The Helle is an approx. 4 km long tributary of the Orke and rises west of the Winterberg center. The Helletal gorge is located within the 59 ha nature reserve "Schluchtwald Helle". Therefore, in addition to the geology of the Rhenish Slate Mountains, in this area you can observe untouched and rare flora and fauna.
Geomorphologically, the Helle Valley Gorge represents a notch valley. It is a typical valley form of the low and high mountains, which often becomes so narrow at the bottom that it is called a narrow valley. The rocks in the Helle Valley consist of clay schists and siltstones of the "Lower Fredeburg Strata" from the lower Middle Devonian (about 390 million years before today). During this time, today's Hochsauerland was covered by a primeval sea. The clay shales are evidence of this sea, in which the clay was initially deposited on the sea floor and solidified into rock by overburdening and high pressure (lithification). During the Variscan mountain building, about 300 million years ago, these rocks were folded, compressed and fractured by tectonic activity; the Rhenish Slate Mountains were formed!
A starting point on the trail is directly at the Winterberg train station. You can also get more information from the Winterberg Tourist Office.