Walk days 3 and 4

We are about to leave Rudersheim after another good day along the Rheinsteig. Fine day, good tracks and well signposted. We had a brief stop at a excellently kept wine processing place not long after we started and then another stop at a convent for a brief rest. Then around 2 pm we were on the godolas and heading down into the wine village of Rudersheim. The town was full of tourists of all descriptions and this double edged sword of tourist income versus preservation and calm ambiance was very evident. The meal was not as good as others and clearly because of the tourist impact. It is just too easy to offer standard “German fare”, probably with an american bias simply because 90% of clients will only ever be here once. It was a clear contrast to just 2 days ago when up in the hills and in places where most clients were regulars and we were the blow ins.

Now completing this note in Lorches. Although a river town and served by the ferry system, it does not appear to be on the tourist circuit.

Now for a few words on the trail itself. We have pretty good maps and they are handy for reference several times during the day but the track is very clear and well marked so a map is not a necessity. In this group, I probably rate 5 or 6 out of 8 for fitness so have been coping ok. On most days we have had 2 or 3 really solid climbs, normally up through forests and as a big sweater, I need plenty of water to keep me from dehydrating. Although we had a short shower just as we were leaving this morning, the overall weather pattern is just a little warmer each day. This makes it very pleasant whilst we are in the terrific wooded areas whilst being ok out in the open. We normally walk for between 1 and 2 hours before a short rest stop to ensure the group is still together. And as we go along, we tend to be in couples or singles, depending on just what topic is under discussion at the time. There are not a lot of other people on the track apart from locals out from villages for the daily constitutional.

This has been the first day when we have stuck reasonably close to the river. So a fair bit of the walking is at height, generally above the vineyards and contouring as we go. About every 2-3kms, we head slightly inland as we climb up and over some fairly deep gullies. Underfoot is usually very good and better than Mt Taylor trails in Canberra for example. So you can move quite quickly through the countryside. And the overview of the valley with the river scenes, constant trains on both sides of the river and the panoramic vista is quite fantastic. What could I be doing this time of year that would be better? Hmm!