Föckinghausen, located at the southern edge of the nature park „Arnsberger Wald“ (Arnsberg Forest), is a former logger and charcoal burner settlement. Today, with its school youth hostel, family holiday accomodation and the hotel, it is a popular holiday destination.
You set off behind the hotel and follow the path between the meadows towards the forest. At the holiday home, you turn right onto A1/A3. You follow this trail until you have covered the slowly increasing gradient and arrived on top at the 4-way crossroads with refuge („Gemeinheitskopf“), where you can take a short break.
You continue on your left on X1 (Plackweg), an old army and trade road which was already used by Napoleon and his army. On this high-altitude trail, you pass the refuge at „Warsteiner Kopf“. You continue on X1, past the „Markes-Kreuz“.
Again and again, there will be spots offering a panoramic view over forested valleys, inviting you to rest a while. After a good two hours and 8 km of hiking, you will reach the guesthouse „Stimm Stamm“ (closed on Thursdays).
Your way back will start exactly opposite guesthouse „Stimm Stamm“, on A8 in the direction of Eversberg. The path leads for a while downwards through a forested area, until you reach a meadow. A8 turns left at a small pond. You continue past Eversberg, until you reach the parking lot „Buchplette“.
Here, you change, straight ahead, to A6 (do not turn right onto A6). You continue passing meadows, until you reach the club house and airfield of the model airplane club, where you turn left onto XR (Ruhr high-altitude trail). The bridge at the „Gepke“-stream invites you to take another short rest.
You can refresh yourself while treading in the spring water, until you embark on the last leg of your return. Continue walking straight ahead, XR will take you back to Föckinghausen.
