Among caves, following bandits' tracks

Itinerary

• We start on the forestry road following the K trail sign.
• At the roadblock sign, we turn left onto the KΩ trail.
• After Likas-kő, we turn right continuing on the K▲ trail.
• On the top of Tönkölös Hill, we go straight on the Z▲ trail.
• At the Z+ trail in the saddle between Tönkölös Hill and Parajos Peak, we turn left.
• 200 meters from the Boroszlán nature trail junction, we turn right onto the PΩ trail.
• We return to the Z+ trail.
• In Gerencepuszta, we turn left on the K+ trail, going opposite to the flow of the Gerence river.
• We cross the Gerence at the Gáthegyalja ridge, then return to the bus stop following the K trail.

Detailed description of the hike

Up to Tönkölös Hill

We set off eastward from the bus turning point along the Száraz-Gerence valley on the forestry road closed by a barrier, following the K trail, then after passing the houses, at the roadblock sign we turn left onto the KΩ trail. The grassy path widens in the forest and rises steeply in the Csere-ditch. In the erosional furrow running along the center, the upper Triassic main dolomite forming Tönkölös Hill appears. After a steep climb, we reach a small clearing where we turn right, walk level for a short while in young hornbeam forest, then face another steep section up to joining the K▲ trail. Here, we stay right on the KΩ trail and soon arrive at the Tönkölös Hill cave, known as Likas-kő. From the small 6 m long cavity, remains of late Ice Age fauna as well as Neolithic, Aurignacian culture and medieval pottery shards, bone arrowheads and bone fragments were found.

From the cave, we continue briefly on the KΩ trail, then turning right onto the K▲ trail. After a couple of hundred meters, we reach the flat top of Tönkölös Hill which does not offer a viewpoint, where we continue straight on the Z▲ trail through beech forest mixed with tall ash. In summer, the ground is densely covered by the notably named common mullein weed. One km from the hilltop, we reach the Z+ trail running through the saddle between Tönkölös Hill and Parajos Peak.

The Odvas-kő cave

Turning left onto the wide gravel road, we quickly descend through the beautiful light beech forest of the Bakonybél-Szarvad ditch. From the Boroszlán nature trail junction, 200 meters ahead, we reach the right-turning PΩ trail: after a long stairway, we arrive at the strictly protected Odvas-kő cave, which has historical significance as the first documented geographical name in Hungarian referring to a cave. The Bakonybél Abbey mentions it in a 1037-dated donation letter (actually copied in the 1230s) as "Oduaskw" serving as a land boundary point. The 28 m long cave with thick benches developed in main dolomite can be entered by a 3.5 m high and 7 m wide entrance. The cavity was formed by corrosion mixing two karst waters with different concentrations saturated with lime; on mixing, carbon dioxide was released, which formed carbonic acid, dissolving cavities in the limestone. The cave surfaced due to valley-side erosion during the Quaternary uplift of the area. Its first archaeological excavation was done by Dezső Lackó in 1914, but except for some pottery shards and human and animal bone fragments, no major finds have been made from its depths since. It was also known as a hideout for Bakony outlaws, as it is relatively far from larger settlements, but the Gerence inn located nearby in the valley and the rocks above offer good views of Szarvad ditch, Tönkölös Hill, and Boszorkány Peak. To the east side of the rock mass, we find the smaller Odvas-kő rock cavity.

Down to Gerencepuszta

We return to the Old Szarvad ditch and proceed right on the Z+ trail, reaching Gerencepuszta by the foresters' houses. The Gerence river’s incised gorge exemplifies the modern water network of the Old Bakony, whose framework started forming at the end of the Tertiary and resembled today's by the Pleistocene. At that time, the carbonate rocks were covered by non-karst, softer sediments; the highest point in the area was around Olaszfalu. The watercourses cut deeper during the mountain range’s ongoing uplift, breaking through the previously buried carbonate rocks. Thus, since the Pleistocene, these streams have been roughly where they are today, cutting progressively deeper valleys. This is why in the Király-kúti forest south of Zirc, the three major Bakony watercourses (Cuha, Gaja, Gerence) originate within a few kilometers of each other. The Gerence flows through the Pénzesgyőr and Bakonybél basins, then through a 6 km long canyon crossing the Old Bakony northbound, before turning northwest near Bakonykoppány and finally flowing into the Marcal at Malomsok.

We cross the main road. Behind the parking lot next to Hotel Odvaskő on the left, a small wooden bridge crosses the Gerence river. Gerencepuszta had a few houses in the past, including a notorious inn, whose wall remains still stood in the 1950s. In the 19th century, famous outlaws such as Sobri Jóska, Milfajt Ferkó, Doma Vendel, and Savanyó Jóska frequented the area. In the early 20th century, primarily foresters and hunters lived in the small puszta, which completely transformed by the 1980s with the construction of Hotel Odvaskő.

Back to Bakonybél

Turning left onto the K+ trail, we proceed opposite the Gerence river. At the fence of Hotel Odvaskő, a wooden staircase ascends the hillside, allowing a comfortable walk onward – those who enjoy challenges can continue straight along the path, where a short rope-secured section awaits the brave along the creek bank. Soon, we bypass the Huszár-kő projecting rock and the site of Gerencemalom. The older building was the mill operator’s residence.

The valley flattens later. After three meadows dotted with benches, we reach an asphalt road where we turn right and cross the Gerence from the Gáthegyalja ridge, then via the K trail route through the Törökgurító meadow reach Fürdő street. Turning left at the first cross street, we arrive back at the bus stop from where the hike began.