August 9, 2024
To Nauders
...over a very high hill, but not THE Reschenpass
| Heart | 0 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Yesterday's Fernpass ride really pushed us to our limits. Luckily, our accommodation turned out to be everything that the pension in the shadow of Neuschwanstein wasn't: roomy, clean, professionally run - and just across the road from a hotel-restaurant that served a hearty regional dinner.
That short excursion and writing and editing video for this journal took care of the evening. Oh, except for a discussion about today. We both realised that a second day of 70+km and climbing around 1,000m was a bad idea. There's a local train that travels 16km up the Inn valley, leaving at 7.47 in the morning. So the new plan is to take an hour of cycling from the start of the day, giving us a more realistic target given that today will end with the (not) Reschenpass climb.
This morning, we're packed, dressed and in the breakfast room 10 minutes before it officially opens at 7am. We grab lunch supplies, with Madam's blessing, and are on our bikes for the 4km downhill ride to the station (in the Alps, everyting is either UP or DOWN - there's no middle ground).
The machine allows us to buy tickets for ourselves and bikes without a hitch, so we push the bikes over to the far platform where our train is waiting. So far, so good. We're feeling pretty chuffed with ourselves, to be honest.
| Heart | 5 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 1 | Comment | 0 | Link |
| Heart | 3 | Comment | 0 | Link |
Now, according to the Strava route that Navman plotted a few months ago, we are meant to do a 250m climb on leaving Landeck. As we leave town, though, he spots the familiar cycle route signage alongside the river. Instantly, we throw out silly Strava and commit to the route right in front of us. This turns out to be the Right Thing to Do.
We're steadily climbing all morning as we follow the Inn upstream. The track starts as a cycle path on the left bank with a busy road on the far side. As the valley narrows into a gorge, we briefly cross and join the road on a painted shoulder, but it does widen again and we return to our own side.
So far, it has been easy riding - a few ups and downs but manageable. There's also been a bit of unrideable gravel but, after yesterday's epic gravel-pushing, we take it in our stride. Prutz is a busy little town. We ride past a bäckerie but have second thoughts. It's not a good idea to turn down coffee when touring; you never when the next opportunity will come along. This is our rationale for coffee #2.
| Heart | 5 | Comment | 0 | Link |
We're in uncharted territory here. Tour Leader/ Navman is not his usual perky self, even while recognising he's riding in fantastic alpine surroundings on a blue-sky day. So we stop at yet another café (this one attached to a bike shop) in Pfunds for refreshments. Coffee #3 for me - all before lunchtime. What can possibly go wrong?
Very little, as it happens. We follow the river for a few more km until the little town of Martina. It's already past lunchtime but we're keen to do the final ascent of the Reschenpass first. At Martina the route takes us straight up the side of a hill in a series of 11 hair pins. It's a sealed road, for which we're thankful, and not too much traffic - other than cyclists. Road cyclists and e-bikers whizz past us of course; I feel as though I can say with confidence there were no other senior cycle tourists on loaded muscle bikes on this climb. Thank goodness for that third cup of coffee! The gradient is constant though. We climb for over 6km, with no let-up, at around 6 to 8 percent.
| Heart | 4 | Comment | 3 | Link |
We can see Nauders, our destination, from the summit and it's not too long before we've found a supermarket and ridden to the door of our apartment - home for the next three nights. We've fallen into the lap of the gods, it seems. The apartment is a cut above our usual lodgings, immaculately presented with loads of extras (sauna anyone?) and with those high sarked timber ceilings that Bruce loves. It's OK though. I've spread two loads of laundry around the place so it looks like home.
Today's ride: 55 km (34 miles)
Total: 877 km (545 miles)
| Rate this entry's writing | Heart | 13 |
| Comment on this entry | Comment | 7 |
3 months ago
3 months ago
3 months ago
3 months ago
Cheers Michael
3 months ago
3 months ago