Simmelsberg winter sports area
The Simmelsberg winter sports area is located on the eastern slope of the Simmelsberg, 843 meters above sea level , near the Gersfeld district of Rodenbach in the Hessian part of the Rhön , near the Bavarian border. In the ski area at an altitude of about 670 to 843 meters there are five ski lifts of different types with lengths of 40 to 600 meters with height differences of up to 175 meters, which have several descentswith different levels of difficulty. The ski lifts are operated by three ski clubs. The runs are up to 1,600 meters in length and cover a total of around six kilometers of slopes. The race track , a 1,100-meter-long descent of the Simmelsberg lift from the Hanau Ski Club , is considered to be the steepest route in sections in Germany north of the Alps. On the slopes of the Simmelsberg lift there are regular youth and senior races organized by the Hessian Ski Association .
position
The ski area on the 842.7 meter high Simmelsberg is located in the Hessian Rhön Nature Park and the Rhön Biosphere Reserve . 500 meters north-west or north of the two ski area areas is Rodenbach, which is about 640 meters above sea level, while Gersfeld is three kilometers to the north-west, at about 500 meters above sea level. Six kilometers to the southeast, on the Bavarian side, lies the town of Bischofsheim an der Rhön . The profile of the north side of the Simmelsberg is partly steep, partly sloping to the side. The north side of the Simmelsberg falls about 300 meters to the bottom of the Ehrengrund , a narrowly cut valley in which the Gersfeld Wildlife Park is located below the ski area . The ski center on the north side, to be reached from Rodenbach on the one hand and from Mosbach, a place at about 640 meters above sea level, on the other, is relatively snow reliable due to the altitude of over 670 meters and the location-related relatively low direct sunlight in winter . A forest next to the slopes protects against wind. The ski area on the south-west slope, to be reached via the Schwedenschanze , a pass about 715 meters above sea level between Hesse and Bavaria, is located at heights of 725 meters upwards and is reached by solar radiation.
description
Ski lifts
In the Simmelsberg ski center there are five ski lifts operated by three clubs that offer ski courses in winter and their clubhouses are located near the ski lifts. The five lifts can transport over 1000 people per hour. There are refreshment stops near the slopes in the club houses. The Berghütte restaurant a few meters below the valley station of the Simmelsberg lift is also part of the lift area. The slopes are not as crowded as in the more well-known ski centers such as the Wasserkuppe , the Arnsberg , the Kreuzberg or the Feuerberg, so that the waiting times at the lifts are usually short. There are two ski schools for beginners, the DSV-Skischule Simmelsberg run by the Hanau Ski Club and Manfred Kalb's ski and snowboard school , both at the Simmelsberg lift.
The Simmelsberg lift and the Eberhard Rother practice lift are operated by the Hanau Ski Club . They are open every day if there is enough snow. The Kinzigtal ski community , formerly the Rothenbergen ski community , operates the Rothenbergen pommel lift , which is open on weekends when there is enough snow. All three lifts are located on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg and have an hourly transport capacity of 1100 people. All three lifts of the two clubs can be used with a network card.
On the south-western slope of the Simmelsberg, the Rhön Fulda Ski Club operates a pommel lift and a small rope lift, which can only be used by club members when there is enough snow.
Simmelsberg lift
The Simmelsberg lift ( location of the valley station ) from Leitner AG , built in 1965, is the oldest and longest ski lift on the Simmelsberg. It belongs to the Hanau Ski Club and overcomes a total length of 600 meters, a height difference of 175 meters (668 to 843 meters above sea level). It has portal supports in half-timbered construction, each with two standing profiles, which are horizontally connected to one another at the top and guide the rope. Due to the construction of the supports, the lift lane can be prepared underneath. It is driven by an electric motor at the valley station. Passengers are transported with double short brackets made of plastic, hangers with short brackets with handles for two people. The drawbars are connected to the pulling rope via a retractor mechanism. The lift has an hourly transport capacity of 480 people. The ski lift is located on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg and serves four runs with lengths from 1100 to 1600 meters and easy to difficult difficulties. Due to the relatively large angle of inclination of the northern slope and the height difference of the ski lift, the runs are among the most demanding in the Rhön. The racetrack is designated as a black piste and, according to the DSV, has over 40 percent longitudinal and transverse slopes in places and is considered the steepest route in Germany north of the Alps. This slope is not groomed due to the steep inclines and the narrow course through the forest. The other runs of the Simmelsberg lift, with different variants, are considered to be the best groomed in the Rhön. The lift opens up 6.1 kilometers of slopes, of which 2 kilometers are designated as easy, 2.5 kilometers as medium and 1.6 kilometers as difficult. Every year in winter, the Hanau city championship for skiers and snowboarders , a giant slalom, takes place on the slalom slope, which is organized and carried out by the Hanau Ski Club and the SKG Hanau. The competition is carried out over a distance of 850 meters with up to 100 participants of all ages. Other competitions are also regularly held on the slope, such as the Hessian and West German championships in slalom and giant slalom in the junior classes in February 2010. The giant slalom length is 850 meters, the slalom length 600 meters, with 42 gates.
