going to tell you. But anyone who takes a close look at the map is very close.

Info

MOTORRAD editors present their home series in random order. In this part, Werner “Mini” Koch takes her to the western Swabian Alb.


The house route: Werner


Map: Mairdumont, Maucher

Time required: one to two days; Route length: around 300 kilometers.

The distance
Home route is not entirely correct in this case, because for the author the route is only the starting point for discovering new, hidden streets and paths over and over again. The reason why unpaved passages are taken under the knobby tires here and there is due to the fact that the author also explores the low mountain range south of Stuttgart by mountain bike and thus comes across paths that are often referred to as promille streets in rural areas the local population can smuggle home from going to the bar unnoticed by the police.
Due to the tricky route, the home route between Neckar and Danube is a tight daily stage of around 300 kilometers. The pure driving time is about seven hours. Don’t forget: The Swabian Alb lies between 700 and 1000 meters above zero and is known for its rough, i.e. cool, climate. Therefore, pack warm, waterproof clothing even in summer when the weather is changeable.

The height (n) points
Even if the focus of tourism is often overcrowded on weekends and public holidays, it is always worth visiting the often ancient old town quarters with rustic churches, abbeys and monasteries in the many small towns and villages on the Alb (Obermarchtal, Zwiefalten, Trochtelfingen). In addition, there are countless castles, ruins and observation towers on the Alb, which mostly guarantee a fantastic view on exposed rocks or mountain ridges: Romerstein tower near Donnstetten, Hohen Gundelfingen / Lautertal ruins, Offingen / Bussen, ruins and caves above Veringenstadt, Robberg tower near Genkingen ( Access only permitted on working days), Lichtenstein Castle near Reutlingen.


The house route: Werner


Gargolov

Curves, hairpin bends, knolls – the route between Oberschmeien and the Danube.

Eat, drink, sleep
If you want to expand the house route between Neckar and Danube into a two-day excursion, we recommend simple but solid Swabian country inns with friendly overnight prices from 22 euros per person.

Gasthof Brucke in Rechtenstein / Donau near Obermarchtal,
Telephone 07375/257

Gasthof Rossle Blankbrau / Zwiefaltendorf,
Telephone 07373/322

Gasthof Adler Inneringen,
Telephone 07577/546

Gasthof Hirsch in Indelhausen / Lautertal,
Telephone 07386/97780

Gasthaus Donauperle / Gutstein / Danube,
Telephone 07570 / 9513-88

Gestutsgasthof Marbach / Lautertal,
Telephone 07385/719

Maps
The MOTORRAD general maps from Mairs Geographischer Verlag, sheets 15/16 and 18, cover the entire route on a scale of 1: 200000 and are so precise in detail that the small connecting roads can also be found. Available in bookshops, at petrol stations or from the MOTORRAD action team, phone 0711 / 182-1229. If you want to be even more precise, you can get the respective cycle touring maps from the Baden-Wurttemberg State Surveying Office (phone 0711 / 123-2831, www.lv-bw.de) on a scale of 1: 50000 or from GeoMap (phone 0711/7813696, www.geomap -medienagentur.de) the sheet »Geopark Schwabische Westalb«, scale 1: 75000.

Road book
Autobahn A 8, exit Weilheim / Teck, Hepsisau, Ochsenwang, Schopfloch, Bohringen, Hengen, Seeburg, Trailfingen, Munsingen, Bottingen, Springen, Sondernach, Granheim, Indelhausen, Anhausen, Erbstetten, via parking lot at Wolfstal to Mund-ingen, Untermarchtal, Reutlingendorf, Dietelhofen, Offingen / Bussen, back via Buchay, Datthausen to Zwiefaltendorf, Zwiefalten, Gossenzugen, Wimsener Hohle, Huldstetten, Geisingen, Upflamor, through the Waldstetter valley to Ohnhulben, Durrenwaldstetten, Ittenhausen, Inneringen, Hettingen / Lauchertal, Veringenstadt. d. Scheer, small street to the left to Benzingen, Blattringen, Storzingen, there, before the exit of the town, the last street on the left to Oberschmeien, Unterschmeien, there right towards the town center, left down, along the Schmeie to the Danube valley, right to Thiergarten, there on the right Stetten a. k. M., Frohnstetten, Strabberg, main road towards Winterlingen, after about 200 meters left on the small road to Bitz, Burladingen, Stetten, Erpfingen, Undingen, Genkingen, Nebelhohle, Unterhausen, Holzelfingen, Ohnastetten, Bleichstetten, Bad Urach, Grabenstetten, Gutenberg, Schopfloch, Hepsisau, Weilheim / Teck.

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