Day 10 - Brixen to Matrei am Brenner - And All the Bear Could See Was the Other Side of the Mountain

June 5, 2024

Day 10 - Brixen to Matrei am Brenner

The fearsome Brenner Pass

Today started out much more quietly than yesterday. No groups of exuberant school children in this hostel. In fact, there wasn’t much happening at all in Brixen. When I was here in August a couple years ago, the city was hopping. This time you could very nearly hear a pin drop. Really all of northern Italy has been this way. I think it’s why I haven’t hated Italy quite so much this time. I managed to be here before the height of tourist season (I did at least hate the area around the Gardasee. The rain didn’t help.)

The hostel breakfast was a little better than the one in Trento. This one had yogurt and a couple types of bread and rolls, but oddly no cheese. Just jam. So I had bread and jam. And yogurt. Checkout was 9am, so I had no choice but to start early. I fully confess that I was not in the best mood this morning. The prospect of riding 35 miles uphill was not the most inspiring. I took my time packing things back in the bike. While I was loading up, a group of German speaking cycle tourists were also leaving. We had a nice chat about the bike and the Brenner Pass. Their enthusiasm actually brought my mood around along with the assurances that really the pass wasn’t that bad.

I recalled from yesterday that a small bit of the bike path along the river was closed, so I took my time bouncing along the cobbled streets of Brixen back to the river. The path along the river in Brixen could stand for a bit of new pavement. I took my time navigating the broken asphalt and soon enough was out into the park area with the short stretch of very nice gravel.

The path then takes a circuitous route to Vahrna. I had forgotten just how much climbing happens in this area. I found myself using the small ring up front quite a lot. The elevation gain on my gps was ticking higher at an alarming rate. Clearly I would be getting quite a lot of climbing out of the way before the pass even started.

In Vahrna things get interesting. There are three options here: the signed Radweg, the main non-autobahn road, and the route on the opposite side of The Valley. I believe I had routed myself each of these at various points in planning. Looking over the route last night, I realized the road is a continuous climb. I really don’t want to mix it up with cars when I’m that slow. I didn’t want the extra climbing and distance of the opposite side of The Valley either, so I went with the signed Radweg. It’s gravel. Through a nature area. I recalled it as not being that long and the map confirmed that. I figured it would be a short hike….

It was 1.1 miles of stretching my legs and pushing a fully loaded velomobile over big chunky rocks and through mud puddles. But hey, now the Bülk Urban has been tested in rough conditions too, so there’s that. It did eat up about 45 minutes of my morning though. I have no idea if the other side of The Valley would have been any faster.

With that experiment out of the way, it was back to the paved path at Franzensfest, the big fortress on the Eisack river. It’s in an awkward place from a photography standpoint, but I’m sure it was once a highly strategic location. Since I didn’t get a picture of the fortress, I’ll show you instead this picture of the river nearby:

In this area is also the staging area for one end of the Brenner Basis Tunnel. I had forgotten they were still working on that. They’re drilling through the mountain for a train line to shorten the distance and allow for faster passage between Austria and Italy. I have no idea how long they’ve been at it, but I know they were working on it when I was last here.

I think they’ve got an open house of some sort coming up

Now, it was nigh unto lunchtime and I had made about 10 miles. I was starting to wonder how late I’d be reaching my hotel. The climbing just kept coming. Every once and awhile there would be a little downhill. I celebrated every single one, first because it meant covering more ground in a shorter period of time, and second because it meant a rest for my legs which were starting to get a bit tired. Then I hit a spot of construction and my momentum came to a complete halt due to this:

Hmm. Yes. I do not see a velomobile sized route around this

The guy driving the really big roller machine yelled something to me in Italian and made a motion I interpreted as hold on, I’ll be back in a moment to move this. I sat and waited while he drove the big roller back and forth. Then a supervisor looking guy yelled something at roller driving guy. Not much later roller driving guy did finally move the baby roller so I could get through. The rest of the cyclists were being sent through on the street. I have no idea why they routed me through on the bike path. Main thing is I finally got through and could return to cycling up and down steep hills. And they were steep alright. One little leg killer after the other. Now with fresh legs, this might not have been so challenging, but my legs are not exactly fresh right now. I made quite a few very frequent photo stops. Sometimes multiple times on the same hill. At this point I was prepared to get to my hotel around dark.

Oh look a waterfall. Let’s stop for a picture of it.

Let’s take a picture of this little village.

Let’s stop for a picture of this village in The Valley and the mountain

Surely one must stop for a photo of this nice sturdy house

Maybe a quick stop for a photo of this distant church on a hill

I don’t even know what this stop was for. Maybe just to stop.