| Surname | length | difficulty |
|---|---|---|
| Racetrack | 1100 meters | very difficult |
| Forest run | 1400 meters | medium to difficult |
| Slalom slope | 1400 meters | medium |
| Family run | 1600 meters | easy |
Rothenbergen button lift
The pommel lift ( location of the valley station ) from Leitner AG, built in 1968, which is driven by an electric motor at the valley station, is operated by the Rothenbergen ski community . It is located on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg in the vicinity of the Simmelsberg lift, has portal supports and, with a total length of 450 meters, overcomes a height difference of 85 meters (695 to 780 meters above sea level). People are transported using plastic plate brackets on towing hangers for one person at a time and a roll-up mechanism. The 50 towing hangers can transport a maximum of 500 people upwards per hour. The lift serves a descent that leads over parts of the family run of the Simmelsberg lift of the Hanaus Ski Club . The slope is classified as easy.
Eberhard-Rother practice lift
The T-bar lift ( location of the valley station ), built in 1970, was on the west side of the Simmelberg until 2007. Since then, the lift has belonged to the Hanau Ski Club , which bought it from the Rhön Fulda Ski Club . The practice lift has been operated on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg next to the Simmelsberg lift since the 2008/2009 season. It is about 100 meters long, with a height difference of about 15 meters (675 to 690 meters above sea level). The transport of people takes place without portal supports with a low rope guide, whereby the rope with brackets runs at the height of an adult's seat. The drive with an electric motor is located in a shelter at the valley station. The lift serves a descent that leads over the lowest parts of the family run of the Simmelsberg lift . The slope is intended for beginners and is classified as easy.
Platter lift at the Rhön Fulda Ski Club
The pommel lift ( location of the valley station ), which is operated non-commercially by the Rhön Fulda Ski Club , has been located on the southwest slope of the Simmelsberg since 2008 at the location of a bar lift from 1970. It is about 450 meters long with inclined T-supports as Rope guidance at a height difference of about 85 meters (725 to 810 meters above sea level). The incline of the supports means that the lift track can be prepared without any problems. It is driven by an electric motor at the valley station. People are transported with plastic plate hangers on towing hangers for one person at a time. The ski lift serves two slopes on both sides of the lift route. The slopes are the only ones on the Simmelsberg that have floodlights.
Children's lift
The rope tow ( location of the bottom station ) built in 2003 on the southwestern slope of Simmel mountain above the clubhouse of the Ski Club Rhon Fulda is the Ski Club Rhon Fulda operated within the association. It has a length of about 40 meters with a height difference of about 10 meters (760 to 770 meters above sea level). People are transported without portal supports with a low cable guide, whereby you have to hold on to the cable with your hands. The drive with an electric motor is located at the valley station. The lift serves a descent for children, which leads over part of the descent of the pommel lift of the Rhön Fulda Ski Club. The slope is classified as easy.
Ski jumps
The SKG Gersfeld operation in the years 1914 to 1925 on the north slope of Mount Simmel the first ski jump with jump distances of about 25 meters. The club then built two jumps ( location of the take-off table ) at about 740 meters above sea level in 1968 , with K-points of 32 and 55 meters. The larger hill allowed widths of over 60 meters. Neither ski jumping hill has been used for several decades and some of them have fallen into disrepair. Both were natural hills, so no inrun tower was needed. Both ski jumping facilities were adapted from the approach area to the landing area by moving earth to the natural environment. The larger hill had a judges' tower, the smaller one a platform.
Cross-country trails
The Simmelsberg trail leads from the ski area as a connecting trail to the Rotes Moor trail center . The starting point is at the Frankfurter Hütte . The trail is not always groomed. It has a length of four kilometers and is 709 to 795 meters above sea level. The level of difficulty is difficult and there are 240 meters of altitude to be overcome.
