Holderbach - on the wild side

Our last visit to the Holderbach Valley was a more leisurely ride, on good forest roads, and back to Kalterherberg via the Rur valley bike trail. This trail explores more of the wild side of the Holderbach - perhaps too wild to be full-heartedly recommended.

The way down from Kalterherberg, via the Höfener Mühle, and up to the windturbines is on good forest roads, through occasionally quite steep. Once you crossed the Bundesstraße, the trail uses dark and little used forest trails, often with a leaf cover all year round. The last bit down to the Bistro 'Der Hammer' is quite difficult over rocky terrain. Novices may want to dismount and push their bikes, or take a deviation to the Manfred Spiekesmann Hut.

The return can be even more challenging. Coming up from Hammer, following the first double hairpin turns, the trail gradually disappears, und is eventually blocked by fallen trees (see photograph). Unless some kind sould is going to clear the logs, you will have to carry your bike across the stuff, and push for about 300 Meters. On our GPS coordinates, the blocked way is between points HS1 and HS2

An easier alternative is to continue straight at the first hairpin (i.e. do not turn to the right), and seek to rejoin our coordinates at the first next possibility.

If this all sounds too complicated to bother about - this is a rather wild and beautiful trail!