There is so much going on at Haus Wiesengrund this weekend that some guests have to be accommodated in another hotel – in Hesse. It is only two kilometres away, which could be walked if necessary, but the shuttle service provided by Wiesengrund manager Yvonne is of course preferred. So nothing stands in the way of a get-together evening with a delicious buffet of Sauerland specialities and a beer or two. Annette and Per, two guests from Denmark, are also on this tour, and Lukas, the youngest participant, is riding pillion with his father Stefan. ‘I'm not going to get my A1 driving licence anymore, I can wait another year,’ says the 17-year-old, who clearly feels at home with us ‘oldies’. After all, the average age is just over 60.
Before setting off, there is a brief briefing on riding in a group. Riding in staggered formation is always a topic that some people need to be reminded of from time to time. ‘Of course, this does not apply on bends or narrow roads without a centre line,’ I interject. ‘And that's most of them,’ grins host and tour guide Dirk. He continues: ‘We'll be crossing the Hochsauerland district from the east, on the border with neighbouring Hesse, all the way to the west, on the border with the Märkischer Kreis district. The return journey will partly take us through the Olpe district. We'll be tackling 5,660 metres of elevation gain and loss.’ Well, let's get going then.
The first group, the ‘faster’ ones, is led by Dutchman Sipke, for whom the Sauerland is already like a second home. After a few minutes, Dirk sets off with the ‘normal’ group. This prevents one group from catching up with the other. First, we cycle around Winterberg with a view of the Bruchhauser Steine and arrive at the mining village of Ramsbeck after the first 60 kilometres. Café Hamich is located directly on the main road. With its large car park, outdoor seating and wide range of offerings, it is ideal for a coffee break. There is also a mine museum here that is well worth seeing (www.sauerlaender-besucherbergwerk.de). If you want to visit it, you should plan on spending at least two hours there. However, we don't have that much time today.
Then we continue over the Hennesee dam near Meschede towards Sundern until we stop for lunch at ‘Steinbergs Alm’ in Wildewiese. The way back takes us past the Rönkhausen pumped storage power station, through the romantic Sorpe Valley and over the Kahler Asten. Because the people of the Sauerland region like to celebrate shooting festivals in July and roads are often closed for the parades, there is an extra little detour through the Wittgenstein district before everyone arrives back safely at the hotel. A large barbecue is being prepared in the beer garden. An excellent end to a wonderful trip with old and new motorcycling friends.
The participants
Arno and Petra: Honda X-ADV 750 • Bärbel: KTM 390 Duke • Bernd: Yamaha FJR 1300 • Bernhard: BMW R 1150 R • Clemens: BMW R 1200 GS • Dirk**: BMW R 1250 GS • Franz-Josef: BMW R 1200 R • Günter: BMW K 1600 GT • Hendrik and Sandra: Yamaha Tracer 9 GT+ • Hubertus: Moto Guzzi V 85 TT • Martin: BMW R 1250 GS • Per and Annette: BMW R 1250 GS • Raimund: BMW R 1200 RT • Sipke*: BMW R 1300 GS • Stefan and Lukas: BMW R 1150 GS • Thomas and Sigrun: BMW K 1600 GT • Thorsten: Honda Africa Twin • Toni: Honda CB 650 R • Uta: Suzuki SV 650
* Tour guide ** TF-Hotelier
to the Hotel