2013-07-28 49 11

Sun 28 Jul 2013 in Nürnberg, Germany: 49.3964593, 11.9850709 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

In the forest next to a federal highway near industrial area Schafhof, halfway between Amberg and Schwandorf.

dawidi and mojibake

... had visited friends in Amberg in the afternoon, and, despite temperatures around 34°C and a prediction of thunderstorms for the evening, decided to cycle to Schwandorf via the hashpoint, and then take the train home from there.

dawidi had been to the nearby junction twice already - once by car, to find a geocache stuck to a stop sign (with Tomcat), and once to find a way through the forest to continue towards Freihöls, without cycling on the federal road. This time, they came via Theuern and Ebermannsdorf, parked their bikes next to the northeast-facing dirt road, and stumbled into the forest. A few piles of dry scrub had to be crossed, then they stood at the coordinates.

A few meters next to the hashpoint, the road's embankment began (going up steeply, probably about 6-8 meters tall at this point); in the embankment they noticed a concrete tube, just about tall enough to stand in, leading across to the other side of the road (this can also be seen in the latest satellite imagery on Bing maps). Since the terrain around it showed no signs of past flowing water, and also slopes up on both sides, maybe it is a way for wildlife to cross the road? It is unlit and not really accessible, so obviously not intended for humans. However, it had a nice echo, and was also at least 5 degrees cooler than the forest, so they stood in it for a while making funny noises.

Having heard a distant thunder, they went back to their bikes and continued through the forest to Freihöls, and then across the countryside. About 6 km from the railway station at Schwandorf, the wind became stronger, and the first heavy raindrops fell, so they stopped for shelter in a village bus stop; however the rain then stopped again, so they continued... and reached the station just in time to see a train leaving for Regensburg - so they had plenty of time to enjoy some food mojibake had brought, before taking the next train home.

According to news sites the next morning, there had been quite intense thunderstorms around Amberg in the evening - somehow they had managed to avoid them.

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  The federal road/rural road intersection near the hash.

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  Below the federal road's embankment.

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  Coordinates reached!

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  Happy (if sweaty) hashers.

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  Mysterious and cool pipe/tube thingie.

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  Plants at the hashpoint.