The Gauchachschlucht is another of the side gorges that flow into the Wutach and walking it today would complete my planned walks of all 3 gorges. It begins below Döggingen, where the Gauchach has eaten deep into the hard shell limestone rock. Due to the steep slopes and difficult access, the gorge has remained in a natural state and the narrower area of the Gauchachschlucht is designated as a nature reserve. To reach the trailhead at Döggingen, I took the rail replacement bus from Titisee, arriving at 0845. It was another hot day and quite humid. I brought my waterproofs as thunderstorms had been forecast. From the bus stop, I quickly reached the end of the town and was pleased to see the route was well signposted. I was greeted by a herd of goats as I set out on the road through wide meadows with expansive views. The road skirted the edge of a small forest until I reached a narrow path which led very steeply down through thick forest to the Gauchach. Soft dead leaves under my boots soothed my feet after the approach walk on the hard tarmac and gravel roads. The gorge was quite narrow here and was quite beautiful with rugged limestone walls and a diverse assortment of flora. Following the riverbank, the meandering trail took me sometimes at river level and sometimes along narrow ledges, some secured with a steel cable, a few metres above the Gauchach which ran quite slowly over large flat bedrocks. Much of the way was quite wet due to the proximity of the river and everything also appeared to be covered with a wet dew, so I took extra care when walking. I certainly wouldn't attempt this walk with the Gauchach in full flood. The trail also had nine bridges to cross, all were quite rustic and added greatly to the charm of the Gauchachschlucht. It was very quiet in the gorge with the only sounds provided by a few birds and the constant rippling of the water and I was enjoying the walk.

Roughly halfway along the trail, the Gauchachschlucht is joined by the Engeschlucht, a rugged ravine through which the Tränkebach stream runs. One of the published walks includes the Engeschlucht, but the stream was completely dried up, so I didn't bother to explore it. A short distance further, I reached the Naturfreundehaus Burgmühle, a former mill which is now a refreshment stop. I was looking forward to a break here to sample its homemade cakes, but unfortunately, today being its Ruhetag, it was closed so I plodded on in the humid heat. A short distance from the Burgmühle, I crossed the last bridge which looked somewhat rickety and confirmed by a sign resticting passage to 3 persons at a time. I was now on the final stretch of the trail and after passing some cliffs, both the gorge and path now widened. The river seemed to quicken pace as well. The area was quite wet due to small rivulets flowing from the cliffs and both sides of the path were covered by lush vegetation. All too soon I reached the Gauchachmundung where the Gauchach flows into the Wutach. I crossed the Wutach over the Kanadiersteg, a covered bridge built by Canadian engineers in 1976, and walked another kilometre along a wide farm road to the Wutachmühle. As I reached the bus stop, the 7258 bus to Bonndorf arrived, but I gave it a miss and walked on to the nearby Kiosk Wutachmühle, a really good Schnellimbiss. After a lunch of Weisswurst, Brezen and two Hefeweizens at the Imbiss, I caught the next bus to Bonndorf, then made my way back to Hinterzarten by bus and train. On arrival, I sat outside a café and thoroughly spoilt myself with a portion of Schwarzwälder Kirchentorte mit Sahne and a heisse Schokolade. The promised thunderstorm never appeared and the weather continued being extremely hot and sunny. I really liked the Gauchachschlucht, it's like a smaller version of the Wutachschlucht, very green and very quiet.

Road from Döggingen to Gauchachschlucht	Path descending into the Gauchachschlucht
First rustic bridge across the Gauchach	The trail is close to the river
sometimes at river level	sometimes along narrow ledges
Cascades	Waterfall
Waterfall and weir	Naturfreundehaus Burgmühle
Last bridge over the Gauchach	Idyllic scenery along the Gauchach
Gauchachmundung	Kanadiersteg
Wutachmühle	Afternoon refreshments in Hinterzarten