Trekking in Germany’s Black Forest May 22-30 2022 Trip #2247 Simonswald Waterfall by Claudio Testa Trip Overview To some, the term ‘Black Forest’ conjures up images of cuckoo clocks, the home of fairytales’ Hansel and Gretel, or a frosted multi-layer chocolate cake with a cherry on top. In reality the Black Forest is a region of Germany located in its southwestern corner. This beautiful area contains dense woods, rolling foothills, running streams, gorges, ruined castles, waterfalls, panoramic views, open meadows filled with flowers, ancient villages, and quaint old timber-framed buildings. Our trek through the Black Forest, the Zweitälersteig [henceforth ZTS], was rated in 2019 as Germany’s best multi-day tour. The name, which 1 translates literally to the “ two valley climb”, will expose us to all the attributes of the Black Forest….. including the cuckoo clock and the chocolate cake. Below is a map of Germany indicating the area of the Black Forest where we will hike: Below is a detailed overview of our route: 2 Excellent sources for additional information are the ZTS official website [original in German, but online translatable to English] and the guide book “Hiking and Cycling in the Black Forest” by Kat Morgenstern Trip highlights: ● Strenuous six day hike covering 106km of exceptional scenery. ● Comfortable three star family-run hotels, two persons/room ● Luggage transferred between hotels ● All breakfasts, most lunches, and all dinners included ● Guided tour of Freiburg, an ancient university town with a medieval city center ● Excursion to Triberg, a historic town located adjacent to Germany’s largest waterfall. Trip Difficulty This trip is rated strenuous It takes you to the most beautiful and pristine corners of the Elz and Simonswald valleys. The first three days will challenge you physically: rocks, gorges and waterfalls, and narrow zigzag paths. The last three days will provide changing views, comfortable paths, gentle climbs. During an average day of 6 hours booktime, we walk ~19km [12 miles] and climb ~640m [2,000’]. The longest day at almost 8 hours booktime is 25km [15.5 miles] in distance with an elevation gain of 740m [2300’]. In general there are no facilities along the way, so adequate food and water for the day’s excursion needs to be carried. Participants must be experienced hikers in top condition. Daily Itinerary A detailed daily itinerary is provided below. Abbreviations used: ● trip provided meals [b= breakfast, l-lunch, d=dinner]. ● Hiking stats: x.xh=booktime in hours excluding all breaks, xxkm = distance in kilometers, xxxm/xxxm = ascent/descent in meters. ● One kilometer =~.6 miles. One meter = ~3.3 feet. Day 0 Saturday 5/21 Depart the US for Zurich, Switzerland Day 1 Sunday 5/22 Arrive Zurich airport. Take a train to Freiburg am Breisgau, also known simply as Freiburg, about a two hour ride.. Welcome dinner. D 3 Day 2 Monday 5/23 Freiburg to Waldkirch Freiburg, founded in 1120, has been a center of learning, mining, and industry since the middle ages. A spectacular cathedral dominates the city. Small canals, reminiscent of Venice, run throughout the downtown. In the morning we will have a guided tour that includes Freiburg’s magnificent cathedral whose construction began in the 12th century. The afternoon is free for individual exploration including taking a funicular to the top of the Schlossberg overlooking the city, a visit to the Augustiner Museum, the Botanical Gardens, etc. Late afternoon transfer to Waldkirch. B, D Day 3 Tuesday 5/24 Waldkirch to Kandel Long steady climb through shady forest past the ruins of the Schwarzenberg Castle to a bald peak with magnificent views across the Rhine Valley. Stats: 4.5h 10km 970m/30m B,L,D Day 4 Wednesday 5/25 Kandel to Simonswald Today is the wildest section of the trek. We’ll pass through gorges and by waterfalls with many excellent vistas along the way. Steep sections will be encountered on the descent to the Zweribach waterfalls and on the descent from the Hintereck hut. Stats: 7.5h 26km 530m/1380m B,L,D Day 5 Thursday 5/26 Simonswald to Triberg The trail climbs steeply up to Hoernleberg, an ancient religious site that is currently occupied by a chapel originally built over 1,000 years ago. The route then flattens out to a more gentle ridge walk. At Ochsenhof we shuttle to Triberg which is famous for Germany's highest waterfalls [right photo]. The falls have an overall drop of 163 metres over seven cascades. 