Author: gavscyclingadventures

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Six

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Six

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Pego Loop via Puerto de La Vall d’Ebo & Puerto de Tollos

The last day of my Denia cycling adventure has arrived already & today we embarked on a loop on some of the most remote roads in the area. We began with another commute to Pego & parked just outside town on an industrial estate. Under slate grey skies, we began the climb up to the Puerto de la Vall d’Ebo, perhaps the most scenic climb in the region.

The lower slopes rose through a forested section, & during this section a group of Brits quickly cruised onto my wheel, said a cheery ‘Good morning’ & pedalled off into the distance. A timely reminder of my place in the pecking order on the climbs!! About halfway up the 6 mile climb, the view opened up & we could make out the road below as it snaked its way up the mountain, with the Mediterranean providing the perfect backdrop.

58 minutes after setting off we were at the summit of Puerto de la Vall d’Ebo, some 1,800 feet above out start point. We stopped for a selfie, then descended into the village of Vall d’Ebo, where we took a left onto a tiny track that immediately started climbing again.

The lower slopes were both steep & barren, but soon the gradient eased off & we entered a lush, green, ‘hidden’ valley.

We descended to the larger CV-720 for the gentle climb into Castell de Castells where we stopped for a café con leche & a slice of manzana brazo gitano (think of an apple filled Swiss Roll).

We stayed on the CV-720 & continued climbing through the trees until we reached the summit of the climb at the small village of Fageca. The views across the valley were stunning – in the far distance we could make out Planes, which we had visited earlier in the week.

Our next climb was short but brutal, as the gradient pitched up to 16% again on the way to the Puerto de Tollos. We were in an area of forest that had been affected by fire – I’m not sure if the charred trees were the result of natural fires or controlled burning.

As we bounced along a ridgeline, we spotted a natural arch in the far distance, something that instantly transported me back in time to 2009, & a previous cycling adventure in Moab, Utah that included a side trip to Arches National Park.

We hadn’t seen a car for more than 45 minutes as we continued to follow the natural contours of the surrounding landscape – we built up enough speed on the sweeping descents that we could get halfway up the next drag without needing to pedal.

Cova del Rull provided 1 last opportunity to capture the majesty of the surrounding mountains before we swooped back into Vall d’Ebo to complete the ‘loop’ element of the ride. Ahead of us was the short side of the climb back up to Puerto de La Vall d’Ebo.

The views on the descent of Vall d’Ebo were completely different now the sun was out & backdrop was a blue sky, rather than grey clouds of earlier in the morning.

Even the Mediterranean looked a different colour. We stopped to stage 1 final action shot, before heading back to the car in Pego.

Today’s ride felt like the perfect way to end our adventure, as we explored remote backroads, experience rugged scenery & enjoy a local delicacy. I had to delay writing Friday’s update, as we had to take the bikes apart & pack last night, due to having an early start this morning.

Denia was a great base, with lots of bars & restaurants within a 15 minute walk of our hotel. The Hotel Nou Roma was perfect for our needs, with car parking on-site, delicious breakfast options & peaceful rooms. At some point in the future I feel sure I’ll return to explore more of the region. In the meantime, I’m already beginning to think about my next cycling adventure!

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Five

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Five

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Planes & Lorcha Loop

Today’s adventure began with a 30-minute commute in the car to the small town of Pego. We were riding by just after 9.30am & headed up a wide valley road CV-700) that gradually narrowed for the first 3 or 4 miles. As we passed through Benirrama the valley widened, with bare rock faces visible high above us.

We briefly left the main road & joined a narrow track that took us ever higher into the mountains & offered up brief view of Benissile. This was perhaps the most remote landscape of our adventures to date.

After 1 hour 45 minutes of climbing, we finally reached our first summit of the day – we had climbed 2,000 feet in 16 miles. Now it was time to enjoy the descent as we looked across to Planes, where would retrace our tyre tracks from Monday’s ride.

