Ride Summary

Distance: 31 mi
Climbing: 1765 feet
Descending: a bit less
Difficulty: medium
Link to workout in Strava

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Link to photo gallery from this trip - sorry, I won't be able to link individual photos in these posts!

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Up, up and away! Today we entered the Alps.

We woke early and checked the forecast, didn't see a need to rush out of town but were still at the hotel breakfast by 7:15 and filled up on starch with a bit of protein before packing up the rest of the way. At 9am businesses opened so I bought a spare saddle to have along in case mine breaks (it's creaking ominously and I've broken two in the past 8 months) and Lori visited a pharmacy. We were loaded up, checked out, and on the road by 10.

The ride started off gently - the first two thirds, about 20 miles, were fairly flat and quick and cycle paths along the river, or no-traffic country roads. We stopped on a roadside bench for a snack and braced for what we thought would be 3000 feet of climbing on the shoulder of a twisty road.

The route ticked upward then but the first major climb was only 500 feet or so on a fine cyclepath across a strip of grass from the highway, with the only ridiculous bit being the last 100 yards as we climbed over the roadway tunnel to pass over Lueg Pass. At the top, we stopped for a beer and snack while we caught our breaths with a great view. Then, as we set out, the skies opened up while we descended, and we were glad for our rain gear. Fortunately, the rain passed before the last couple of climbs - which were DARN steep and sweaty even without the rain gear on. Still, only about half of the climbing we'd expected from the routing software we use. No complaints about the "missing" sweat!

Our hotel is at the top of a 18 percent grade that I finally had to give up and walk before I threw up from the exertion of riding...the climb wasn't very long - maybe a half mile - but this one WAS ridiculously steep. However, the view at the top of the neighboring castle ("Hohenwerfen") was worth the work, especially since the hotel has the nicest bike parking I've ever seen (whole place is really nice tbqh).

We'd been thinking of visiting nearby ice caves this afternoon, but they are quite distant (bus shuttle to a 20 minute hike, 3 minute cablecar, 20 minute hike...before a 70ish minute walk through) and the rains came back, so we tucked in for the afternoon with our view and our books and eachother to cuddle it out as we look out over the castle and valley and plan to hit the ice caves first thing tomorrow, as long as it isn't snowing (which it might be - forecasts disagree!)