Winter hiking trails
The ski area is traversed by a winter hiking trail, the Gersfeld / Frankfurter Hütte / Sparbrod circular hiking trail with a length of nine kilometers. It leads from Gersfeld via the Gersfeld Wildlife Park to the Dammelhof and the Frankfurter Hütte. It goes back to Gersfeld via Rodenbach and Sparbrod .
story
Until the end of the 1960s, the center of skiing around Gersfeld was on the northern slope of the snow-sure Reesberg . There was a 60-meter ski jump and a wide downhill run. Since the area was within the Wildflecken NATO military training area, it was cordoned off with an electrically secured fence. The state government designated the nearby Simmelsberg for the new ski center. In the mid-1960s, a path for the racetrack in the beech forest was cut from the summit of the Simmelsberg to the Ehrengrund. In 1966 it was inaugurated with a giant slalom. The entire Hessian elite of alpine racing took part in the race. At the same time, the two Simmelsbergschanzen with K-points of 32 and 55 meters were also built. On the occasion of the inauguration of the ski jumps, five competitions took place, among others as part of the Hessian Nordic Championships .
Hanau Ski Club
The Ski Club Hanau e. V., with around 200 members today, installed the first lift on Simmelsberg in the early 1960s. It was a transportable rope lift about 100 meters in length from Flensburg for about 8,000 marks, which was powered by a gasoline engine. On operating days, the lift was transported from Hanau, a hundred kilometers away, to Simmelsberg and set up there. In the evening it was dismantled and brought back. The lift was also taken on a company outing to Kitzbühel and set up there. During the two-week continuous operation in Kitzbühel, however, there were defects in the lift system and it was returned to the dealer.
The Hanau ski club, which at that time had around 400 members, wanted to buy a permanently installed drag lift and looked for suitable terrain on the Simmelsberg. Talks were held with the district forester about the necessary clearing for the lift route and sponsors were sought. After the prices of the leading lift manufacturers were too high, an agreement was reached with Leitner AG from South Tyrol on 100,000 marks for the lift including delivery to the Simmelsberg. One third of the costs were paid by the association, another third by the state of Hesse and the rest by the city of Hanau. The construction work for the 600 meter long lift, which is powered by an electric motor, took place in 1965. American soldiers blasted rocks with heavy equipment and helped level the lift route. Club members cleared the lift route and the downhill routes. A local contractor erected the concrete base for the lift masts. Water penetrated in various places, so that ditches had to be dug there to drain these places. Pasture fences were moved, cables were laid and a booth was built at the valley station. The public network for the Rodenbach – Dammelhof area had to be strengthened to supply power to the lift. As the last work, the slopes were prepared and the hangers hung. The ski lift opened on a December Sunday in 1965. The winter was snowy, so the association's income from the lift was very good.
From 1969 the youth and club home with lounge, kitchen and space for 25 beds was built at the valley station at around 665 meters above sea level . Half of the construction costs of 123,000 marks were covered by the Fulda district, the city of Hanau and the state sports association. The association financed the remaining 50 percent from its own equity. In 1972 the youth home was completed with a kiosk on the ground floor, a workshop and the storage room for the lift hangers. In 1971 a snow groomer was purchased to prepare the slopes, which was replaced by a larger one in 1985.
In 2007, the club bought the ski-lift operated by the Rhön Fulda Ski Club on the western slope of the Simmelsberg, which was replaced by a pommel lift there. The approximately 100-meter-long lift, intended for children and beginners, was set up east of the clubhouse on a moderately sloping meadow, put into operation in the 2007/2008 season and in memory of long-term club member Eberhard Rother, who died shortly before, in the name of Eberhard Rother -Baptized practice lift . In 2009 the Simmelsberg lift received a new rope and the TÜV confirmed the operational safety. From 2007 onwards, various works were carried out on the slopes. The slalom slope was widened through clearing work . In 2009, the lower part of the race track was given a new route to the valley station of the lift. The individual departures have been re-signposted.
Kinzigtal ski community
The Rothenbergen Ski Community Association from various locations around Gelnhausen was founded in 1955. The winter activities in the home region were very limited and were increasingly relocated to the Rhön ski areas due to the increased demands. From 1963 Jürgen Fahl constructed a mobile lift system with a car engine. This lift was used at various locations in the Rhön around Gersfeld. In 1965, the ski community acquired land on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg in order to set up permanent residence there. The land area has now increased to 40,000 square meters. In 1968 the were east of the T-bar lift ski clubs Hanau a platter lift of 450 meters in length with a 30 horsepower strong electric motor and a device and a breakfast hut built. In 1970 the Rothenbergen ski community became part of the Kinzigtal ski community. V. renamed. In November 1987, the Frankfurter Hütte was completed at around 740 meters above sea level in the immediate vicinity of the lift.
