Back To Nature

THE Ochsenkopf (English: Oxhead) mountain has a cable car that takes people from Bischofsgrün to the peak.

I went up it on Saturday with a 16-euro return ticket, had a coffee at the summit restaurant and came back down after admiring the (limited) view.

Looking south from Ochsenkopf

On Sunday I returned, armed with bread, cheese and water, this time buying only an up ticket, for 10 euros.

At the top of the mountain is a board with routes of various walks that pass by the summit, and I chose to follow the Weißmain Ochsenkopf Steig (White Main Oxhead Climb).

There is no need to take a map as paths in this part of the world, rather as in Switzerland, are almost always well-waymarked.

My choice meant following the top symbol, which seems to be a combination of rock, river and greenery

Other walkers help by providing stone waymarks where little rocks are piled to indicate a recognised walking route.

Stone waymarks tend to be rather obvious, but depend on the enthusiasm of previous walkers

On this walk they quickly petered out, although not before I passed this over-the-top example

However their absence was not important as the printed waymarks are well-distributed.

Naturally the various paths diverge, as shown by the decreasing number of varied waymarks as I progressed

The route of my chosen walk was almost entirely through forest, with no panoramic views, but there were plenty of interesting granite-rock formations.

It is easy walking at first

But the rocks become more spectacular

Wooden walkways have been added at some of the muddier points, although this section did not seem particularly tricky

Birdsong was more prevalent than I expected, but then not all the trees are bird-unfriendly coniferous.

However I saw no butterflies, and only one type of flower in any abundance.

A common, but beautiful, purple foxglove

More foxgloves

A lone white foxglove

The route is mostly well-maintained, with set-aside picnic spots, but at times the ground is muddy, rocky or overrun with tree roots.

Elaborate picnic site

Unexpected obstacle

Some of the trickier parts of the route are when walking alongside the White Main, which starts a 32-mile (51.7km) journey from the Ochsenkopf to join the Red Main, forming the united Main.

The White Main is little more than a fast-flowing stream while in the Ochsenkopf area

Parts of the White Main are distinctly red, but whether this is due to clayey soil, as is the case with the Red Main, or to iron deposits, as one walker insisted to me, I do not know