There was a short descent where in the space of ½ mile I went from a standing start (I wanted to get a photo of Sean with the mountains in the background) to 46 mph. The road was almost ruler straight except for an ‘S’ bend at the bottom which could be straightened out of there was no traffic coming the other way.

There were a couple of places where cars & camper vans could access the reservoir (the white blob in the middle photo below is a camper van parked on the beach) with huge views to the mountains in the far distance.

After skirting the reservoir & crossing the barrage, we picked up the main road into Beniarres where we topped up our water bottles & enjoyed our 2nd descent of the day into Lorcha, which had an ancient castle perched on a rocky outcrop high above us. As we hit the valley floor we knew we were in for a long climb up the valley wall.

The climb was just over 6 miles in length & the gradient hit 17% at its steepest. There was a ½ mile section where the gradient didn’t drop below 14% (I was doing less than 4mph) – that’s hard going on day 5 of a cycling trip! The views in all directions were stunning, but I only managed to get 1 photo, which was of Sean as he battled his way up a steep ramp.

We ascended 1,500 feet in a little under an hour, but that doesn’t really tell the whole story, or give the context. The climb split into a spiteful opening 2 miles, followed by a gentle 3.5-mile stretch, then a brutal final last ½ mile. This was the 1st climb that had an Alpine & Pyrenean feel to it.

The view from the summit made the climb worth every pedal revolution. We could see the Mediterranean in the far distance & we also quickly realised how much descending we would be enjoying.

The descent was switchback heaven with views across the coastal plains all the way across to Oliva, some 10 miles in the distance.

We were at sea-level in next to no time & all that remained was to battle a cross-headwind back into Pego.

On the drive back to the hotel I picked up my bike which had been repaired & also dropped off my rental bike. It was my 1st time riding a Scott Addict & it did me proud. A big thank you to Cycles Desnivell for sorting out my rental bike at no notice.

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Four

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Four

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Benissa & Pego Loop

We made an earlier start to today’s adventure, although it began with me having a flat rear tyre on my rental bike. Luckily, it appeared to be a very slow loss of pressure overnight & it retained air when I pumped it up. Despite this slight delay, we were on our way by 9.15, which enabled us to ride in slightly cooler conditions during the early part of the ride.

There was also some localised cloud which made for dramatic views, as well as keeping the temperature in the high 20’s for the first hour or so, rather then the low 30’s. Leaving Denia, we headed towards La Xara & on towards Xabia. Those 10 miles flew by, as we had a tailwind & we only had to climb 1 small hill, although we could see our later challenges waiting for us in the distance.

As we turned towards Benitachell the road started climbing & would rise in ramps for the next 15 miles. The views across to the Mediterranean were stunning & although there were plenty of small descents in amongst the climbing, the gradient was always comfortable.

Just past the town of Teulada we took a right & picked up a small lane that took us to Benissa, where it was time for Elevenses of cheesecake with strawberry compote & a café con leche. The climb up to the coffee shop was a 14.5% gradient, so it was well deserved!

I stopped in Senija to get a photo of a mural of a cyclist that had been painted onto the house & wall in front of it. It looks like I didn’t quite line up the perspective right, but it looked great as we rode past it. Senija also marked our first proper bit of descending on today’s adventure, as we snaked our way to the valley floor below.

As we reached the town of Alcalali the road started rising again & we saw lots of cyclists going the opposite was to us – we had a small tailwind, but the had gravity propelling them!

We were back amongst the lime groves & we gradually climbed up to Parcent & Benigembla. We visited both towns on Sunday’s ride, but today we arrived from a different direction, so it all felt new.

At Benigembla we turned right & enjoyed a fast, flowing descent through the villages of Murla, Orba & Tormos, before we arrived at the day’s final climb of note – it was 1.5 miles long & we passed through a narrow gorge to reach the summit.