4 Stats: 6.0h 14.7km 1000m/560m B, L, D Day 6 Friday 5/27 Triberg to Oberprechtal In the morning we explore the town. This could include visiting the falls and the Black Forest Museum which illustrates life and work in the Black Forest over the past centuries. A tourist highlight is the world’s largest cuckoo clock [adjacent photo]. At midday we will rejoin the trail by taking a shuttle back to Ochsenhof. We proceed along a gentle ridge walk with big views until we descend into Oberprechtal. Stats: 3.0h 10km 200m/400m B, L, D Day 7 Saturday 5/28 Oberprechtal to Höhenhäuser A rural idyll with wonderful vistas across rolling terrain. A long day but on easy terrain without challenging ascents. Stats: 7.8h 25km, 740m/520m B, L, D Day 8 Sunday 5/29 Höhenhäuser to Waldkirch A beautiful ridge walk with sweeping views in all directions. Assuming the day is clear, we’ll take an optional 1km excursion to Huenersedel. A climb up the observation tower there yields views encompassing almost the entire Black Forest range. Farewell dinner. Stats: 6.5h 25km 390m/790m B, L, D Day 9 Monday 5/30 Depart One can return to the Zurich airport in under three hours. B 5 Accommodations, Meals and Transportation We will stay in three star family-run hotels throughout. Rooming is two persons/room of same gender or partners. Bedding is either two twin beds or two mattresses in a single bed frame. Meals will be provided throughout as indicated in the detailed itinerary above. All transportation within the trip is included. Weather Moderate temperatures expected with 40’s at night and the 60’s during the day. Some rain should be expected during the trip. Trip Price The AMC Member price is $2,700. The non-member price is $2,800. To join the AMC (2020 pricing $50 individual, $75 family) click here. Deposit of $1,000 is due with application. A check payable to the Appalachian Mountain Club should be sent to: Stephen Cohen 2802 Arbor Drive #2 Madison, WI 53711. Your check will not be deposited until you are accepted onto the trip. A telephone conversation will take place after your application is received 6 with the leader/co-leader to determine if you are a good fit. The final balance of $1,700 [$1,800 non-member] will be due January 1, 2022. The price will be adjusted in accordance with the best final arrangements we can make and currency fluctuations. Any savings we achieve, as well as any cost increases, will be passed back to you. Our cost estimates are conservative, and so a refund is considerably more likely than a price increase. Price includes: ● Eight nights of lodging. Lodging is two persons per room, either couples or same gender. The bedding is either two twin beds or two mattresses within a single bed frame. ● All breakfasts, dinners and most lunches. ● Local transportation as needed ● Emergency medical & evacuation insurance coverage. Price does not include: ● Airfare. The trip leaders will advise you as much as you need and will facilitate group travel. At this time, we estimate that the cost for a round trip ticket between the US East Coast and Zurich, Switzerland, the closest airport, will be in the range of $1,000 - $1,500. ● Beverages [excluding those served as part of a meal, e.g. coffee at breakfast] and incidental expenses ● Local transport between arrival airport & beginning of trip 7 ● Local transport between end of trip & departure airport ● Insurance for travel delay, interruption, cancellation, or for baggage loss. If the possibility of such problems concerns you, individual travel insurance is suggested. The AMC has a recommended vendor whose material will be sent to you if your application is accepted. Registration Process Complete the online application and send a deposit check of $1,000 payable to the Appalachian Mountain Club to: Stephen Cohen 2802 Arbor Drive #2 Madison, WI 53711. Your check will not be deposited until you are accepted onto the trip. A telephone conversation will take place after your application is received with the leader/co-leader to determine if you are a good fit. The final balance of $1,700 [$1,800 non-member] will be due January 1, 2022. Terms, Conditions and General Information Please carefully read the Adventure Travel Standard Terms and Conditions They include information about participant expectations, cancellation policies, etc. Note that after notification that the trip will run as scheduled the minimum cancellation fee is $200. Trip Leadership Stephen Cohen, leader Steve has been an active AMC adventure travel leader since 2012. He has planned/led 27 hiking/ trekking-oriented Adventure Travel trips to such destinations the Haute Route (from Chamonix, France to Zermatt, Switzerland), the Alta Via II through the Italian Dolomites, the tour of the Jungfrau region (Switzerland), Patagonia [Torres del Payne], the high mountains huts of Austria, etc. He lived in Europe for four years and is fluent in both French and German. Steve is chair of Adventure Travel. 8 Mike Smith, associate leader: Mike has been a member for over 25 years.