Rome [1-3] - The Alps

My neighbor saw me with my luggage and asked where I was headed for the winter. The answer surprised him, but he still greeted me and wished me a safe journey home. And so it began.

Day 1 - lots of wind

At first, you don't realize you've actually left. You're leaving your town, your district, and like in Munich at some point, the commuter train stops running. It's a strange feeling to just be gone.

Because of the strong headwinds and because it was too cold to camp at my planned destination (Achensee), I spent my first night at Tegernsee with an acquaintance.

Day 2 - first rain at 5°C, then sunshine at 18°C

The journey began at Tegernsee in 5°C and light drizzle. Following the Weissach river, the route led to the Achenpass (941m). Unfortunately, the path became increasingly icy and eventually turned into a ski track. Then it was a matter of following the main road. Once in Austria, the cycle paths were cleared again.

There's usually a nice bike path around Lake Achensee, but it was closed due to snow. The tunnel under the main road is normally closed to cyclists, but I didn't want to wait for the bus. I put on my high-visibility vest because I wanted to get through safely.

I arrived at the southern bank with a headwind but dry weather. Following the road, I descended to Jenbach at 65 km/h. There, it was a pleasant 18°C and sunny. I then continued along the Inn River to Innsbruck with a slight tailwind.

Day 3 - simply downhill

The strong headwind really took its toll on my untrained legs. I quickly bought some magnesium for muscle relaxation, but then I conquered the Brenner Pass by train.

Once I reached the top, I wanted to follow the railway embankment path, but unfortunately, there was still snow there. With only four cars overtaking me, I was able to continue along the main road for 8 kilometers. A few meters further down, there was no more snow, and from then on, the cycle path was wonderfully downhill. I had to push my bike around snow in one or two places, but only for about 10 meters.

After leaving the town center of Sterzing, the route continued between the Adige River and the motorway, which from that point no longer winds along the mountainside but follows the river. The railway occasionally runs alongside the path. I spent the night in a hotel in Klausen.

Conclusion

Overall, the route is well signposted, especially since it follows the Munich-Venice cycle route as far as Brixen. I've gotten lost the most in Germany so far. In Austria and Italy, I almost exclusively rode on excellent cycle paths and only rarely had to use the road.

That should change on day 4. Subscribe so you can get the next part too.

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