Some ideas are not born at a desk, but somewhere between cold air, warm memories and a little tingling in the stomach. Mine started in winter while cross-country skiing on the Hunau. Somewhere between crunching snow and clouds of breath, I thought to myself: why not run all the hills over 800 meters high in the Sauerland - in a day and a half? Not two. One and a half. But the seed for this was planted earlier: In Edinburgh, where I studied, I got to know the fascination of the Munros - those 282 or so mountains over 3,000 feet that ambitious mountain people collect over the years. If you climb them all, you can call yourself a Munroist; around 6,000 people have done so so far. This mixture of passion for collecting and love of nature has stuck with me. And then there's my time in Switzerland, including a mountain guide training course that has long since become dusty, but I've grown fond of it. I'm no longer active there, but my love of maps, contour lines and clever routes has remained.
In the summer, I met with Sabine from Sauerland Tourism - a friendly, motivating conversation about trails, expanses and the special charm of this region. The plan was set: arrive by train and bus, start somewhere around Willingen, then an elegant line over all 800m - running, easy, with understanding and a pinch of humor. ---
Prologue with breakdown (and plan B) Saturday, 06:30. Alarm clock, coffee, look at the timetable - and bang: route closure. Train? Canceled. So plan B: car. Family informed (thank goodness they're always on board when it comes to crazy ideas). I drive up, start walking, and they move the car later. Logistics: solved. In Willingen, I find a large parking lot, actually only intended for day visitors - but the Sauerland ultra-runner in me is optimistic. The sun is still cautiously approaching, fog hangs in the hollows, the air is fresh and smells of the forest floor. The trail running rucksack is as small as a charming understatement: no drinks in it, just a few power and protein bars. In the Sauerland, unlike in the Alps, Highlands or Rockies, you can easily fill up on the way. This is luxury in a minimalist guise.
Day 1 - Fog, red deer and the quiet beginning I set off towards the first 800m. Walls of fog, a gentle strip of sunlight, and there - red deer in the haze. No people, no cyclists, just a quiet vantage point on the ridge. It's one of those moments that you don't photograph because they don't work without sound and cold in the picture. So I save it to the big hard disk "Head". Down we go towards Willingen, just over 500 meters in altitude, and back up again. Now across the grass: there's no real path here, just old tracks and quaint boundary stones - actual markers from 1760, between Waldeck and North Rhine-Westphalia. I like time markers like this. While modern navigation beeps, the stones stand there and say: We were already here when your GPS was still on a shooting star. The day switches to "run-and-smile mode": breath, footfall, gaze. The silence is magnificent - it's not called "nothing", but "everything without noise." ---
Day 1 - Langenberg, Rothaarsteig and the culture shock Langenberg, 843 m, the highest in NRW. There's a summit cross, hikers too. A couple of Czech women marvel at my running gear and take a photo at the summit. Then into a collage of surfaces: Rothaarsteig, meadow paths, small streams, mossy embankments, rooty footholds. The trail is a buffet - I take a bit of everything. And then: Ettelsberg. A program of contrasts. Where there was red deer, fog and boundary stones a moment ago, there is now Siggi's hut - as lively in the early morning as if it were the Oktoberfest in July. 300 people, singing, cheerful voices, beer mugs, mountain bikes, chairlifts. I grin. The Sauerland can do both: meditation in the moor - and Malle with altitude meters. ---
Day 1 - Mühlenkopf, Hegekopf and the art of the unspectacular After the hustle and bustle, it gets quiet again. Mühlenkopf, Hegekopf - not every "summit" here is a photo motif. Sometimes the highest elevation is simply a high seat. As a hunter, I have to laugh: Who needs a summit cross when you have a high seat? I traipse through meadows, taking in inconspicuous crests, following edges and ridges. Then comes one of my favorites: the Clemensberg near Neuer Hagen. Hochheide, sparse terrain, mysticism in the air. Here, parents tell their children stories about sinkholes - holes in the karst where the water disappears. I treat myself to a little break. Later, in Winterberg, there is a supply of water. The people become fewer, the paths narrower, the silence thicker. I trot past pools of newts, a small lake and freshly reforested fences - one of these hilltops even requires a little scramble over the fence. I make a note: "Sauerland summit, stealth category". 47 kilometers later, I'm rolling towards Züschen. A family is waiting. Dog wags, car is moved. We drive to Willingen, K1 at the cable car station. Essen, laughter - and for dessert: Kaiserschmarrn on the house.
The night - diagnosis "running shoe" We have a family room. I'm a vet - and had operated on our dog myself: a benign tumor, everything healed well. I wake up in the night. "What's that smell...? Inflammation? Pus?" My pulse increases, my head works, I feel around - and discover the cause: my running shoes. They were drying in the room. Conclusion: Everything is fine with the dog - only the shoe needs a washing machine. ---
Day 2 - fog, cobwebs and a tower that smiles Breakfast. The family lace up their hiking boots, I get a kick-start and set off. Fewer peaks today, but once again plenty of scenery for the heart. The morning is misty, the cobwebs hang like glittering hammocks between the grasses and branches. After 8 to 10 kilometers, I reach the Ziegenhellen. Insider tip! A lookout tower with a view, sparse forests, heathland, signs of wild boar. A friendly stage with plenty of space for thoughts. On to Wallershöhe. I only find the highest point because there's a sign there. Is it exactly here? Wissen. In a country full of DIN standards, height specifications are sometimes surprisingly generous.
Kahler Asten - and the e-bike thing The trail picks up and I meet a group of e-mountain bikers. A bit annoying, a bit amusing - after all, everyone has their own way of enjoying the mountains. Soon afterwards, I'm standing on the Kahler Asten, the central mountain of the Sauerland. One of the oldest weather stations in Germany is located here. Heid, sheep, vastness - and the knowledge that snow is a tradition here. I allow myself a moment, take a deep breath, then a detour to the Winterberg ski lift carousel. It's not romantic in summer, but it counts for the list: One of the ski mountains is a real 800.
The finale - Hund, Grab and Hunau It gets quieter above Altastenberg, the paths smell of spruce resin and earth. Along the way, I discover a dog's grave - a quiet place that touches me as a vet. Finally, I stand on the Hunau - unpretentious, wooded, quiet. No spectacle. Just the feeling of coming full circle.
83 kilometers, around 2,200 vertical meters, 17 summits. One and a half days. A well-rounded tour.
Equipment? Easy! Supplies? Easy! Mood? Great You don't need much luggage in the Sauerland. I was traveling with a small trail running backpack, with no drinks on board - just a few bars. Drinks were available in Winterberg. The infrastructure and hospitality make it easy. At the same time, you find quiet passages where you can only hear your own footsteps. This combination is rare and worth its weight in gold.
Conclusion - Sauerland as a trail playground If you love trail running, you don't always need the Alps. The Sauerland offers altitude meters, Heid, high forest, wide ridges and a supply that allows minimal luggage. It is ideal for training: long continuous climbs, soft and technical passages, a Rothaarsteig trail and hospitality that turns any exhaustion into satisfaction. This Ultratrail is approachable. It can be planned, adapted and varied - without any alpine drama. If you want to, you can do it in stages, if you can, you can do it in a day and a half. Kaiserschmarrn and coffee taste even better afterwards. And the running shoes? They can go in the washing machine afterwards.