The Ith is the sort of ridge that makes a rider look twice at the map. It is a long, narrow limestone wall about twenty kilometres from end to end, rising steeply from the farmland to a crest of nearly four hundred and fifty metres, and it runs northwest to southeast like a great fold in the earth. The slopes are covered with old beech forest, and along the crest are cliffs and rock outcrops that attract climbers, with caves and potholes in the limestone below. The villages at its foot, Coppenbrügge among them, look up to it with a faint air of respect.
Coppenbrügge itself is a small town with an old history, once the seat of the counts of Spiegelberg, whose castle ruins stand on a hill above the centre. The family died out in the sixteenth century, and the lands passed to Brunswick, but the ruin and the market square speak of the time when this was a small capital in its own right. The surroundings are peaceful, and a few rock formations and caves in the woods have names and legends attached to them.
The road along the Ith is a pleasure for riders who like quiet. It climbs from the valley in a succession of curves through beech wood, with the light flickering through the trees, and then follows the crest or runs just below it with glimpses of the plain on one side. The tarmac is generally good, but some stretches are narrow, with tight corners and little warning, and leaf litter and moss collect in the shade. On weekends, walkers and cyclists use the road, particularly near the car parks that serve the rock climbing areas. It is quieter on weekdays, and the best time of year is early autumn, when the beech leaves turn.
The forests on the Ith hold wildlife, including deer, wild boar and, in the crags, peregrine falcons. The limestone supports a rich plant life, with orchids in the clearings in late spring. Services are in Coppenbrügge, which has about eight thousand people, with fuel stations, a supermarket and a few places to eat, and Springe lies a short way north with more. Fill up before the climb, and carry a drink. The ridge is a place for slowing down.