In this article I will review a short book Dutch Mountain Trail and the Seven Summits (the seven steepest mountain tops in Zuid-Limburg) from the Dutch Mountain Film Festival. The book(let) is written by Toon Hezemans & Thijs Horbach and consist of 88 pages covering the 4 stages of the Dutch Mountain Trail, the Seven Summits and potential short hikes around these summits.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Book Structure Dutch Mountain Trail
The Dutch Mountain Trail book is an initiative of the Dutch Mountain Film Festival and “Stichting Moving Mountains”.
In 2020, on the occasion of the 10th edition of the Dutch Mountain Film Festival and entirely in the tradition of the Jubiläumswege in the Alps, we set out the Dutch Mountain Trail. Although it has not become the longest, it has become the toughest hike in our country (Netherlands), which can compete with a serious tour in the real mountains. […] This tour offers a nice alternative to both long-distance hikers and ambitious trail runners.
Meyer and Mayer Sports Verlag, brought the book to my attention, and have also published:
- The Secret of Cycling – Maximum Performance Gains Through Effective Power Metering and Training Analysis is the book of Guido Vroemen, Hans van Dijk and Ron van Megen;
- The Secret of Running, a book from Ron van Megen and Hans van Dijk;
When the booklet was sent to me, two of my friends were actually walking the complete route of 101 km. with a backpack and a tent during winter. So for me it was fun to read the stage descriptions as they were progressing en-route. This is also how the book is structured (4 stages and 7 summits):
| STAGE # | STAGE DESCRIPTION | DISTANCE | PAGE | MAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eygelshoven – Vaals | 28 km. | 20 | 1 – 4 |
| 2 | Vaals – Gulpen | 23 km. | 32 | 5 – 8 |
| 3 | Gulpen – Meehr | 26 km. | 44 | 9 – 12 |
| 4 | Meehr – Maastricht | 23,5 km. | 56 | 13 – 16 |
As you can see in the table above a couple of maps are used for each stage. Furthermore you will read descriptions of the main typical things to see along the route, as well as a detailed description of each stage (with references and numbers on the maps).
This description can be helpful and fun in addition to a gpx-file on a smartwatch or navigation device. You can download the gpx-file via Komoot or the DMFF-website hit the GPX-file menu filter. In all fairness a paper map or paper description always works (regardless of battery of phone or smartwatch).
Seven Summits
| SUMMIT # | SUMMIT NAME | DISTANCE | PAGE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wilhelminaberg | 5,4 km. | 70 |
| 2 | Schneeberg | 8,7 km. | 72 |
| 3 | Eyserbos | 8,4 km. | 74 |
| 4 | Gulperberg | 6,2 km. | 76 |
| 5 | Hakkenberg | 5,9 km. | 78 |
| 6 | Kattenroth | 8,7 km. | 80 |
| 7 | D’n Observant | 8.9 km. | 82 |
In addition to the stage descriptions, you will also find a description of the seven steepest mountains in Zuid Limburg. The booklet contains short hiking routes around these summits (again with the maps and route description).
Where the Dutch Mountain Trail stages are on green colored pages, the Seven Summits are outlined on blue pages.
Concluding thoughts and wrap-up
The price point of the Dutch Mountain Trail book is € 19,95 which is great value for a solid companion in addition to a gpx-file on smartwatch or navigation device. The book is available in Dutch, in English and even in German.
You can get it from multiple sources: the Dutch Mount Film Festival website, NKBV website, Visit Zuid Limburg website and probably some other options. In addition you can buy a Dutch Mountain Trail pin for the price-point of € 6,25. This pin sale supports the Trees for All foundation.
The Dutch Mountain Film Festival team is working on some other cool initiatives:
- Dutch Mountain Ride – A 129 km. gravel-ride over the seven summits and 1.600 altitude meters;
- StauSeeSteig® – A 125 km. hike across Germany and Belgium over seven lakes and 2.600 altitude meters;
Are you up for a Dutch Mountain Film Festival Challenge? Would you buy the Dutch Mountain Trail companion book for the given price-point?
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