"Central Alps" "Central Alps"
| Introduction In june 1996 we made a tour through Tyrol: the Italian, Austrian and Swiss Alps. The total length of the trip was 862 km, divided in 18 stages. It was a holiday with a lot of rain, but also with excellent weather when we really needed it. Passes we climbed: Timmelsjoch/Pso. di Rombo (2509m) A major difference between this trip and our tours through the Pyrenees or the French Alps is the fact that most of the passes, but also the roads through the valleys form important connections between parts of the Alps. Alternatives are hardly available. As a consequence one has to deal with quite some traffic, especially in the Ötztal, the Inntal (after the introduction of toll for the motor way the traffic on the old road has increased again), the road to Davos, and the S38 through the Alto Adige valley between Prad and Bolzano. When climbing the 48 hairpins of the Stelvio one is also confronted with a lot of traffic. The climb from Bormio is much more quiet. Route description day 1: Bolzano - Merano (28 km) Arrival at 4.30 h in the morning in Bolzano. Slowly (and sleepy) cycling to Merano. Enjoying daybreak. Do carry light on your bike, cause it is pitch dark, and one should avoid being hit by the odd car which passes at this time. Take a nap on the camping in Merano and visit this lovely city!day 2: Merano - Kurzras v.v. (55km) It is extremly hot when we decided to go for a practise climb via Naturns into the Schnalstal. The entrance of the valley is spectacular, after this one cycles between alpine meadows. We went as far as Kurzras, took a drink, and returned to Merano. day 3: Merano - Moos in Pass. (29km) Because we regarded the clim from Bolzano to the Timmelsjoch as too big a chunk to take in one piece (more than 2200 m height gain) we made a stop over in Moos in Pass (at 1000 m). Took a walk in this lovely village. Various signs indicate that cyclists are not allowed on the climb beyond St. Leonhard: we took that for granted.. The ascent of the Timmelsjoch, also called Passo di Rombo (2491 m): spectacular, quiet, steep (up to 14%!), and all in all easier than we expected. More signs indicating that cyclists are not allowed. Twice we met some Carabinieri, but they took no notice of us. Take care, there is a dark tunnel just before the pass (light on your bike required!). Descend to Sölden: like elsewhere in Austria cyclists don't have to pay toll here. I set a speed record here: 98 km/hr! (Could have reached 100 km/hr easily if I had pushed a little more). The camping in Sölden can be advised to everyone: it's very comfortable!day 5: Sölden - Landeck (67km) From Sölden we cycled through the Ötztal, into the Inntal, heading for Landeck. Note that the road climbs out of the valley here and there, making this trip less easy than anticipated. In 1996 the old route was quiet, but this has changed after the introduction of toll for the motor way.day 6: Landeck - Kaunertal (24km) From Landeck we took an easy ride to Platz in the Kaunertal. A nice small camping site can be found behind the Sporthotel. The hospitality in the Sporthotel is great, and there kitchen is excellent!day 7: Kaunertal - Weiss See Ferner v.v.(64km) From Platz along the Gepatsch Stausee to the Weiss See Ferner (glacier) (2750 m). The real ascent starts beyond the lake. Before starting it one can have a drink in the a real mountain hut: Gepatschhaus (Deutsche Alpenverein) (1900 m). The end of the climb might be somewhat of a disillusion: a summer ski resort on the glacier with a huge self service restaurant. The next day it rained cats and dogs. We even had to move our tent when a part of the camping flooded. Our bikes spent their day of with the water up to their axles. The road was temporarily closed because of the risk of land slides. Snow on 1200 mtrs! We had a comfortable day in our sleeping bags, reading a book. Everybody else (in caravans) thought of us as "those poor souls in their tent"; we loved it (another delicious dinner in the Sporthotel).day 8: Kaunertal - Galtür (62km) From Platz we went back to Landeck and from there continued to Galtür. Again: Horrible weather. Spent the night in Pension Belvedere (again: great hospitality!). Can anybody tell us wether it survived the avalanches of 1999?day 9: Galtür - Feldkirch (81km) Under a clear blue sky, with freshly fallen snow along the road we climb over over the Silvretta Hochalpenstrasse (2036 m). How lucky one can be with the weather! We fall down into the valley (supported by a crowd of people applauding) and continue with 40-50 km/hr to Bludenz (which turns out to be a labyrinth for cyclists) and further to Feldkirch (where we spend the night at a friend of Ant).day 10: Feldkirch - Landquart (43km). From Feldkirch to Liechtenstein. Quite a disappointment if one had thought to find a tiny little country, high and isolated in the mointains. Fortunately it is not such a cheap tax-free happening as for instance Andorra. A tip: an excellent cycling path runs along the Rhine, thus avoiding the traffic on the main road through Liechtenstein. We leave Liechtenstein sort of via the "back door" near Balzers. Via the Engpass one arrives in "Heidi-land". The well known Heidi story is situated here in the Rätikons mountains. The author (Johanna Spyri) lived in Chur (which is the big city from the story). A camping is situated a number of kilometers beyond Landquart on the road to Davos, near a Shell petrol station.day 11: Landquart - Davos (42km) To Davos... the first part of the route goes over a cycling path and small roads, so that one can avoid the traffic on the main road. After Klosters the rain became again so heavy that one might wonder whether we cylced over the Wolfgang pass or swam over it. Half drowned we arrived a the camping in Davos, on the road to the Fluëlapass. Davos is always associated with posh and chichi, but really, we didn't fancy it much. In fact we were planning to cycle over the Bärentritt... but before we knew we were flew through the 4(!) km long tunnel below it. The descent change into a stepp climb to Wiesen. Having passed Tiefencastel turn left to Bergün/Albulapass. After Filisür things become nasty. The Albula river squeezes itself near the Bergüner Stein through a narrow gorge. The road seems to be hung on the walls of the gorge. One immediately knows why Bergün of Bravuogn was isolated for so long, and why the Reto-Romanic language survived in these areas. About 1 kilometer behind Bergün there is a very tiny camping (1 wc, two wash-bowls behind a curtain) which is ran by an old mountain guide. He will tell you all about mountain rescues... which not always had an happy ending for the ones involved.day 13: Bergün - Pontresina (41km) From the camping over the Albulapas (2312 m). A delightful climb through varying scenery. And what's more: very quiet because most of the traffic goes via the Fluela or the Julierpass. Descend to Madulain, and climb to Pontresina. Behind Pontresina (near Morteratsch) there is a big camping, with lovely camping spots between meandering brooks. By the way the lady who runs the place is a real ^$%&(*%... Even to such an extent that, when we made a vague reference to her when talking with other cyclists a couple of days later on the Stelvio, they immediately knew who was mentioned here! The Camping lies very high (1860 m) and even in mid summer it can freeze at night!day 14: naar de Bovalhut (ca. 4 uur v.v.) To our opinion a real must: hike from the camping to the Boval hut via the side-morene of the Morteratsch glacier. An easy track, mountain boots not required, although many walker will give you a disdainful look. Excellent views on the Piz Bernina and Piz Palu.day 15: Pontresina - Livigno (33km) Via the Berninapas (2328 m) (easy). Descend to the junction with the road to Livigno. Here one is confronted with a very steep climb to the Forcola di Livigno (2315 m). Based on the map we thought it to be a small quiet road. But it is crowded because Livigno appears to be owned by the Vatican and is therefore a tax-free paradise (or hell?). Just before Livigno there is a small camping site.day 16: Livigno - Bormio (38km) Via the Pso. di Eira (2209 m) and Foscagno (2291 m) again in torrential rains towards Bormio, where we spend the night in Albergo Stelvio (how appropriate!). Bormio is a surprisingly nice village. A lovely place for strolling around making all kinds off discoveries.day 17: Bormio - Pso. di Gavia (52km) Bormio - Passo di Gavia (2621 m) and back. A great climb! My time: in exactly 2 hours to the top. day 18: Bormio - Prad (38 km)Over the Stelvio (2757 m). This is the easier side of the Stelvio, but it is also the more quiet side of it. But breath taking! Between all the passes in the Pyrenees and the Alps this is one of our favourites. And for desert: a descent via 48 hairpins to Prad (not a descent for high speed though, be careful!) day 19: Prad - Bolzano (76 km)Through the Adige valley back to Bolzano. A very busy road, with a frightening dark tunnel near Silandro. Take care! |
 Contents day 1: Bolzano - Merano (28km) getting there
the dark tunnel leading towards the Timmelsjoch We took an OAD cycling bus: leaving Amsterdam at around 14 hr, arriving in Bolzano at 4 hr in the morning. Unfortunately, this service doesn't run anymore in 1999. A number of places visited are ski resorts with, for those who don't want to camp, plenty accomodation, especially off season. Take plenty of warm clothes: a lot of the campings lie on higher altitudes, all the passes are high. Even in july and august there might be snow fall. Don't forget to bring warm gloves with you... descending with 80 km/h at temperatures around 0 °C can't be done without them! As always we cycled using 48/38/28 gear-wheal and a 12-32 pinion. An excellent gear-set when you don't want to work your way up, but also want to enjoy the scenery. Tires used were 28 mm, without a single puncture during our trip.
Ant, on her way to the Weiss See Ferner
We made it! Gletscher (glacier) Restaurant Kaunertal! Michelin nr. 218, Switzerland: Andermatt - St.Moritz - Bolzano/Bozen, scale 1:200 000 Kümmerley + Frey, Austria, nr. 1, west, scale 1:200 000 Kümmerley + Frey, Italy, nr. 3, Trentino-South Tyrol/Lake Garde/Venice, scale 1:200 000 Kümmerley + Frey, Italy, nr. 2, Lombardy/Italian Lakes, scale 1:200 000 (not necessary for the route described here if you already have the other maps) Salite nel Triveneto, Guida per il Ciclista, vol I, Alpi Retiche, Alpi Noriche, Monte Baldo, 1e edizione, 1988, published by Ediciclo coop a.r.t., Portogruaro, Via Tasso 1, Vicenza. ISBN 88-85327 01 X. This is an Italian booklet with height profiles and gradients of the most important passes in North West Italy. There are also guides for Trentino including Julian Alps. Radtouren Südtirol, Dolomiten, Gardasee, Spezialführer, Rudolf Geser, BLV Verlag, München, ISBN 3 405 13611 3. A German guide with route description and profiles for 35 tours, most of them in the Trentino area. Berggids voor Fietsers, Bart Aardema, Kosmos, Utrecht, 1987, ISBN 90 215 9190 1. Dutch
guide with description of passes all over in Europe, among them are Stelvio, Bernina, and
Albula. Near the Bergüner Stein, the Albula squeezes itself through a narrow gorge. The road clings itself against the mountain... but occasionally drops down...
View on the Bernina summits, from the camping near Pontresina Overnight Be patient I still have to work on this one!
The final (steep, 14%) metres to the Forcola de Livigno
Bormio, more than a ski resort Be patient, I still have to work on this one!
The most beautiful of them all...
48 turns to go... |