Finally I reached Sterzing and mercifully before that there was even a flat stretch along the little river! I think this was around 2:30pm. I was hungry. Hungry for ice cream. It had been quite warm all day, what with there being actual sunshine and all that. The first ice cream place I saw didn’t suit my fancy. The second one I found did. Not only did they have ice cream, but there was also a bakery. A bakery with the most delicious looking cakes ever.

A small pizza for lunch, and a delicious cream cake slice. Not pictured is the ice cream. It looked exactly like ice cream.

Fully refreshed and assured by the lady at the bakery that the Brenner pass bike path would be pretty easy, I soldiered on. I regret to report that there are a couple tough hills past Sterzing. Gosensass has a mean climb or two. Then there is a long slog west to finally a set of little switchbacks which takes you up to what was once the old rail bed. I would be remiss if I did not disclose that at this point my legs were really losing their enthusiasm for cycling. I stopped to rest when I needed, sometimes because it was getting quite hot, and other times because I needed a break from pedaling. Then there was the stop because a guy with one of those monster tire e-bikes turned around and caught up to me (frankly he didn’t have to try very hard to catch me) so he could ask about my bike. I give him credit for even being interested given how slow I was moving. I’d insert the conversation, but you already know how these go so I’ll spare you.

A castle. Oh. Not a castle. A different mountain.

I don’t even know what I took a picture of here

Finally I reached the top of the little switchbacks. Now I was on the old rail bed, which true to the reputation of rail beds, did not exceed 3%. Mostly it was 2-3%. It was still really slow going because, well, my legs didn’t want to go fast anymore, but at least I was moving at 5.5-6.5mph instead of 3mph. I still had a ways to go to the Brenner Pass though. Ever so slowly the remaining miles ticked away. Nothing exciting happened. I ate part of a bag of chips while I ground my way up the pass. I ate some gummy worms, I drank some water, I took some pictures and video, and I dreamed of how nice it would be to go downhill finally.

And then finally, Brenner came into sight. I was too tired to feel excited about reaching the top. I didn’t see a summit sign, so I settled for a picture with the sign for the train yard. Close enough.

Then the descent started. The steepest bit was a short 10% at the top. I stopped once after that stretch to cool the brakes, but it turns out that was totally unnecessary. There were even stretches on the way to Matrei where I had to briefly pedal. The response of my legs at that point was “you want me to do WHAT?” Sorry legs. I kept a close eye on the map. My biggest concern was not actually the brakes, but that I might inadvertently overshoot my hotel and have to pedal back uphill. I did NOT want that.

One photo from the stop during the 10% for the brakes. After that it was full concentration on the road.

In the end, the part of the Brenner I descended this evening was not the brake burner I expected. Perhaps the remainder will be steeper tomorrow, but I will worry about that in the morning. The open wheel wells are helping a lot with keeping the drums cool. The brakes have performed exceptionally. I’ve been keeping my speed well in check having topped out at only 45mph.

I had a wonderful salad and traditional Austrian dish for dinner. I have a nice quirky hotel room in a nice quirky hotel. Tomorrow I go the rest of the way down the mountain and then along the nice flat Inn. The following day I go the rest of the way back to the airport, and then the party is actually over. It feels like it. just started, and yet it feels like I’ve been here forever.

So, will I climb the Brenner Pass again? I don’t think so. I also would not exactly recommend it. The Reschen Pass is lovely, but the Brenner is just a long leg killer. And the scenery is not as nice as the Reschen Pass either.

Addendum: two funny stories. First, So, I’m walking down the hallway in the Brixen youth hostel and suddenly I hear this trumpet music with vocalist. I’m like wow, someone here is playing their music really loud, but they have excellent taste. I could swear I’ve heard that performer before. Is there a concert in the church next door? No can’t be. It has to be a recording. I walk into my room, close the door, and the sound doesn’t get any softer. Then I realized, I somehow turned the music on my phone on. I didn’t even know I had any tracks on my phone. And second, I was chilling in my room writing the blog and I hear a key in the door. In walks this big German guy that’s like “hi. You’re in my room.” And I’m like “hi, you’re in MY room.” Apparently there has been a mixup with the keys. He left and didn’t come back, so I’m assuming he now has his own room. I’ve already made a mess in this one.

It never rained today. I reached my hotel around 6:30pm. I even have a bit of a sunburn.

Today's ride: 45 miles (72 km)
Total: 572 miles (921 km)

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Rachael AndersonCongratulations on making it over the pass! I sure know what you mean about your legs complaining about the least little bit of up after starting down after a long climb.
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6 months ago

Ben ParkeTo Rachael AndersonYes. I think flat land is where I belong. But it was nice to try it once.
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6 months ago