Palatinate Forest MTB Park: Tour 12

Palatinate Forest weekend tour 2 Route: Erfweiler - Bärenbrunnerhof - Schwanheim - Hauenstein train station - Hauenstein - Paddelweiher - Grillhütte Hauenstein - Vier Buchen - Hinterweidenthal - Hauenstein - Rohrwoog - Gersbergerkopf - Wölmersberg - Erfweiler Description: At the start of our guesthouse in Erfweiler, first on a forest road, then on an asphalt side road to the Bärenbrunnerhof. Unfortunately, it is still too early to stop by. Then again steeply uphill, past the impressive high rock formation Honigfels. The next ascent leads directly to a descent down to Schwanheim. From there back to Hauenstein to the train station. It continues through Hauenstein, alternating on trail and forest path over the Zimmerberg to the four beeches. After a short forest path, an incredibly flowing and long trail starts. Then on the Pirminius cycle path and on a long, but pleasant, ascent towards the Hinterweidenthal. Then it goes down again, partly demanding, on a narrow path. You continue past the Rohrwoog natural lakes. The following bridging stretch, cropped on forest roads, ends below the Gersbergerkopf. Now it's downhill again on a very demanding serpentine trail back to Erfweiler. A total of 41 km 1070 hm (according to Garmin Edge 830).

Finally we're going on another MTB adventure together with friends and this time we're going to the Palatinate Forest and more precisely to Hauenstein "Palatinate Forest Tour 12". Well signposted, with TOP trails, wonderful vantage points and highlights are of course the impressive high rock formations. Really impressive what nature gives. SUPER, I can ONLY recommend the MTB Tour. https://youtu.be/49lGg4WylkQ

The existing Hauenstein circuit has been slightly modified here: We moved the downhill runs to narrow single and flow trails, so it was a bit more challenging but also a lot nicer!

Not a tour for hobby bikers. Narrow trails up and down, demand full concentration. At first I thought, well. But from the trail at the paddle pond, it gets sporty!

Great tour with some really good trails, past the Römerfels, a bit through the Schusterpfad, then to the Honigfelsen and finally to the Schnapstrail in Hauenstein. Tour 12 slightly modified but still really fun 🤩

This is now the entire tour for today. Door to door. Not a tour for hobby bikers. Narrow trails up and down, demand full concentration. At first I thought, well. But from the trail at the paddle pond, it gets sporty!

At the 1st breakfast today shortly after 6 🙈🙉🙊 decided for the tour 12 from the MTB park. As is well known, the early bird catches the worm. Again and again longer driveways on forest roads to the next trail that can be driven super. Except for the Wölmersberg - Trail. If you can't do kick turns and move your rear wheel perfectly here, like me 😂, you're a bit lost here. On the other hand, the hairpin bends in the Schnapspfad are great to drive. .

My Father's Day tour - I've wanted to ride a permanent route in the MTB Park Palatinate Forest for a long time. Today was the opportunity. The routes are briefly described on the website. I chose this route 12 from Hauenstein because it would challenge me due to the kilometers and the altitude difference. The tour is described as conditionally and technically demanding. It starts at the train station. Here I would have wished for better signage as a starting point. But after 70 meters you can see the signs of the MTB Park that marks the entire route. The signage is good overall, you can also drive the circuit without a navigation system, but then you have to keep an eye out for the stickers and signs that are not too big. The tour ran parallel - loaded from the MTB Park Collection - on komoot, which I can highly recommend. First it goes through Hauenstein, before it then goes up a beautiful single trail in the forest. Attention, the trails are sometimes driven in both directions. Many km follow on forest roads through the beautiful forest. After around 10 km, the first single trail comes - the Johannes Schlachter path - which stretches over 2 km over non-slip forest soil with a few roots and stones, wonderful. A longer piece of forest follows. There are always shorter single trails, e.g. on the Römerberg through a small stone field, the "Waldspielplatz" descent is short and a little steeper, Around the pond is a long piece of asphalt, which has m.M.n. Nothing to look for on such a round trip. But it goes up again. Later there is a detour, the actual trail doesn't seem to be passable. This detour leads to the path on the Gerstberger Kopf, wonderful, a highlight, goes down quite inconspicuously in the forest, meanders a bit and surprises with one or the other jump / drop that you hardly recognize beforehand. Hey, that was fun. And again it goes uphill, past the impressive honey rocks. There is another short trail. The Schnapspfad is very entertaining and has some switchbacks that you can drive with technique. It is only necessary to move the rear wheel if there are 1 or 2 hairpin bends. I have taken the help of my feet, given. There are still a few forest and forest paths along - be careful: the signage and tour guide via komoot differ here - until you come out again in Hauenstein. But that's not the end of it, there's a final climb here around the retirement home, along the trail you drove in the other direction at the start. Goes to drive in both directions. A nice round, strenuous at the end of 42 km and 1000 meters of altitude, but not as technically demanding as the routes of the MTB Geo Nature Park Odenwald or Spessart, and - for my taste - with too little trail content. There are so many beautiful forest paths that you could certainly have included one or the other single trail and lead the tour over more forest soil. In the end: a wonderful day, I had fun and enjoyed the forest, unfortunately Hauenstein doesn't have a beer garden, I then drove towards Annweiler to the Trifels - by car.