We were then rewarded with big views across to the Mediterranean beyond the town of Oliva.We continued descending into Pego & then took a 90 degree turn into a howling headwind.

I sat on the front for 13 miles as we headed back towards Denia on flat roads that cut through the Parc Natural de le Marjal Pego-Oliva where we occasionally received some shelter from the surrounding trees & vegetation.

I’m looking forward to exploring some more of the eating establishments this evening, so I can replace some of the calories I’ve been burning. Who knows, I might even enjoy a cheeky beer too!!

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Three

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Three

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Oliva Loop via Puerto de Sorell

You may remember I mentioned that I had gearing issues yesterday. Once I got back to the hotel it was clear the cable was frayed & very close to snapping, so my immediate priority today was to get the cable replaced. This became more complicated than I hoped, as my preferred bike repair shop (5* rated for workmanship) won’t be able to fit a new cable until Wednesday afternoon. Although they hire bikes, they are all currently rented out.

I’m a project manager, so solving problems is my day job – I left the bike to be repaired & set off to find a rental bike – luckily, I found 1 in my size that was available for the next 3 days. It cost an additional €4 to increase the booking from 2 days to 3, so I now have some contingency if my bike repair is delayed.

By 11am I’d got the bike fitted with a saddle bag, pedals & Wahoo mount. We’d chatted last night & agreed that we should both do our own thing today, so Sean had set off at about 9am to do a gentle 40-mile ride along the coast.

I set off towards La Xara on deserted lanes that offered occasional views of the mountains in the distance, then carried on to outskirts of Pedreguer, where I picked up a small service road that ran next to the Autopista de la Mediterrania for a couple of miles. Huge reeds separated me from the traffic on the motorway – it felt as if I was in the middle of nowhere.

I was edging ever closer to the mountains but was happy in the knowledge that I wasn’t going to be tackling any big climbs today. I stopped briefly to capture a photo of the Scott Addict which will be my ride for the next 3 days. It has a bit of bling in the paintjob & it rides well – any issues are due to the rider’s limitations! I had a tailwind during this section & I flew along without needed to expend much energy. I had a small degree of sympathy for the peloton of riders that were battling the headwind as they headed towards me!

The only climb of any note today was to the Puerto de Sorell, a 500-foot ascent in a little over 2 miles, so nothing compared to some of yesterday’s beasts.

The view from the summit was glorious, with the Mediterranean Sea glistening in the far distance. The descent was over in the blink of an eye & I was back on flat lanes that headed towards the town of Oliva.

This was the turnaround point of my ride, which meant I turned into a headwind for the next 20 miles.

The reward was that I was cycling through the Parc Natural de la Marjal de Pego-Olive, which is an area where the natural wetland has been preserved.

The last 10 miles were on a slightly larger road that was slightly set back from the coast. This was by far the most populated part of today’s ride & while there wasn’t anything of note worth photographing, it was pleasant enough (except for the nagging headwind!).

Sean & I met up this afternoon over a café con leche & delicious slice of chocolate & caramel cake to chat about our different days.

After a very slow start to the day for me, I ended up getting out on a bike to explore a bit more of Denia’s beautiful countryside.

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Two

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day Two

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Beniarres Loop Including Mont Benicadell

Today’s adventure began with a 55-mile commute by car to the town of Ontinyent, a small town nestled in on the valley floor but surrounded by large hills & mountains. Our planned ride was 54 miles in length with 4,700 feet of climbing, so we would be either climbing or descending for most of the day.

Within 2 miles of leaving Ontinyent, we passed Pou Clar swimming lake in a small canyon & this marked the start of our first ascent of the day. The gradient was a gentle 3% to 5% as we climbed the river valley via the CV-81 for about 4 miles. As we reached the summit, we took a left onto the CV-700 & followed the valley floor for about 5 miles as we passed through the towns of Alfafara & Agres.

