Snow hike through the Harz mountains; 15 km advanced hike

It seems that the Harz region will get quite a bit of fresh snow during the next few days.

So, let's use that opportuntiy and go to Wernigerode and hike through the Harz mountains!

Wernigerode is a historic town in the Harz district. It is picturesquely situated on the Holtemme river, on the north slopes of the Harz Mountains. Wernigerode is located on the German Timber-Frame Road.

We will walk from Wernigerode via one of the rather wild paths in the Harz. The path will not lead us to the Brocken peak, but will rather cover interesting and beautiful nature. We will see rocky rivers and waterfalls, strangely shaped rocks, beautiful heathlands and - the effects of climate change on the forest.

Note: This is an advanced hike. It will be up to 15 km long. There will be an elevation gain of 600 to 700 meters. Additionally, the ground will be snowy, icy, muddy and wet. It will be freezing cold, possibly around -4 degrees. Suitable clothing, hiking shoes and surefootedness are necessary.

If we deem the conditions of the path as not suitable, we might modify the hiking route.

We will meet on Saturday at 10:43 at the station "Steinerne Renne" in Wernigerode. The easiest way to get there is to take the HBX train from Berlin to Wernigerode Hbf.

The HBX can be used with the Deutschlandticket. If you do not have a Deutschlandticket, you can purchase a ticket on board of the train. However, ticket sharing is not possible on this train. If you want to share a Quer-Durchs-Land-Ticket, you have to take a slightly earlier connection (RE1 to Magdeburg, departing a couple of minutes earlier).

From Wernigerode Hbf to the station Steinerne Renne, we will take the historic train of Harzer Schmalspurbahn, departing at 10:25 from Wernigerode Hbf. This train is also included in the Deutschlandticket. If you do not own a Deutschlandticket, you have to purchase a ticket for 6 Euros.

We will end our hike either at the station Schierke or Drei Annen, from where we will also take a train or bus back to Wernigerode.

We will depart again from Wernigerode at 17:42 and arrive in Berlin about 3 hours later.

Important things to note:

• This is an advanced hike. You should wear proper hiking shoes and have a certain surefootedness. During the hike, we'll have to manage an elevation gain of about 700 meters.
• It will be cold on the weekend. Expect freezing temperatures. Snow and ice is possible.
• You are all responsible for yourself. None of us is mountain guide or something like that.
• There won't be too many Späties in the mountains, so have enough water and food with you.
• Please note that the number of participants is limited, because at a certain size a group gets virtually unmanageable. As the demand may be higher than the number of available spots, please be fair and only RSVP if you are sure that you can make it. If you learn later that you cannot take part, please update your RSVP accordingly.