| Mileage: | 2 activities, 46.6 km, 1.5 km↑ (DLOG) |
|---|---|
| Description: | As homework for the Austrian Hiking Guide assessment, I had to plan a professional day tour in the mountains. My home area is completely flat, so I made a trip to the Harz National Park instead. There are many reasons for adding the "Brocken" mountain to the tour: it was locked behind the Iron Curtain (GDR), so going there was a celebration of German reunion. The Brocken museum is housed in a former listening station of Soviet military intelligence. The Brocken is full of legends, has been connected with witchcraft, and appears in the books of Goethe and Heine. It is also an extremely exposed place, making it the most windy mountain in Germany. Finally, its legendary mist became an English term in our profession - look up "Brocken spectre" on Wikipedia! |
2024-11-02 Ilsenburg - Brocken - Schierke
Walking, Solo, 8+ hours
Quality day
Flagged
25.7 km, 1,130 m↑, 750 m↓
Overcast / Moderate wind (DLOG)
| Location and role: | Germany, Harz National Park. First day of a two-day circular hill tour, planned as homework for my Hiking Guide assessment. Solo walker. |
|---|---|
| Activity and conditions: | Gravelled roads, forest paths and mountain trails. Terrain is very similar to Scotland. Despite late autumn, the weather was gorgeous. Frost during the night. |
| Decisions and experience: | First professionally planned tour, including full risk assessment and emergency routes. See screenshot of the tour plan which earned me a commendation during assessment. During the walk, I checked the plan against a virtual group I was leading. First use of map by “Harzklub”. Experienced wind chill for real on a cold day and the windiest mountain in Germany. |
2024-11-03 Schierke - Zeterklippen - Ilsenburg
Walking, Solo, 5-8 hours
Quality day
Flagged
20.9 km, 390 m↑, 780 m↓
Clear - sunny - good visibility / Gentle breeze (DLOG)
