On the Ammer: Old paths are no longer maintained and are in "critical" condition
Created: 06/09/2022, 16:00
By: Elke Robert
The so-called Mittelsteig from the Pischlacher Kiesgrube, which then runs along the Ammer, is hardly usable anymore, as is the lower Ammerweg.
© Werner Schubert
There are wonderful hiking routes on the Ammer around Böbing, but you can also get caught in the undergrowth.
Because the old paths, which the locals like to use and which are also marked on the maps, are decaying.
Quite deliberately, as the Bavarian State Forests put it.
Böbing – The Schnalz Panorama Trail is well advertised by the Pfaffenwinkel Tourist Association and is signposted accordingly.
The two paths down to the Ammer and up to the Schnalz summit are maintained by the Bavarian State Forests in cooperation with the municipality of Böbing and volunteers.
It looks different if you move away from this main route on old paths along the Ammer.
The problem: These paths are hardly maintained anymore.
Popular old hiking trails or paths such as the "Boot Trail" are completely overgrown
The so-called "Stiefelweg", for example, which miners used to use to take the shortest route to Peißenberg, is completely overgrown.
Only recently, a long-established Böbinger regretted that he had to cancel the trip with the family.
It was simply impossible to get through the thicket.
Asked about it by Werner Schubert, the Böbinger nature conservation warden confirmed the problem.
The roads are in very bad condition.
The lower Ammerweg, for example from the Kalkofensteg, is “no longer accessible”, he even rates the Mittelsteig a little further east as “life-threatening”.
If it rains heavily, there would always be mudflows.
"Nobody does anything," Schubert annoyed, the Böbingers would lose a lot as a result.
In the past, the municipality had always been behind to keep these paths in good shape.
The official hiking route is marked in red at the tourist office, the old hiking trails that locals like to use are marked in black.
© Map basis: outdooractive cartography/Open Street Map
This is confirmed by Peter Schweiger, who was responsible as a former road warden.
"I hope that the old ways can be used again," says Schweiger.
"People should stay on the paths and not criss-cross through the forest."
Many trails in such bad condition that they are no longer safe
The path on the Ammer in the direction of Peiting is "tricky" and that in the direction of Peißenberg is no longer usable.
Why is that?
"The forest service doesn't want hikers to walk through the forest," he says with certainty.
That's the way it is, and there's a reason for that, confirms Hans-Peter Schöler, the district manager responsible for the Bavarian State Forests.
Certainly a whole series of routes are listed, especially on the "Open Street Map".
But: "Officially, the boot path doesn't even exist, it was invented by third parties," Schöler gives an example, "and the Bavarian State Forests don't take care of traffic safety either."
The outdoor apps show paths that the Bavarian State Forests do not want
The outdoor apps are a thorn in his side anyway.
“We are not interested in paths that we have let fall into,” says Schöler.
If these old paths or forest workers' paths were to be cut out and marked - without an order from the Bavarian State Forests - one would have to intervene.
"No one asks.
And that's something that annoys me, because if I tolerate that, I tacitly agree to the obligation to keep traffic safe." And existing paths for forestry work are not intended as hiking trails either.
Schöler recalls the incident with an e-biker who got lost on the Ammer in the dark - also on a bad, unmarked path.
The cyclist had to be rescued.
The forest office works hand in hand with the tourism association and the municipality
According to Schöler, they work hand in hand with the Pfaffenwinkel Tourist Association.
Association leader Susanne Lengger sees it that way too.
And of course she knows the problems: It is very unsatisfactory when routes are posted on outdoor platforms that nobody wants.
This led to conflicts, especially during Corona.
"There is a right of access to the great outdoors, unless there are very good reasons against it, but it makes sense to direct this and keep rooms free." An attempt was made to signpost the most beautiful paths, this happened in 2015.
Away from that, of course, paths are listed that exist or used to exist and that are left to the locals - albeit without safety measures.
Mayor: "We can not get all paths"
Mayor Peter Erhard sees it the same way.
"We can't keep all paths." Maintenance is a big challenge, which is why we have concentrated on the most common paths and, in consultation with the forestry office, have given up the others - also to give nature peace.
Erhard strongly advises staying on the well-signposted paths.
The old paths are a big risk - for people who are not familiar with the area, but also for the Böbinger.
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