A daily peep inside …

May 16th, 2008 by Veronika Kohlhuber

I cannot even remember how long we have been going cycling together, Monika and me. In any case, we have been to the summit of Grossglockner so many times that I have lost count by now. But every time we go, it is an unforgettable experience to climb Austria’s highest mountain by bike. Only recently we went on a tour from Ferleiten up to Fuschertörl at 2,428 metres of altitude! We started at 1,200 metres and took the Grossglockner Alpine Road which, of course, is (still) toll-free for cyclists.

‘Down’ in Ferleiten, temperatures were at a pleasant 18° C. But the higher we went, the lower the temperatures got. We passed walls of snow of up to four metres in height and snow-clearing machines were still on duty. After 14 hairpin bends we had reached our goal. At Fuschertörl, the view was just fabulous! Snow crystals glittering in the sun, an azure blue sky, and many snow-covered mountains of more than 3,000 metres of altitude - it was just great despite the cold wind carrying some snowflakes and frozen hands and feet.

We were well-prepared for our way down: equipped with woollen hats, gloves, warm jumpers, wind-resistant jackets, and helmets we set out towards the valley. It was pure fun and adrenalin! We took one bend after the other without even pedalling. And the metre-high snow walls by the wayside even gave us the impression of cycling down a bobsleigh run. I am really looking forward to our next trip.