Halde Haniel in Bottrop, the second highest mining heap in the Ruhr area, just behind the heap Oberscholven, lies at about 128 m/419 ft above sea level in the vicinity of Oberhausen, offering some thrilling opportunities for practicing extreme sports.
The heap Haniel is occasionally also known as Prosper-Haniel slag heap or pile Franz Haniel. With its expansion, it reaches at about one-third of the height of Eiffel Tower, and is also the highest ever accessible heap in the Ruhr. The tailing comes primarily from the neighboring Prosper-Haniel I / II.
On the shared for the public part, there are religious, mystical, technical and cultural sculptures and objects. Along with the magnificent view offered from the summit, they make the stockpile a destination that should take dumps, photo and nature lovers. The spot is also great for various extreme sports and especially mountain biking free-ride.
The starting point is at the bottom of the heap of the south of the Cross with 15 stations placed in zigzag on the uphill to the summit. It is the most convenient way to climb this giant man made mountain. The gravel trail is placed on the top, along densely forest slopes while the growth on the top is quite low.
All these trails are accessible day and night so you won’t have any problem riding your bike at any time! Due to the large amount of the very coarse gravel switchbacks to the summit, it is essential that you are in a good physical condition. Do not forget to bring water with you so as to achieve the whole ride without getting dis-hydrated.