The road descended for the next 7 miles as we headed towards Benamer. This was a temporary reprieve as the next 6 miles were mainly uphill with no protection from the sun, with temperatures reaching 35 degrees centigrade. Much of the route was on remote roads, which meant we didn’t have a coffee stop & we were permanently on the lookout for public water fountains to keep our bidons topped up.

As we reached Planes we took a left & skirted the edge of Barranc d’Almundaina y Planes reservoir. There were a few steep climbs & descents (I hit 46 mph on 1 of the descents & less than 4.6 mph on the climbs!). After we crossed the dam, we had a choice of following a main road to Beniarres or taking the road less travelled via some small single-track lanes.

The summit of Mont Benicadell would mark the boundary between Provincia d’Alicant & Provincia de Valenciana, but first we had to conquer the 5-mile, 900-foot climb – today we had the added challenge of climbing into a headwind! The views back to the reservoir made the effort worthwhile.

The 3-mile descent into Salem offered huge views down to the valley floor below. By now we were 3 hours into the ride & had only covered 34 miles – the constant up & down nature of the route also started to play havoc with my feet, as I began to experience numbness / pins & needles from the pressure I was putting on the pedals. This has happened before, so I knew that my best way of managing the pain was to stop for 5 minutes & take the weight off my feet.

In addition to my sore feet, the gears on my bike were jumping, which was causing me a few gear selection issues on the uphill sections – as the ride progressed, the issues increased. Luckily the final 20 miles were a bit flatter, as we wound our way through orange & lemon groves which had been planted in terraces.

My first job in the morning will be to find a bike repair shop that can fix my gear cable issues & potentially get a hire bike sorted out. I’ve seen a few options already, so hopefully it won’t interrupt my cycling plans.

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day One

Denia Cycling Adventure: Challenging Climbs & Scenic Descents – Day One

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Coll de Rates & Puerto de sa Crueta Loop

My final cycling adventure of 2024 finds me in the cycling mecca that is Denia, Spain. Denia is over 2,000 years old & much of its history revolves around its port & castle. We’re staying in the Nou Roma Hotel which is situated next to the castle. Once more we’ve picked a great base for a week of cycling!

We woke up to grey skies, which turned to showery rain as we met up at 9.15. This wasn’t going to deter our plans, as the temperature was in the high 20’s centigrade & the forecast predicted the rain wouldn’t last long. After navigating our way across town, we picked up a small 2-lane road that took us past orange & lemon groves. The first 5 miles were flat, so it gave us an opportunity to get our legs warmed up for the challenge ahead.

As we crossed under the motorway at Pedreguer we got our first peak of the big hills / small mountains that makes this region so popular with cyclists. Although we were still on wet roads, the rain had stopped & we could see a small sliver of blue sky in the distance, so things were already looking up in more ways than 1.

Our first climb of the day didn’t have a name, but it was about 5 miles in length & we gained about 1,000 of elevation. The gradient was a friendly 3% to 5% for most of the climb & the 1 standout sight was seeing a fully loaded horse & cart that was heading to Pedreguer for the Sunday market.

As we reached the small town of Parcent, we hit the lower slopes of the Coll de Rates which rises about 1,200 feet in a little under 4 miles – the pro riders will use this as a full-gas effort (the King of the Mountain record is 12 minutes 38 seconds & the Queen of the Mountain is 14 minutes 45 seconds), whereas my time of 44 minutes 30 seconds suggests I’m not quite at that level!!

We began the climb in a pine forest, but as we neared the summit, the views opened up all the way across to Denia, some 20 miles away.

We stopped for strawberry cheesecake, café con leche & an ice-cold coke. Due to the early morning rain, I was wearing water resistant kit (that also retains heat), so I was feeling like a boil-in-the-bag meal by this point!

After a brief descent into the town of Tarbena we turned right & began the last big climb of the day up to Puerto de sa Crueta. This was a 1,000-foot ascent in the space of 4 miles, but the gradient was inconsistent the whole way up. The final couple of hundred yards hit 13%, which certainly tested my climbing legs!

The good news was it was literally all downhill from this point – we had climbed 4,000 feet in the first 26 miles, whereas the next 26 miles would have less than 500 feet of uphill. Happy days!

My extra ballast pays dividends on the descents & I quickly freewheeled away from Sean as we headed towards Castell del Castells (ironically, it didn’t have a castle of any sort!). At 1 point Sean tagged on to a couple of locals who rode him back up to my wheel.

Our loop returned us to Pedreguer & from there we retraced our tire tracks to out hotel in Denia. Having set out in light rain, we enjoyed sun for most of the day & ended up riding on near deserted roads. I think we saw more cyclists today than motorists – always the sign of a great route on a cycling trip.

Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo Loop

Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo Loop

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Alpine Adventures – Day Five (Austria)

Our last day of cycling in Austria started with a drive of just over an hour to the all year round resort of Solden – skiing in winter (it regularly hosts a round of the Downhill World Cup) as well as cycling & hiking in the summer. The Ice Q restaurant was used as a location in the James Bond film Spectre & there’s also a ‘007 Elements’ cinematic experience way above the town.

Solden is a bustling tourist resort, with all the usual trappings – hotels, bars, restaurants, outdoor adventure clothing shops & gift shops which may have robbed the town of some of its original charm. However, we were only parking the car here, so would soon be heading upwards on the main road which serves as a link between Austria & Italy.

Our plan was to tackle a 15 mile ascent of the Timmelsjoch & drop 6 miles or so into Italy. At which point we would ascent the Passo del Rombo (same mountain, but now climbing the Italian side) & then drop back into Solden – an out & back route.

There were quite a few lorries & coaches on the lower slopes, serving a couple of ski resorts slightly higher up the mountain. The first mile or so rose steeply, but then the gradient evened out to a fairly consistent 6% – 8% for about 6 miles. As we reached the resort of Obergurgl, we crossed the valley floor & started climbing in earnest, as the next 2 miles zig-zagged their way through forest, up towards Hochgurgl – at this point there’s a toll booth (similar to our ride up to Kaunertal), so the traffic would thin out after this point.

Hochgurgl is also home to a motorcycle museum & it has over 230 motorbikes from 100 plus manufacturers, including some early Harleys. Our reason for stopping was that it also does great food & coffee, so after about 90 minutes of riding we were ready for some refreshments – today’s treat was cherry tart & cappuccino!

After a brief stop were on our way again & although we weren’t anywhere near the summit of the Timmelsjoch, the road descended for a mile & we gave away 450 feet of hard earned altitude! The final 3 miles to the summit were the most wild & rugged, as the only vegetation was grass which was being grazed by wild cows & sheep. They roam freely & as we were climbing, a convoy of Porsches were forced to stop their descent as the cows chose that moment to cross the road.

By now, the weather was closing in, the sun was a distant memory & cold rain was starting to fall. We were also above the snow line & the final couple of corners still had decent sized snow walls on them.

After a brief stop at the summit for a few photos & to don our rain jackets, we headed down the Italian side, where the Timmelsjoch becomes the Passo del Rombo.

The first mile of the descent is a very gentle gradient, as the road follows a cliff face before passing through a long tunnel & exiting to an enormous view of the valley below. We would descend 6 miles in total & the road took hairpin after hairpin as it hugged a valley wall on the way down. It took us less than 15 minutes to plummet 2,000 feet in just under 5 miles, so we were in from a long climb back to the summit!

The ascent to the summit took about 90 minutes & was superb – the sun had come out again & we were just a few feet from a cliff edge with drops of over 2,500 feet to the valley floor below. There hadn’t really been time to take this in as we descended – there were too many tight turns to keep us focussed.

We stopped for a warming minestrone soup at a restaurant on the Italian / Austrian border, before descending back to Solden. It was raining again at the summit, so once we’d put our rain jackets on, we set off back down the Timmelsjoch – after a few hairpins near the summit, the road opened out & in no time I had hit 43mph & was still accelerating when I remembered the cattle & sheep crossing the road earlier, so I started to reduce my speed, just as well as there were now sheep where the cattle had been!!!

After negotiating our way around the sheep, we had a small descent left, before that nasty climb back up to the Motorbike Museum. My legs were so cold from the rapid descent, that it was quite a struggle to get them turning again for the short, sharp climb. Once we reached the plateau at Hochgurgl, the final 9 miles was a fast & flowing descent & before we knew it, we were back to Solden.

This was another epic day in the high mountains & although this was our last day of cycling in Austria, the adventure isn’t yet over. After taking in a final view from my hotel window, we spent the evening carb loading in preparation for 5 more days of riding, this time in the high Italian Alps above Bormio!

Garmisch Loop

Garmisch Loop

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Austrian Alps – Day 4, 2019.

After yesterday’s epic day in the saddle, today was a far more sedate affair, but fun on every level. We’d planned a 72 mile loop that would start & finish in Telfs, a 25 minute drive from our hotel in Mutters.

The first 2 miles took us out of town on a long, straight road which was reminiscent of a French avenue with tall trees on either side, providing some protection from the overhead sun. Unlike the first 3 days of riding, there was no need of arm warmers or rain jackets – the only protection we required was sun tan lotion.

After our warm up, we were introduced to our first climb of the day, a 4 mile effort at a fairly steady 8% to 9% through a pine forest as the road rose ever higher above the alpine valley below. As I stopped to take a photo, what I think was an eagle flew across the shot & it’s ended up in my first picture.

Mosern marked the summit of the first climb – we’d ascended 1,932 feet over 4.17 miles & it had only taken us 45 minutes. For the next 9 miles the road twisted & turned as we descended into Seefeld, where we stopped for the best banana cake & a cappuccino!

We took a slight left & picked up a tail wind as we followed a verdant valley where we saw groups of workers picking strawberries & raspberries in the adjacent fields.

The road continued to drop slowly towards the Austrian/German border & before we knew it, we were in Germany & heading through the ancient town of Mittenwald, which was gearing up for a garden festival this coming weekend.

Up to this point, we’d been on quiet back roads, however, for the next part of the loop to Garmisch-Partenkirchen we were following a fairly main road, with occasional stretches of bike path – I’m sure that if I’d done a bit more research before the trip, I could have found a better way of navigating this section. We had plenty of big views up to the surrounding mountains to take our minds off the traffic – we also had the excitement of stopping at a level crossing & seeing one of the local trains go past.

We skirted around Garmisch & joined a slightly quieter road as we spent the next 13 miles gradually gaining height as we headed towards the day’s next categorised climb.

The Fernpass is only about 5 miles long & gains about 1,000 feet from it’s start point in Lermoos. As we approached the summit we saw signs for a panoramic rest stop, so decided to pull in just to see what it was all about. Way below us between the pine trees was a lake of aquamarine with huge mountains in the background – it was well worth stopping for.

As we swooped down the other side of the mountain, we passed the equally scenic lake at Fernstein, where holiday makers were sunning themselves on the beach below. We continued to descent to Nassereith, before picking up the main road again for the day’s final climb (it didn’t appear to have a name, but as we ascended more than 1,000 feet, it definitely counted as a climb!

All that remained was to descend the final 10 miles from Holzleiten back to Telfs. On a scale of 1 to 10, this loop would score a 7 (it loses 2 points for the stretches of main road where articulated trucks thundered past us – they always gave us plenty of room & it wasn’t ever dangerous, however it did detract slightly from the whole experience. I’m probably being a little harsh, as we’ve had 4 brilliant days of cycling in Austria so far, with another big day planned for Day 5.

