A scene straight out of a local film. The only thing missing is Stefan Mross blowing the bugle. In front of us lies a green meadow through which a two-metre wide stream meanders. Only the soft gurgling of the water and the twittering of the birds waft through the silence. However, the picture only becomes truly postcard-worthy with the deer grazing in the clearing. The wind seems to be blowing in the right direction and the animal has not yet caught a whiff of us. And that with two sweaty mountain bikers. "130 metres. Ideal shooting distance, lying on the ground. Head shot. The best thing for everyone involved," says Ingo, shattering the idyll.
With a Sauerland local on the Rothaarsteig trail
I've been on tour through the Rothaargebirge mountains with the Sauerland local for two days now. He hadn't mentioned that he is not only a biker in his spare time, but also a hunter. What an explosive mixture for a man, but he plays over his conflict with dry humour. As we get back on our saddles after the short break, the deer looks over and hops back into the woods. Lucky for us. Ingo doesn't have a gun with him. Thank goodness the man from Sauerland didn't invite me to go hunting, but to cross his home territory. We have planned three days for the 150 kilometre long, marked hiking trail through the Rothaargebirge.
You can read the entire BIKE travel article on the Rothaarsteig including tour description and GPS data in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or download the issue from the DK shop reorder:
