In September I decided to go back to Austria to finish collecting all of the asphaled alpine passes above 2000m. After that a radio record from the prime minister was spread on the internet on which he tell, that they were lying for 1,5-2 years about the economy to the people and they cheated the people before the election, more thousands people went to the streets to demonstrate and to want his resignation. After an attack agains the building of the Hungarian television I looked the TV to 2 am in the night.
After these interesting events and street fights I didn't felt that it would be simple to go cycling abroad,
because I was waiting for government change and better life. (At oct 23. 2006 there was more serious situation: police attacked the peaceful celebrators)Don't be afraid: this article will be about bicycling :-) "(The "pathological"liar prime minister didn't resign since then but reported a huge restriction and tax and affix rising to the people.) Hungary will join the euro-zone after Romania and Bulgaria - says 29-34 analysts to Reuters. - That's the result of the post-communist and liar reign.)
After night travelling I arrived to Munich in the early morning, from there with another 2 trains to Innsbruck at 11 am. I had furtune with the weather so I could enjoy cycling that and the next two days: wonderful autumn weather. Wednesday afternoon I started my bicycletour from the austrian-italian boder, Brennerpass. After rolling down to Sterzing I climbed Jaufenpass, for me the last italian paved roadpass above 2000m. It's countryside was similar to Timmeljoch, I liked it: friendly valley, mountains and not too much traffic on the road. The meadows were green, nice, as the view was. The climb was continuously 7-8%
steep. At few places were views to other mountains, only after ca. 1800-1900 m I left the trees; from there I could see the col / pass.
The last 3 km twisted on a meadow from where there were nice views and lights.
The col (that place) was boring, but when I rolled down to sounth because of my curiousity after 500m I could stop, because from there I could see the serpentiness and the whole valley with the villages, other mountains.
A left the col little bit late, so I had to hurry from Sterzing to reach Brennerpass in time. The climb Wasn't so hard as I thought it before, when I downhilled, but I arrived dat the top only 2 minutes before the train started to Innsbruck, so I didn't tried to catch it. It wasn't a problem to cycle down to Innsbruck, because it was mainly rolling down or bicycling on flat.
On Thursday I woke up not enough early, so I coudn't catch the train that I planned, so I changed the direction of my daily trip. First I bicycled along the INn rived on a bicyclepath to kematen, from where I went into the valley towards Küthai pass (2020 m). For a few kilometeres I coudn't get sunshine because of the mountains and it was September, with later sunraise in the morning. In Sellrain I stopped for eating something; I enjoyed the sunshine.
The steepness changed; ca. At the level of 1400m in a section it was 14-16% steep,
after itt here were flat sections too. The valley was calm, and friendly, which I enjoyed very much. It was a wonderful autumn cycling! 5 kms before the pass I saw horses, then I met with a racer, whom with together we chatted to the pass. The upper part of the descent was nice too, with a lake and friendly forests, meadows.
In a section full of hairpin-bends I met with cows, who were slowly walking across the road. In the second part of the ascent - in the forest - there were very fast, steep parts, about which I read about. Because the time passed
by, I hurried to Ötztal-bahnhof train station to catch a train to Landeck and spare time and not to cycle that flat 30kms. I had fortune: after arriving the station, the train arrived in 10 minutes. From Landeck my next "task" for that day was ascending Silvretta-pass, which other name is Bielerhöhe (2037 m).
This climb was between the lighter ones in the Alps, that I cycled. IT ascended very lightly for 40km long between Landeck (818 m ) and Galtür (1584 m). The valley was friendly with nice villages, flowers, parks, generally the same mountian-views. I eated something after Ischgl, which town seemed to be a wonderful one. After Galtür a high mountain on my right side hide the sunshine from me, so at 7pm I felt cold. Because I knew
the time of train from Landeck to Innsbruck I was struggling very much to reach Bielerhöhe in time. The pass was in shadow; there was a lake, glaciers ont he mountains and a few hotel, ski-lifts. Although I wanted to left the pass at 19:45, I left it 8 minutes after it, because I wanted to make good photos and film. The descent was much faster, than I thought. Not only the steep 10kms to galtür, but after it I could enjoy the 36-38 km/h. Thanks to this I arrived at Landeck in time to catch the train at 21:20.
On my last day, Friday I woke up early, because I had to climb Zillertaler höhenstrasse before my train leave Jenbach at 13:50.
I didn't have too much infos about this ascent, only that that it has hard sections. Yes it had! From Jenbach I had to cycle in the cold morning in shadow, because high mountains were on my east side and te sunshine were too flat at that time. I was looking at the houses, where to leave my bags for the time of climbing, but I couldn't find any. At last in the village of Ried I found a house with stall, I spoke there with a guy and left my bags there. The ascent started in a calm, thin, ca.
10-12% steep road, so I could go only at 6-8km/h. I thought it would be lighter, but not. After 3kms I stopped for a short rest, and thought it should have been ligher to get back in time. Only 2-3 times I had views to the mountains or the valley. At the level of ca. 1400m I was angry about the continuously 11-12% steepness, because I started to feel a little bit of tiredness, and I wanted to eat something, but not in shadows, but in sunshine. I was waiting for a small place to sit down and enjoy sunshine. At last I could do that at ca. 1600m. At 1800m I arived at the top; I read on a house: 1800m, and "Last freshpint before going down."
It wasn't my pleasure, because I descended 4 kms to ca. 1400m so that to climb again to the target, 2000m. That ascent had more views, and wasn't continuously steep. At noon I was thinking if I had to turn back to catch the train, and maybe the pass isn't a real one, only a road on the mountainside to 2000m, but at last I thought I could see the road and it went to a saddle. Really it didn't.
With not turning back I decided to choose the next train and maybe not to arrive Budapest that day.
After a house and gift shop the road was flat for a few hundred meters, than again steep for a kilometer to a wonderful panorama-point. A few tourists sat there and enjoyed the views to the whole valley. Southwards we could see the mountains on the italian border and a few snow too. The last 2 kilometer wasn't too hard.
100meters after that the road started to descend there was an opened barrier and then a parking place with ca. 20 cars and a bus and next to them a tourist house and buffet, gift shop.
Based on the ca. 5 list of asphalted alpine
passes of the Alps I was happy that I finished colelcting all of the paved alpine passes above 2000m. (A month after it I got the info that there is an another pass that wasn't on those lists: Passo Mangart in Slovenia.)
A few paratrooper were preparing to fly. I ate something, had a little but of rest and after photo making I turned back. ON the descent at the junction I turned right to go directly the village, where I left my bags. From there I arrived to the station in time. With the train I arrived at Wien after 8 pm. From the station I called that youth hostel where we slept 1-2 years before, when we did AUDAX brevet 300 and 400.
Nap
Útvonal
Napi táv
Idő
Átlag
Szint- emelk.
Szept. 20.
VONAT: Budapest - MÜnchen - Innsbruck (szállás) - Brenner
Bringa: Brenner - Sterzing - Jaufenpass (2094 m) - Sterzing - Brennerpass - Innsbruck BEVEZETÉS, + Túraleírás és képek az 1. napról
116,19 km
4:30:07 (120)
26,7
1700 m
Szept. 21.
Innsbruck - Küthai sattel (2020 m) - Oetz - Otztal bahnhof
VONAT : Otztal bahnhof - Landeck
Landeck - Silvretta pass - Bielerhöhe (2037 m) - Landeck
VONAT: Landeck - Innsbruck Túraleírás (NEMSOKÁRA!), képek a 2. napról
