Three Nights and Four Days in the Wutach Ravine

Before Marina sailed away on a bus to a distant corner of France, she and I took a mini vacation hiking along the Wutachschlucht, a ravine in the Black Forest's southeast. During my last day at work before heading into the gorge, a co-worker gave me a newspaper article entitled "More than 50 Persons this Season Requiring Helicopter Rescue in the Wutachschlucht." We considered this very thoroughly, nonetheless reaching the conclusion that we could not at all understand why so many people needed to be saved via helicopter from a very defined hiking trail. We prepared ourselves satisfactorily and left Monday for Schluchsee, a clear water quarry lake 15 kilometers east of the Ravine.

The beginnings of our trip were very much inspired by Mark Twain's great European Foot Tour of 1878;

"One day it occurred to me that it had been many years since the world had been afforded the spectacle of a man adventurous enough to undertake a journey through Europe on foot. After much thought, I decided that I was a person fitted to furnish to mankind this spectacle. So I determined to do it... (after arriving in Hamburg) we made preparations for a long pedestrian trip southward in the soft spring weather, but at the last moment we changed the program, for private reasons, and took the express train."

Like all experienced hikers, we left Freiburg at the early hour of 5 in the afternoon via rail, so as to avoid city rush hour foot-traffic in Freiburg, got to Schluchsee a little after six, and decided to camp there for the night, as to be fully rested for the next day. 

Atop our wilderness-dinner-table-rock sits Marina, at the foot of our campsite and on the coast of a man-made lake.

Schluchsee.

Our tent above the lake, next to one of the rare arborselectrusboxiiae, only to be found in southern German lake regions and Japan.

The lake and the girl of whom I am quite fond.

After getting up early and going back to sleep in order to get up a little later, we went to the campground's sole baker and bought ourselves some bread. We then sat on the two most squeakless swings I've ever ridden and observed a group young hiker toddlers who were part English and part German. We know this because their conversations sounded like, with perfect corresponding British and German accents: "let us look for proper treasure, komm her! Ich habe ihn gefunden!" (They found the treasure. It was under the climbing wall. Always look under the climbing wall.)
We then ate breakfast on our rock table, talked about Madison and Devil's Lake, and watched groups of Swiss boys struggle to stay warm in the water. After packing in and checking out, we realized that it was too early to start a hike, being one in the afternoon, and decided to go for a swim.
Briefly thereafter, and shortly after eating lunch, and directly following several map and personal consultations, we promptly began hiking towards Lenzkirch. As a matter of fact, we first began hiking not towards Lenzkirch, although we had that intention. We then turned around, and from that point on, only got closer to our goal.

We arrived in Lenzkirch (above) at sunset and set up camp.

Hi.

We had dinner in front of this pond where there was a relatively nice patio and bench. I don't know that I've ever eaten so well on a camping trip. We grilled zucchini and tofu burgers, we ate cake, drank tea from Turkey, and talked about surprise birthday parties in huts hidden im Schwarzwald.

We left Lenzkirch the next morning a little before noon and got to the head of the ravine at around two. Our goal was to make it through the bulk of the Schlucht that afternoon, finish off a northern tail of it the next morning and then hop a train to Freiburg, where we had a meeting with our Landlord at 4:30. That didn't all exactly go as planned, but we'll get there when we get there.

The gorge was beautiful. A winding river, a trail that took you right along the shores edge and immediately thereafter had you scurrying up rock to then wonder how you got up so high and far away from the water so quickly. Sometimes I felt like I was in Costa Rica again. There were some habitats I'd never experienced with such lush, like this:

We lost our map upon entering the ravine. Fortunately there are trail markers everywhere you go. They state not only where to go and how far, but also in which rescue sector you are, in case you need to call for a helicopter.

I don't know what happened to my sunglasses. We stopped at a guest-house for salad and potatoes seven kilometers into the Schlucht. When we left (at 5 o'clock with 14 kilometers ahead of us), I put on my sunglasses and they looked like this. Mind you, my left eye had nothing to complain about.
The Wutachschlucht hosts hundreds of hikers everyday. One is advised to be patient, expect people traffic jams, and always stop at narrow passages to allow a party to pass. However, when you enter the ravine at two, and really only start to get into the thick of it at five, you do not need to worry about other people, at all. I'm pretty sure we did not see a single person from then on until ten in the morning the next day.

We found a little abandon stone chapel along the way.

You couldn't go inside, but with good reason. It looked like the ceiling could cave in at any second.

A runoff next to a sheet of shell limestone, which formed a large portion of the ravine's walls.

Cool, fresh water filtered by a big heap of moss.

At about 7:30, with an hour of light left at the most, we had made it seven kilometers from the guest-house and had seven to go. We stopped at a trail marker and pondered for several minutes about what we should do; the skies were gray and we heard thunder in the distance. After a good five minutes of starring at the signs and nurturing a skepticism about hiking through a slippery ravine in the dark, in the rain, and under lightening, we looked about twenty yards beyond the guidepost and said to ourselves...hey, is that a hut?

It was. The Schurhammerhütte. We decided to set up camp there. A nice field, picnic tables, a fireplace, and fresh water. And of course, most importantly, shelter. We set up our tent in the hut for a little extra warmth and bug protection using strings and a shoelace. We took a short hike in the sprinkling rain, then cooked ourselves dinner: noodles, cake, tea and beer.

Our goal was to get up early, finish the hike and make it back to Freiburg. Seeing that sunlight has no chance against wood, it remains dark in the hut all day. We did not consider this in the evening and did not set an alarm, which did not help us get up early. We awoke from a deep sleep a little after ten when a pair of hikers, who had been underway since seven, stopped in the hut for their breakfast. The first thing we heard was the voice of a nice gentleman saying, "no need to get up, go on sleeping." 

After a quick, barely two hour long breakfast we went on a way. We debated calling off our meeting and spending the day casually bathing in the ravine, but had no reception and decided it was worth it anyway to try and make it on time. It was the right decision.

Racing out of the gorge.

Hey look everyone! The Old Man in the Mountain lives! He just moved to Baden-Wuerttemberg! And cries sometimes because he misses New Hampshire.

Saying goodbye to the Wutachschlucht.

We made it to a bus which took us to another bus which took us to the train to Freiburg. We were only 45 minutes late! We called ahead and it wasn't a problem. We didn't get to do the northern tail of the ravine, but it's on our list. It was a fantastic vacation: beautiful scenery, fresh air, delicious meals and wonderful company. A perfect week before Marina's departure. :)

I have a temporary acceptance to the University of Freiburg for a Masters Program in German as a Second Language and Intercultural German Studies. I have to pass an entrance exam on the 24th of September, for which I am taking an intensive preparation course starting tomorrow. That will be my main commitment for the next two weeks. I'm excited! And a bit nervous. Very much looking forward to starting the course.

For now I'm off to bathe in the sun and read about the dangers of sugar.

Enjoy the week!

-Ben. :D