Stage 3: Kulmbach - (Furth im Wald), correct: Bayreuth

82 km, 1,518 meters of elevation, 3:50 hours in the saddle

Summit: Schneeberg 1,051 meters (Upper Franconia)

Has the entire endeavor failed? Due to ongoing heavy rain and poor temperatures, I abandoned today's stage, drove to Bayreuth, and continued by train to the actual stage destination, Furth im Wald. Hm, I’m not happy about that!

I already left Kulmbach in the rain, heading up towards Plassenburg and then on to the first ascent to Heinersreuth. The night was terrible, thunderstorms, intense heat in the room - it couldn't have been worse next week for the beer festival, though the weather would surely be better then. No, this is not the right time to talk about timing…

In Bad Berneck, I was already soaked to the skin and unfortunately my gear shift was having problems. I briefly took cover and looked it up - ah, the only bike shop is only open on Wednesdays. So, with a rattling chain, I made my way up the easily traversable ascent to Bischofsgrün. Always along the white Main through the dense forest - that must be wonderful in summer! Nevertheless, I am delighted about my ride in the Fichtelgebirge and I reminisce about earlier days.

Not only the cross-country skiing in winter but also running training and mountain biking tours in summer brought me to this area. In Bischofsgrün, at the foot of Ochsenkopf and the second highest mountain in Upper Franconia, I also remember the painful attempt to switch from cross-country skiing to Nordic combined. Maybe I should have tried this in winter on the snow, rather than in summer on mats. That would definitely have resulted in fewer burns… Unfortunately, I cannot provide images, as the moisture made using the iPhone impossible - due to the thick fog, one wouldn't have seen much anyway. 😉

Passing the Höhenklinik, I now attacked the elevation lines head-on. The steep ramp brought me to the summit, which in good weather would already be recognizable due to its distinctive telecommunications tower. Formerly a military restricted area, now a memorial to the Cold War - what have we learned from that???

The highest mountain in Northern Bavaria would be almost nothing special if it weren't for the old NATO radio station and the actual summit point, the Backöfele. This natural monument, made of granite stones, represents the many rock formations around Schneeberg, Ochsenkopf, Waldstein, Kösseine, and the other mountains of the Fichtelgebirge. Several legends surround the highest peak. Like the insides of many other mountains, a treasure is said to be hidden here, guarded by a sleeping knight. If you cannot find this treasure, you might encounter the wild hunter, who, like Wotan, roams the skies with his ghostly host.

But there are also some facts. In the numerous mines in the mountains around Schneeberg, not only gold, tin, iron, various minerals, etc. were extracted, but the state father Franz Josef Strauss started the Bavarian atomic program here with the extraction of uranium ore. This venture was initially banned and was later discontinued for cost reasons.

I have made up my mind and am freezing as I ride the gravel road down to the valley. In Neubau, I hesitated briefly to turn right to the biathlon center. Here, I won my first trophy in the Upper Franconian Championship in cross-country skiing in 1983. What energy we had as kids after the competitions to still ski up and down the slope at Bleaml Alm, or, since it could never be too steep, to take on the jump ramp for daring actions with the narrow skis.

The Bleaml Alm would do me good right now for something to eat and to warm up. But at some point, I’d have to continue in the rain anyway.

What I missed by abandoning the stage was the cross-country skiing center Silberhütte. I would have liked to visit it again. Although… I actually don’t have good memories of the cross-country skiing competitions. The weather was always bad and my performance was always lacking. So, it was quite good that I spared myself that today.

My journey still continued thrillingly when it came to traveling with DB. First, a mercilessly overcrowded train, then incorrect information, and instead of heading to Furth im Wald, I went to the U.TLW place Lam. So, tomorrow I will miss another 25 km 😇 - but at least I hope to get my bike checked again at the local bike shop.

Now I hope for a quiet night and better weather for what is to come!

Want to learn more about the land, people, and peaks? BR made an entire series about the 7 peaks of Bavaria (Dammersfeldkuppe and Schneeberg):

https://www.ardmediathek.de/video/7-gipfel-bayerns/die-dammersfeldkuppe-und-der-schneeberg/br/Y3JpZDovL2JyLmRlL2Jyb2FkY2FzdC9XT046MzM2OTEyNDMyODEzX0YyMDIyV08wMDAzODZBMDpjaGFubmVsXzI4MTA3