Suzanne's Cycling Site
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        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
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        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
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The Big Climb
Sunday September 2, 2018

As we were determined to ride regardless of the weather, what a relief to see it's not raining! We even see a spot of blue in the sky.  And this is the big day. The Bikeline book warned us that there will be a nasty tunnel, loud and rank with the exhaust from cars, and then the steepest climbs of the entire Alpe-Adria bike path. What, me worry? Yes!

We start out in pretty rolling countryside, the weather is truly fine, and after 2.5 km we reach the tunnel of ill repute. It's all of 1.5 km long, we have a separate bike lane with guardrail between us and the cars, and perhaps because it's Sunday there isn't much traffic. No complaints from me. It was definitely overhyped in Bikeline. Then some more pleasant riding, and some more, and then a very flat strech along the Gasteiner Ache. Are we there yet? Where's the Big Climb.

It starts at around kilometer 25, the beginning is gradual, then there is a very steep part, but it's not long. I know it's steep because I see some very athletic young men on their loaded bikes grunting and sweating like crazy. My e-support is good, but I still have to work my muscles more than I am used to and I probably would have had problems if the steeper parts of the hill had been longer. The Ride-with-GPS profile below indicates 11% which I know can't be accurate. I estimate it was something like 16% - 18%. After you reach Bad Gastein and think it's finished, you go around the corner and have a few more hairpins, probably the steepest part, before you reach the autorail tunnel. It was nothing to worry about!

But it was a great experience and I loved it. The views are exceptional, and I marveled at the 18th century spa atmosphere in Bad Gastein. Old, many storied hotels, where the upper crust of the day came to benefit from the hot springs of Bad Gastein, are set into the hillside.

A bit further and we reach the train that takes all traffic, cars, bikes and pedestrians, through the top of the mountain. We settle in for the short ride feeling mighty proud of ourselves. What a day this has been so far, and it will be all downhill from here.
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Leaving Hotel Posauner, up and away
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Here comes that tunnel.
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End of tunnel - we survived.
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Enjoying this
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Look at those geraniums!
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Big baby
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The weather is improving.
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See the stag on the house front.
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Not using pesticides, I think.
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Following the Gasteiner Ache for a while
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From somewhere on the way up, looking back down to the valley
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Hotels from another era
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The Gasteiner Ache plunges through Bad Gastein to the valley.
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In Bad Gastein
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Getting higher up
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Looking back to Bad Gastein - some newer hotels have been built, too.
We emerge from the tunnel and it's raining cats and dogs! We get into our rain gear, to keep warm as well as dry, and after a short wait and then a few km's, it stops raining. The descent is wonderful. The Bikeline book also warns that the descent is very steep and recommends an alternative route that first goes up before it goes down and isn't paved. We don't take that.

Then follow about 13 kms in the beautiful Möll Valley to Unterkolbnitz, where we have a B&B for the night.
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Down, down, down
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Photo stop
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Can it get any better than this?

Back
Next
  • Home
  • Bicycle Tours
    • 2021 >
      • Autumn in the Allgäu
      • Austria Again
      • A Dip into Tyrol
      • Wertheim and Beyond
      • We got as far as Wertheim
      • Bavarian Getaways
    • 2020 >
      • Out and About in Bavaria >
        • Day 1: Gauting - Bad Tölz
        • Day 2: Bad Tölz - Bad Kohlgrub
        • Day 3: Bad Kohlgrub - Landsberg
        • Day 4: Landsberg - Gauting
    • 2019 >
      • The Season Has Begun
      • Pedaling and Shooting in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • More Pedaling in Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
      • Cycling the Inn in Austria >
        • Day 1 Gautig to Tölz
        • Day 2 Tölz to Jenbach
        • Day 3 Jenbach to Innsbruck
        • Day 4 Innsbruck to Rietz
        • Day 5 Rietz to Landeck
        • Day 6 Landeck and Home
    • 2018 >
      • A Two Day Outing
      • A nine-day tour in Lower Bavaria >
        • Day 1
        • Day 2
        • Day 3
        • Day 4
        • Day 5
        • Day 6
        • Day 7
        • Day 8
        • Day 9
      • The Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Füssen to Peiting
        • Day 2 - Peiting to Klosterlechfeld
        • Day 3 - Kosterlechfeld to Gersthofen
        • Day 4 - Gersthofen to Donauwörth
        • Day 5 - Train Ride Home
      • Continuing on the Romantic Road >
        • Day 1 - Donauwörth to Raustetten
        • Day 2 - Raustetten to Dorfgütingen
        • Day 3 - Dorfgütingen to Creglingen
        • Day 4 - Creglingen to Hochhausen
        • Day 5: Hochhausen to Uettingen
        • Day 6 - Uettingen to Würzburg
      • Alpe-Adria Tour 2018 >
        • 1. Alsace or the Alps?
        • 2. We're Off: Munich to Bruckmühl
        • 3. Mountains Aready? Bruckmühl to Übersee
        • 4. Almost Salzburg: Übersee to Freilassing
        • 5. On the Ciclovia Alpe-Adria: Freilassing to Golling
        • 6. A Short Ride: Golling to Werfen
        • 7. A Patch of Blue Sky: Werfen to Sankt Veit
        • 8. Holed up in Sankt Veit
        • 9. The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz
        • 10. Inching Our Way: Kolbnitz to Spittal
        • 11. Flat and Dry: Spittal to Arnoldstein
        • 12. Buongiorno Bella Italia: Arnoldstein to Chiusaforte
        • 13. Best Bike Path Ever: Chiusaforte to Tavagnacco
        • 14. Closer to the Sea: Tavagnacco to Palmanova
        • 15. Last Day on the Road: Palmanova to Grado
        • 16. Grado and How We Got Home
    • 2016 >
      • To Berlin and Beyond
    • 2013 >
      • Eight Wheels in Transit
    • 2011 >
      • From Passau to Vienna
    • 2010, 2009, 2008, 2007, 2006
  • Day Rides
    • Rides 2023
    • 2022 Rides
    • 2021 Walks and Rides
    • 2020 Bicycle Days
    • 2019 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2019
    • 2018 Rides >
      • Bicycle Days 2018
      • 2018 Monthly Challenges
      • Cycling in Circles
    • 2017 Rides and Challenges >
      • Late to the Party
      • The Munich Kaffeeklatsch
  • Bicycle Memories
    • 1981: Bicycling with Daniel
    • 1981 - Passau to Vienna
    • 1982 - Provence with Daniel
    • 1985: Believe It or Not
    • 1986 - Southwest France
  • About
  • Contact
  • My Blog
  • Miscellaneous
    • Hochbunkers in Munich