If you live in northern Germany, mountains are naturally rather rare. You usually have to lie on your stomach to recognize a mountain.
It’s different in the Harz Mountains – there are even some alpine-looking routes. And the Brocken itself, at over 1,100 meters, is also (at least relatively) high.
Reason enough to stop by there every now and then. This time, I’m going on a day tour there to assess my fitness for the summer. With tha, the sporting aspect is of course the main focus. However, I always relax when hiking, no matter how sporty or easy going it is.
The starting and end point today is the parking lot at the Radau waterfall. From there I want to take the Panzerplattenweg to the Brocken and back via the Goetheweg and along the Radau.
In keeping with the time of year, it is relatively fresh today, but at least the sun is shining from time to time. Around the Eckertalsperre it brightens up a little and I enjoy the view over the water.
The Panzerplattenweg is naturally less charming and a little monotonous – but it helps me to gain the necessary training altitude meters. I trudge steadily uphill, past the small Brocken – and it feels like I’m standing on the Brocken itself surprisingly quickly.
As always, it’s cold and draughty on the Brocken. It’s just enough time for the usual selfie not to freeze too much, then I put on warmer clothes and make my way down. The Goethe Trail is also popular on this day, and I come across quite a few hikers.
Finally, along the Radau, it almost becomes a little more secluded: the path to the left of the Radau leads close to the stream, and there I can somewhat block out the treeless area around me. In the end, I have 25 k and 750 meters of altitude on a tour with breaks of just over 6 hours on the clock. Assessment completed!
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