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the Degree Confluence Project
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France : Grand Est

5.3 km (3.3 miles) WSW of Metzeral, Haut-Rhin, Grand Est, France
Approx. altitude: 747 m (2450 ft)
([?] maps: Google MapQuest OpenStreetMap ConfluenceNavigator)
Antipode: 48°S 173°W

Accuracy: 13 m (42 ft)
Quality: good

Click on any of the images for the full-sized picture.

#2: Looking North #3: Looking East #4: Looking South #5: Looking West #6: Billboard, annotated #7: Switching of path by a 33% slope #8: My tent and the DCP at 2.2 km behind the mountain #9: Pass the chapel, turn left at the horses to follow the Steinwasen sign #10: Mushrooms in love and some plants

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  48°N 7°E (visit #6)  

#1: The confluence of 48° North and 7° East marked by a boulder?

(visited by Henk Pouwels)

31-Jul-2011 -- The day after visiting 48°N 5°E and the concert in Chaumont-le-Bois I proceeded to the next DCP on my list: 48°N 7°E. This DCP is in the Vosges region, a mountainous region with winding roads and a lot of climbing for the car. The DCP is approached via Munster (F), famous for its (smelling) cheese and for its storks. From Munster proceed in SW direction via the D10 to Metzeral and Mittlach. The names of the places in this French area look German, because the local language sounds like German, although it is not German: I cannot understand it.

In Mittlach my first business was to find the camping (47.9832°N 7.0185°E) and install my tent. From the camp site the DCP is at 2.2-km distance, but there is a mountain with dense forest between.

From Mittlach you can drive a normal road (rue Erbersch) to a chapel near the DCP; by foot there is a nice footpath at the mountainside of the river. Park the car at the chapel and continue about 300m by foot until you reach the meadow (with horses when I was there). Take the forest path opposite; it is marked with a sign “Wasenhus Crete”, follow this path for 175m. Don’t take the first forest path as I did, which forced me to climb by a 33% slope to the DCP. Traces indicated I was not the first one climbing.

The confluence project policy is to keep the area free of markers etc. It looks like “Mother Nature” herself has marked this DCP. A huge boulder is now lying on the forest path. My GPS recorded over 5 minutes an average position error of the boulder related to the DCP of 1m west and 1m north. Comparing my DCP with the visit in September 2003 and the visit of October 2004 shows the boulder has fallen out of the verge onto the path.

In my usual collection of natural elements a pair of mushrooms is apparently in love.

Continued at 48N-08E.


 All pictures
#1: The confluence of 48° North and 7° East marked by a boulder?
#2: Looking North
#3: Looking East
#4: Looking South
#5: Looking West
#6: Billboard, annotated
#7: Switching of path by a 33% slope
#8: My tent and the DCP at 2.2 km behind the mountain
#9: Pass the chapel, turn left at the horses to follow the Steinwasen sign
#10: Mushrooms in love and some plants
ALL: All pictures on one page