Gunnar had a birthday and wanted to go on a bike tour for it. No sooner said than done, but this tour was to be nothing other than the Devils Trail in the Harz Mountains.
The name was promising and the dates also sounded good: over 184 km and more than 4,300 metres in altitude, this trail leads around and through the Harz Mountains. And the Harz Mountains are always a favourite, because their scenic beauty and the challenge of their mountains and climbs are simply fantastic.
The alarm clock rang at around 4.30 am. We, that was the small birthday group of Nils, Gunnar, Alex and Daniel. The evening before, we met at the campsite in Bad Harzburg, where our tour was to start. Nils had once again planned everything in his old Hackenpedder style – and the rest of us naturally ignored everything.
Whilst warming up and stretching, my hydration bladder spilled down my neck. I’ll have to take another look at what Apidura had built there. But at least I was now properly awake and more than ready for the day.
After two coffees it was finally time to start, but after just under 2 km Gunnar crashed his rear wheel into a hole, which dented his rim and caused the only puncture of the day. But thanks to the Cycplus air pump, the puncture was quickly fixed and on we went.
But only 3 kilometres, because then Gunnar realised that his chain wasn’t working with the cassette. He had had to change the rear wheel in the previous days and now had the problem that the chain kept slipping under too much load. Even changing the direction of the chain did not improve the situation. As a result, he had to crank up the climbs in heavier gears or dismount and push. Congratulations!
Contrary to our expectations, it was 13 degrees and the sky was overcast, but that was good for all the climbs. It wasn’t until around midday that the sky cleared and it warmed up.
The first 80 kilometres to Bad Lauterberg in the Harz Mountains were really tough and we had already covered more than 2,500 metres of climbing by lunchtime. Anyone travelling to the Harz Mountains for the first time may be shocked by the slopes full of dead trees.
But this is now a normal sight, because the Harz is changing from the ‘artificial Harz’ and its coniferous forests – caused by war debts – back to the normal Harz, which consists more of mixed forests. And so you drive through very green and healthy parts of the forest again and again, only to climb back up a mountain with the stumps of dead trees clinging to its slopes.
Sometimes this landscape actually makes you think of the forecourt of hell and the devil. But the devil only gave the trail its name, as it is already considered a challenging track through the Harz Mountains. In my opinion, it is also intended more for tourists and if you cycle it in two or three days, you have a very good opportunity to explore the Harz Mountains at a leisurely pace.
The track leads up to prominent mountains such as the Hanskühnenburg, the Großer Knollen, Matthias-Schmidt-Berg (with bike park) or the Wurmberg. There are stamp stations where you can pick up a stamp if you want to be officially listed as a Devils Trail finisher, and at the end you will be listed among the official finishers of the trail with this proof and payment of a nominal fee.
We did not do this. We rode the Devils Trail as training and for each of us it was also about a current performance check and testing our endurance. And the Devils Trail was ideal for this. Because it simulates a day on an ultra race very well. If you want to prepare for the Bohemian Border Bash Race, for example, this trail is perfect for that. It is roughly comparable in difficulty to a day in Bohemia.
However, I don’t see the Devils Trail as a mountain bike trail – as it is labelled. There were maybe 5 kilometres in total where I would have ridden better on a MTB with suspension. The rest is essentially a technically undemanding gravel route through the Harz Mountains. Nevertheless, the metres in altitude should not be underestimated. The route often climbs the mountains for several kilometres at a gradient of 7-10 per cent. But everything is rideable, although we also pushed from time to time – out of solidarity with Gunnar.
I liked the sections around Sankt Andreasberg best, where I was often on holiday and also trained here for the Silk Road Mountain Race. I also really enjoyed the ascent to the Wurmberg, after a short stop in Braunlage, and the subsequent kilometres along the Brocken. We had to conquer a total of 31 peaks.
For me, this lap was a check after the Trans Balkan Race to see whether I was now able to cope with the demands of ultra races again. And I have to say: Yes, I can do it again. It was physically demanding, but I could have kept going. I wasn’t exhausted or tired. On the contrary.
One reason was certainly the consistent diet and regular eating and drinking. And probably also the fantastic banana bread from Nils, which I ate throughout the day, like Elven bread on the way through Mordor.
On the other hand, the right power management, not exhausting myself on the climbs and the steady riding style were probably also decisive factors. In any case, I’m very happy with the result and now, a day later, I’m not broken, my legs are good and I could get back on my bike straight away.
But the company was certainly also motivating. Chatting up the mountain or down it together is also a lot of fun.
In any case, the Devils Trail is a recommendation for anyone who wants to see what they can do, or who simply wants to cycle through the Harz Mountains with a bit of a challenge and have a good time at the same time.
I would also have added the Brocken to the track, because you cycle very close to it. Then there might be 5,000 metres of climbing on the clock, but then it would really be diabolical!
