Heckelbüschfelsen - quartzite formation in the Hentern Forest

The Heckelbüschfelsen - A significant quartzite formation in the Hentern Forest!

Hikers on the "Ruwer-Hochwald" dream loop trail will climb a mighty rock formation southeast of Hentern, the so-called Heckelbüschfelsen, which holds a magical attraction, especially for children, as it's one giant adventure playground. While the children indulge their climbing passion on the various boulders, adults can enjoy a comfortable rest area nestled among the rocks, inviting them to take a break on this rather challenging hike. The Heckelbüsch is part of a massive quartz vein, which was exposed as a hard rib of rock from the surrounding, softer bedrock during the Ice Age due to the intense weathering and erosion of that time. Its seemingly white color gives the rock its name: milky quartz. Due to the fluctuating temperatures, the sparsely vegetated ground during this geological period was constantly subjected to freezing and thawing, which, on the slope, led to a sliding motion and made it possible to transport even large boulders into the surrounding area. This explains why, far from the original rock formation, one repeatedly finds fragments that are not connected to the underlying rock but were transported there by soil movement over time. Milky quartzite consists of SiO2 – silicon dioxide; it was used in the Middle Ages for glassmaking. Today, quartz is needed for the production of solar cells.