Kaunertaler Glacier Loop

Kaunertaler Glacier Loop

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Austrian Alps – Day Three, 2019

The day began with an hour drive to the small town of Prutz, where the road to the Kaunertal Glacier starts. The logistics for the day couldn’t have been any simpler – 25 miles each way, following one road up to the summit. This tells you nothing about what the day would be like however, as the Kaunertaler Gletscherpanoramastraße tops out at 2,750 metres & is the 6th highest paved road in the Alps.

I first read about this epic day in the saddle from a cycling blogger called Will Davies (no relation), he has an awesome website www.cycling-challenge.com & over the years I’ve used it as valuable research for my cycling adventures around Europe. When Will says he loved the climb, then you know it needs to be conquered!

The purpose built road was built in 1980 & exists solely to enable people to reach the ski station at the summit, as a result, it’s open all year round – from there it’s possible to take a cable car up another 1,000 feet. The road itself is wide to ensure that coaches & large trucks can make the trip to the summit.

Our ride started under slate grey, cloudy skies & we used the first few miles as a gentle warm up, but then the bike route detoured around 3 road tunnels – they were all gravel, so the effort to pedal is that bit harder, plus the gradient increased to 9%. The climb is unusual in that from the very start the gradient jumps up & down, so it’s hard to get into a comfortable climbing rhythm.

The early slopes were cut through a pine forest, but as we rounded a sharp corner, the forest gave way to alpine meadows, with sheep & cattle grazing on the lush grass. Every now & then we passed through small villages, until after 7 miles we passed through a toll booth (for cars only) – from this point on, the road became significantly quieter. We were now following the route of a babbling brook as it meandered down the valley from a lake above.

We could just make out the dam wall of the artificial lake in the distance & as we got closer, the road kicked up for 2 miles, with the gradient varying between 7% & 12% – we also passed the first of 29 numbered hairpin bends. The views from the dam made the effort well worthwhile, as by now the sun had got its hat on & there were the beginnings of a blue sky overhead. We rode along the edge of the lake for about 3 miles, before starting the really challenging & fun part of the ride.

The views of the surrounding valley & lake below became more spectacular the higher we climbed. There were some wickedly steep sections by now, as the hairpins came thick & fast – at one point the hairpins were less than 100 yards apart & the gradient kicked up to 12% as the road followed the natural contours.

With 5 miles to go, we got our first glimpse of the glacier & we foolishly thought that we’d broken the back of the ride. We couldn’t have been further from the truth – the next 5 miles took me 1 hour 7 minutes to ride (at an average of 4.5 mph), with over 2,200 feet of ascent. This was quite simply the toughest 5 miles I’ve ever ridden, as the gradient regularly exceeded 13% for in excess of ½ mile at a time. We were also treated to some stunning scenery that helped to take my mind off the pain of the climb.

The summit was very busy, as workmen were undertaking all the repairs that need doing between ski seasons, plus there were several hundred tourists. We headed for the restaurant to replenish our energy supplies (you may have noticed I didn’t make any mention of a coffee stop on the ride) which were now depleted. After a spaghetti bolognese & gateau, we ventured outside to get our photo taken next to the tourist trap sign – 2,750 metres above sea level!

Having taken 3 hours 45 minutes to complete the climb, we could now relax & enjoy the plummet back to the start point, some 2,000 metres below.

We stopped a couple of times to check out the views again & also to admire some of the brilliant wood sculptures that were in every lay-by  most of the trail heads.

Less than an hour & 10 minutes after leaving the summit, we were back at the car – it had been an incredibly tough climb to the summit, but was also a truly epic day in the saddle! A few hours later, we’d recovered enough to raise a glass to another amazing Austria Alpine adventure.

Kuhtai Loop

Kuhtai Loop

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Austrian Alps – Day Two, 2019

Day two carried on where Day One left off. I woke to the sound of rain on the window panes, but by the time we’d had breakfast & prepared the bikes, the precipitation had moved further along the valley. The cloud base was still really low & all the mountains were hidden from view as we set off. As bad weather had again been forecast, I planned a route along the valley floor, before looping round to take in the day’s only climb of significance (at least on paper!) in the latter half of the day.

