Preparations

  • looking up various bike-packing setups on the internets
  • adding bikepacking

Diary

Day 00 (2024-08-14)

  • daily stats: 45 km, 3:42, +1230 m

  • sleeping: pasture below Genneralm

  • adventurous (lack of bicycle slot in connection) train ride, rendez-vous in Salzburg
  • steep climb early after leaving the city
  • mountain countryside reached quickly

Day 01 (2024-08-15)

  • daily stats: 93 km, 6:22, +980 m

  • sleeping: playground Dorfgastein

  • morning surprise, curious cows watching our sleeping place, one of the sneaked through electric fence and tasted our bikes
  • going through Bischofshofen, late lunch in Schwarzach im Pongau
  • powerplant Schwarzach (upper) water reservoir
  • entering Gastein valley through a pair of Klammtunnels

Day 02 (2024-08-16)

  • daily stats: 90 km, 6:10, +1250 m

  • sleeping: campingplatz Amlach

  • lazy breakfast at fountain in Bad Hodgastein
  • Badgastein (meeting some other Czech cyclists, heavy bike-packers)
    • picturesque town, warm springwater, wild waterfalls
  • passing from Salzburg to Körnten through Tauerntunnel (car train takes also bicycles)
  • descent to Mölltal and slow climb to great Winklern
    • history of pack animals
  • evening climb to Iselsber pass, first view of Dolomite’s Drei Zinnen
  • evening culture (musing, no dances) program in Lienz

Day 03 (2024-08-17)

  • daily stats: 77 km, 4:54, +780 m

  • sleeping: playground Bruneck

  • comfortable climb along upper Drau to Innichen(pass)
  • weather change, rain and thunderstorm on horizon
  • rainy descent to Bruneck
    • last 1–2 hours of the day without rain, calm evening

Day 04 (2024-08-18)

  • daily stats: 84 km, 5:46, +1250 m

  • sleeping: former railway below Brennerpass (best sleeping place)

  • urban coffee & breakfast in Bruneck
  • descent to Brixen (Bressanone)
    • monastery, historical center, Italian restaurant
    • “bathing” in Isarco river
  • gradual climb in the direction Brenner
    • meeting the same family with a baby carriage several times
  • nice evening climb (also to the top)

Day 05 (2024-08-19)

  • daily stats: 112 km, 6:00, +720 m

  • sleeping: empty place at Inn river, Rosenheim

  • finalizing the climb to Brennerpass (former railway is easy)
  • breakfast with locals and anyone else in a small “breakfast place”
  • descent to Innsbruck
    • actually quite flat (with ascents) and only last kilometers dissipated the altitude
  • threatening afternoon in the Inn valley – thunderstorms on both sides
    • bridging train between Terfens and Jenbach
    • hesitating about climb to Achenpass
  • continuing by train to good ol’ Kufstein
  • storm tailwind along Inn river, collecting easy kilometers

Day 06 (2024-08-20)

  • daily stats: 30 km, 1:40, +200 m

  • sleeping: home

  • observed German collapse in an empty grocery store before breakfast in Rosenheim
  • hilly scenery of Bayerisches countryside, agricultural land
  • taking train to München center and visiting the largest biergarten
  • crowded and chaotic boarding of trains to home directions

Lessons learnt

  • EuroVelo and Alpe-Adria Radwegs look good
  • bike-packing “cans” obstacle knees when pedalling out of the saddle
  • tarp does not compare to tent when it comes to mosquitoes
    • it’s also short/low at the ends of sleeping bag
  • bike gets scratched
  • Alpine rivers are difficult to bath in (strong stream)

Unused stuff

  • sandals/hardened socks (except the last rainy evening/morning)
  • toilet paper (luckily civilized toilets)
  • water filter

Misc

  • little difference between Bayern and Tyrol
    • we crossed the border several times a day without really noticing
    • this may be oversimplification
  • lots of Aus and Winkls
  • total 530 km, average 76 km/day