2009-09-24 48 8

Thu 24 Sep 2009 in 48,8: 48.4037128, 8.9125032 geohashing.info google osm bing/os kml crox

Location

In a forest outside of Hirrlingen.

Participants

• Ekorren

Expedition

This actually wasn't one of the more spectacular expeditions. I did it because it wasn't that far.

Didn't start before almost 3 pm, and took the standard trail to Rottenburg first, then up into the hills to Hemmendorf. To avoid too much of boredom, I varied it a little bit and tried a slightly more hilly route crossing the college of forestry of Rottenburg, which is located in a 16th century building out in the middle of nowhere. Well, close to the forest, so from their point of view that is probably not in the middle of nowhere at all.

After crossing Hemmendorf, it got a bit more difficult. I had a topographic map, but in rural areas those aren't very reliable - they don't even claim to judge the quality of a way; and OSM basically showed a green polygon with no ways.

The first one I tried to get into the forest took my to the margins, but didn't continue into the forest. I rerouted a little bit, and got to a place about 600 m from the hash, in the valley the hash was supposed to be in as well. What wasn't there, was any kind of way. A few metres further, the map showed a way along the slope. Further? More like back. Was there a way? There was. Theoretically. Practically it was unpaved, unused, and totally overgrown. Only by the fact that there were no larger trees you could assume that there might have been a way some years ago. Not the kind of way you want to go with a bike even for one hundred metres, let alone the other five.

Anyway, the map showed another parallel one, up along the ridge. Went back until I reached the intersection, then up along that way. When the GPS showed about 90° to the hashpoint, and a distance of 160m. a logging aisle turned up - going almost exactly into the right direction. And being entirely passable walking, or maybe a little bit of climbing oder of all the branches they dropped there.

Parked the bike and climbed down into the valley. That logging aisle took me until about 30 m from the hash, with the first approach to cover the rest ending in front of dense blackberry bushes. However, the hashpoint wasn't in those but behind them, and it wasn't actually difficult to get around.

Another forest hashpoint, love it and leave it. Back up, back to the bike, and out of the forest into Hash Town. Now, what does Hirrlingen list as sights? Just like many other places: A castle.

In this context, it may be worth noticing that the german language has two entirely different words for castle. If it's more the protective type, with thick, sturdy walls withstanding military technique of their time, it's a Burg. Those which are more built to be prestigious, are called Schloss.

This one was of the Schloss type. I couldn't get in, as it was rather late and the town administration offices located there nowadays were already closed, but made a few photos.

For the way back I chose another, slightly longer route via Schwalldorf and made it even longer with adding a few tracks and residential roads to OSM. From Bad Niedernau, I took just the standard route as always, reaching home with he last ray of daylight.

Gallery

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  College of forestry Rottenburg

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  Waterhash, anyone?

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  The hash is over there, in the hills.

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  This way seemed to be a good idea at the time.

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  About 600m to go. Not this way.

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  Still about 600m to go. Neither this way.

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  160m to go. This way.

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  10m to go. Not this way.

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  A bad excuse for a hashtree in the middle of a forest. The right one it is, actually.

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  View from hash

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  Hirrlingen castle

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  Arbitrary landscape impression.