We started with a gradual climb out of Mutters towards Axems, before a fast, fun descent towards the River Inn, some 1,000 feet below. As we hit the valley floor, the sun came out, although the big mountains were still shielded from view by the low lying cloud. We followed a busy main road for about 5 miles, before detouring on to a quiet cycle path for the next 10 miles or so.

We were in prime agricultural farming country, as we passed fields of potatoes, lettuces & wheat, as well as orchards of apples, pears & cherries.

As we hit the 25 mile mark, we found a small bakery which had a great array of pastries. The only challenge was picking just one to eat with our coffees! In the end I chose a cherry pastry & wasn’t disappointed!

Having recharged our batteries, we re-joined the cycle path as it wound through a quiet forest – in the middle of nowhere we spotted a small chapel that had been built to remember all those who lost their lives in the First World War.

After hugging the valley floor for the best part of 20 miles, it was time to take a left turn & follow a tributary of the River Inn as it gradually wound up the side of the valley. For the next 20 miles, the road would be heading ever higher – the first 8 miles until we reached Otztal were a gentle warm up for the main event (Kuhtai is about 11 miles long & climbs about 4,500 feet), so we decided to stock up on energy with a quick lunch of ham salad roll & a cappuccino.

As we rolled out of town, we took a left & the road immediately started climbing, with the first couple of miles averaging 8%, with a few stretches in the 10% to 12% range. The road continued to snake its way up the side of the mountain, as we passed through tiny villages (some of them were less than 200 yards in length). As the road took us round the back of the mountain, we left civilisation behind & entered a pine forest as we twisted & turned up hairpin bend after hairpin bend for about 15 minutes.

As we continued to climb higher, the temperature began to drop & we felt the first drops of rain – by now it was about 2.30pm & the forecast had been for rain all day, so we were still thinking we’d been lucky with the weather. We continued to ride with arm warmers, as we were generating plenty of heat as we climbed. With about 5 miles of the climb remaining, the forest abruptly ended & we were entered an alpine meadow, with occasional herds of cattle roaming freely. With less than 2 miles to the summit, we had to stop to put on rain jackets, as it was now properly raining & would continue to do so for the remainder of the climb.

All of a sudden, the road flattened out as a lake & hydro-electric dam appeared on our right – this was great news, as I knew this was close to the top of the climb! We stop for a couple of quick photos, before pushing on for the summit. Before we knew it, we’d reached the Kuhtai sign & we relaxed as we took some snaps – we jumped back on our bikes, ready for the descent, only to realise we still had another couple of hundred feet of climbing to reach the town itself!

As we crested the summit, we commenced what would normally be a fast descent on a wide road, with great views. However, we were on wet roads & visibility was limited, so we adapted to the conditions. One of the unexpected hazards of our descent was a herd of longhorn cattle loose on the road – they looked like they were itching for a fight, so there was a bit of a Mexican Standoff while Sean plucked up the courage to pass them! As we began to lose some altitude, the air warmed up & as quickly as it started, the rain stopped.

After 10 miles of descending, we took a sharp right & were both surprised to see we had more climbing to do. The route profile had such a big lump for Kuhtai, that the rest of the route looked flat! It only lasted for 15 minutes or so & before we knew it, we were in Axams, so we’d circled the loop – all that remained was a relatively flat 5 mile ride back to Mutters & just as we walked into the hotel, the skies opened again! We had been so fortunate all day – the actual weather was way better than what we were expecting & the ride itself had been a real adventure.

We decided to celebrate our good fortune, by catching the mountain railway into Innsbruck, enjoy a couple of beers with dinner & then catch the train back too – I’m sure we were mistaken for locals, especially when I thanked our driver in true Bristolian fashion, with a “Cheers Drive!!!”.