Rhön Fulda Ski Club
The ski club, founded in 1911, bought a piece of land in April 1954 on the western slope of the Simmelsberg, at the Schwedenschanze . In the same year, the 400-member association built a tool shed at around 730 meters above sea level. Over the years this has been expanded and rebuilt as the club's clubhouse. In 1965 a small transportable lift was purchased and installed on Simmelsberg. In 1970 the first stationary ski lift, a T-bar lift, was built. It was about 300 meters long with a height difference of about 70 meters. In 1993, another lift, a rope lift, was purchased for children. This is located above the clubhouse. In 2007 the lift from 1970 was dismantled by the club, which now had 890 members, and sold to the Hanau Ski Club , which rebuilt it on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg. The existing lift route was extended upwards by around 150 meters. A renovated pommel lift from Jochtal-Eisacktal in South Tyrol was then installed. To this end, the foundations for the lift supports and the mountain and valley supports were concreted and a lift house was built. Finally, the rope was attached, the hangers hung and the drive motor with gearbox and control system installed. The costs for these measures amounted to 120,000 euros. 50,000 euros came from the state program Sportland Hessen and 10,000 euros each from the city and the district of Fulda. The State Sports Association of Hesse granted a further grant . Without these funds, the association would not have been able to modernize the lift. The ski lift was inaugurated on February 9, 2008. The floodlight system was optimized in 2009 when the headlights initially attached to the ski lift masts were given their own masts. The club operates the two ski lifts on a non-commercial basis only for club members and is independent of the other two ski clubs on the northern slope of the Simmelsberg.
literature
- German Ski Association (Ed.): DSV Ski Atlas 2010 . Mairdumont, Ostfildern 2009, ISBN 3-9812341-1-1 .
- 5525 - Gersfeld (Rhön) . In: Hessisches Landesvermessungsamt (Hrsg.): Topographic map 1: 25,000 . Hessisches Landesvermessungsamt, Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-89446-114-4 .
- Gersfeld - leisure map 1: 25,000 . Parzeller, Fulda 2002.
See also
Web links
- Ski Club Hanau e. V.
- Ski community-Kinzigtal
- Ski Club "Rhön" e. V. Fulda
- Simmelsberg ski center at skigebiete-test.de
- Small insider tip Simmelsberg at Osthessen-News
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d 5525 - Gersfeld (Rhön) . In: Hessisches Landesvermessungsamt (Hrsg.): Topographic map 1: 25,000 . Hessisches Landesvermessungsamt, Wiesbaden 1993, ISBN 3-89446-114-4 .
- ↑ Searching for a ski area
- ↑ Small insider tip Simmelsberg
- ↑ Ski schools ( Memento from October 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Simmelsberg ski center
- ↑ ski lifts
- ↑ Gersfeld (Simmelsberg) - SC Hanau drag lift
- ↑ DSV Ski Atlas ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ slope signage. Alpine Safety, accessed February 19, 2010 .
- ↑ Simmelsberg ski center
- ↑ Results of the 11th Hanau city championship for skiers and snowboarders
- ↑ Championships in giant slalom and slalom on Simmelsberg
- ↑ Gersfeld - Leisure map 1: 25,000 . Parzeller, Fulda 2002.
- ↑ Gersfeld (Simmelsberg) - pommel lift SG Kinzigtal / Rothenbergen
- ↑ Clubhouse ( Memento from October 4, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Modernization and extension of the SKI-CLUB “RHÖN” e. V. FULDA
- ↑ Optimization of the floodlight system Sept./Oct. 2009
- ↑ Portrait SKI-CLUB "RHÖN" e. V. FULDA
- ↑ a b c About the history of the Hanau am Simmelsberg Ski Club ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file)
- ↑ Simmelsbergschanze at Skisprungschanzen.com
- ↑ a b S. Dehler: The Rhön - simply uplifting: trail map; Cross-country ski trails, winter hiking trails, ski lifts, toboggan runs . 3rd Edition. Petersberg, Fulda 2007, ISBN 3-00-014566-4 .
- ↑ Minilift of the Ski Club Hanau ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file)
- ↑ 40 years of the Simmelsberg ski lift ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF file)
- ^ Ski-Club Hanau ( Memento from March 29, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Chronicle
- ↑ Good news for the attractiveness of the Rhön
- ^ Association chronicle Skihütte
Coordinates: 50 ° 26 ′ 5 ″ N , 9 ° 56 ′ 29 ″ E
