Storm wood has to get out of the forest: Forest work in the steep terrain near Grafenaschau

Work is still going on on the Rissberg above Grafenaschau for around two weeks. Experts collect storm wood from the state forest.

• Work is still going on on the Rissberg above Grafenaschau for around two weeks.
• Experts collect storm wood from the state forest.
• This adds up to around 1200 to 1300 solid cubic meters of damaged wood.

Grafenaschau - A foehn storm last November and hurricane Sabine in February left considerable damage on the Rissberg above Grafenaschau. Workers have been working on the damaged wood in the state forest for several weeks. Because the terrain is very steep, this is done with cable car technology. The rope is 700 meters long, the difference in altitude is 300 meters. A company from Oberallgäu received the order. "We need about two more weeks," says district forester Thomas Meixner from the Oberammergau forestry company of the Bavarian State Forests.

The storms in November and February caused devastation on the Rissberg. 

© Forstbetrieb Oberammergau

More damaged wood than expected

The storms knocked down the trees - 95 percent spruce - at around 1,300 to 1,400 meters. In total, around 1200 to 1300 cubic meters of damaged wood will come together, Meixner believes - significantly more than estimated. In other corners of the area, 7,000 solid cubic meters of storm wood have already been taken from the forest. One solid meter corresponds to one cubic meter.

Healthy trees are not affected by the bark beetle

The bark beetle is of course an issue. “But it is not in the healthy population,” emphasizes the 48-year-old district forester. The majority of the bark beetles on the damaged trees are mechanically destroyed when the harvester delimbing and debarking the trunks. “The beetle lost in the debarked wood.” The Oberammergau forestry company had started processing the storm wood in lower elevations.

Parts of the E4 blocked

Information about the project: District forester Thomas Meixner, assisted by intern Silke Böttger. 

© Lory

The European long-distance hiking trail E4 from Grafenaschau in the direction of Rißberg / Hörnle is also affected by the wind throw. It is closed for a length of 500 to 1000 meters. Shortly after Grafenaschau there is the first sign that indicates this. When the forest work has been completed, Meixner wants to inform the responsible Alpine Club section in Starnberg. The district forester estimates that repairs will then be necessary on the climb. According to Meixner, the hiking trail is officially approved by the DAV. There are not only signs that indicate the closure, there are also two posts that alert hikers to the dangerous woodwork.

There is danger to life

Many don't come by. The few who serve are understanding. In one case, however, according to Meixner, “a lot of persuasion” was necessary. Two cyclists who came from the direction of Hinteres Hörnle were initially stubborn. They wanted to go to Grafenaschau, then had to take a detour. But there is a reason for that. After all, there is the greatest danger to life from rolling stones, loose trunks that can move unpredictably, from the felling of damaged but still standing trees and from the operation of the cable car. There is, however, a bypass option: the hike from Grafenaschau over the "Drei Marken" and then on towards Hörnle or Aufacker.

Timber price in the basement

Incidentally, the forest enterprise will not get rich with storm wood. The wood prices are pretty much in the basement. Meixner estimates that 60 euros per cubic meter can be redeemed for better quality. The goods come onto the market as construction timber, pallet timber or energy logs. Next year the Rissberg will be reforested - with spruce, fir, beech and larch.

Also interesting: storm sweeps over Garmisch-Partenkirchen