LandStreifer Datteln – Gernebachtal

Today was another hiking day planned with @Andrea S. and @Ulrike 🦊. Ulrike chose a new LandStreifer, "Gernebachtal," near Ahsen. With great weather and interesting conversations, we thoroughly enjoyed the hike. The paths were mostly sandy and soft and led through beautiful forest. This LandStreifer is highly recommended. 👍🌲 Shortly before the end of the hike (5 km), our Andrea fell. After a long break, during which she felt severe pain in her hand, she bravely continued on and avoided any shortcuts🙏☘️ 👍 We sincerely hope that this isn't a fracture.☝️❤️‍🩹 and that tomorrow will be better.

Today I spontaneously set off with Katja. A really good idea after the Christmas holidays. Katja found a new Landstreifer for us. The Landstreifer is so new that it is not yet signposted and is not marked on any hiking map. It was a beautiful walk. I particularly liked the mystical foggy atmosphere. On the way we had an eerie😱 encounter. A man got off his bike a few meters in front of us and rummaged through his pockets. Suddenly he was standing there with an axe 🪓 in his hand. I would have died a thousand deaths alone. But Katja's presence calmed me down. She has met this man a few times before. But without🪓. It was really a bit spooky. Thank you @Katja von Döhren-Polenz for the wonderful idea of going for a walk together today.

Datteln now also has a Landstreifer! and is still without trail markings. Thank God a spontaneous appointment with @Annette🏞️⛰️🥾🚲 to go hiking does not depend on the weather! https://www.komoot.com/de-DE/tour/1994878074?ref=itd https://www.hohe-mark-steig.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/NHM_LandStreifer_Flyer_Datteln_web.pdf https://www.hohe-mark-steig.de/landstreifer/landstreifer-gernebachtal/

Today I was finally out and about again with @Ulrike 🦊 and @Edith. We wanted to try out the new Landstreifer trail in the Hohe Mark region and can highly recommend it: lots of greenery and nature, especially now that nature is awakening again🌿🍃😍. And virtually no asphalt. Unfortunately, I once again lost control of my feet and fell on my left hand🙈. But I'm tough, so I'll wait and see...😅 Thank you, my lovelies, for your company and your help🥰

That was a great hike! 🥾 I really enjoyed the area and the trails. 😊 The almost 14 km flew by in this beautiful landscape. It's also a beautiful area for mountain biking. A 42 km route is officially signposted. I think I read "Haard on Tour." 🚴🏼‍♂️😊

To be clear, this LandStreifer hike wasn't really to my taste. 😔 There were very long stretches of straight ahead on wide gravel paths. There were few real highlights. Forestry work was already underway in many places, and large piles of wood were ready to be removed. 🪵 As a result, the forest was quite thin over large areas, and the ground was furrowed. Only when the tour did switch to narrower paths did it lead through beautiful forest and the magnificent landscape. At least I was able to enjoy the wonderful weather, the fresh air, and the exercise. 😌 Soon, I'll be back on narrower paths (which are plentiful here) and on a self-created route through the Haard. 😊

The Haard is a mountain range covering approximately 55 km² in the Hohe Mark Nature Park in North Rhine-Westphalia. This virtually uninhabited hilly landscape stretches along the northern edge of the Ruhr region between Haltern am See, Datteln, Oer-Erkenschwick, and Marl. A new circular hiking trail in the Haard is the approximately 14 km long LandStreifer Gernebachtal. The official opening hike will take place on April 12, 2025.

Today's LandStreifer certainly shows off its strengths best when it's 30 degrees Celsius plus in midsummer. More than 90% of it runs through the Haard forest and is correspondingly shady. Personally, I found it a bit too one-dimensional: no views, no water, no sights. But anyone seeking absolute peace and quiet will easily find it here—especially in bad weather conditions like today.