The Itinerary
Transalp 2005 Oberstdorf - Lake Como
A transalp mountainbike tour from Oberstdorf (Bavaria) to Lake Como (Italy). For all those who are more curious to see the photos: you are invited to look here.
- Prologue (August 17, 2005). Starting in Bingen and Ingelheim we make our way to Oberstdorf (Bavaria). The Deutsche Bahn provides a direct railway connection between Mainz and Oberstdorf, including a wagon reserved for bicycles and their riders. Very relaxing! We stay at the Landgasthof Weiler near the train station.
- Oberstdorf - Dalaas (August 18, 2005). Sunshine accompanies us through the Rappenalpental to the Schrofenpass. Push and carry your bike for one hour! The ascend of the legendary aluminum ladder brings us to an elevation of about 1700 m. A little push-your-bike downhill is next, until we meet a ridable path to Lechleiten. A road leads us to Warth - where we stay for lunch - and Lech. The ascend to Freiburger Huette - a mountain lodge at 1931 m - is steep but ridable. Accompanied by roaring thunder we head down to Dalaas in Vorarlberg. After 200 m the gravel path turns into a disgusting rocky singletrail. The pleasant overnight stay in the Hotel Post is an appropriate compensation ... (About 57 km, elevation gain 1600 m)
- Dalaas - Zeinisjoch (August 19, 2005). No rain on the next morning! A steep climb of 600 m of elevation burns the carbohydrates until we reach Kristbergsattel. A short break at Hasahüsli for some Apfelstrudel and we hurry on. The weather forecast predicts thunderstorm in the afternoon hours! A small gravel road leads us into the Silbertal. The road morphs to a swampy, stony path along the Langer See up to the Silbertaler Winterjöchle. Even at a moderate slope we have to push and carry our mountain bikes for 1.5 h. Sufficient time to adore the marvellous landscape! We cross the Rosanna River and go uphill through the Schönverwall Valley. The alpine ascend to the Neue Heilbronner Hütte, another lodge at 2308 m, really sucks! We proceed to the Kops Lake, a reservoir, until we finish at the Alpengasthof Zeinisjoch. (About 44 km, elevation gain 2200 m)
- Zeinisjoch - Sur En (August 20, 2005). Rain is pouring down! The forecast isn't promising either. Small roads and cycletracks make us pass Galtür and Ischgl along the Paznaun Valley. A steep road enters the Fimba Valley and changes into a gravel track that ends at the Heidelberger Hütte. We have a hot tea and some spaghetti inside before we start the 1 hour push to the Fimberpass (2608 m). A little bike pushing down into the Val Chöglia and we descend on some great trails to the Engadine Valley. We are happy to stay in the Pensiun Lischana, Sur En. (About 52 km, elevation gain 1200 m)
- Sur En - Burgeis (August 21, 2005). Rain and fog are our company as we pass the Alp Uina Dadaint and enter the gallery in the famous gorge of Val d'Uina (Uina Valley). We again have to push our bicycles making us as slow as most of the hikers we meet in the valley. At the Schlinigpass (2295 m) we cross the Swiss-Italian border as we enter South Tyrol. We leave the Sesvenna Lodge behind and hurry downwards. Cold and wet we enter a guesthouse in Burgeis, Pension St. Stefan. (About 25 km, elevation gain 1200 m)
- Burgeis - Lago di Cancano (August 22, 2005). A smooth downhill on a cycletrack and we meet the Val Müstair (Münstertal). Once again we cross the Italian-Swiss border and go for the direction of Pass Fuorn (Ofenpass). Shortly after Santa Maria we turn to the left into the Val Vau and the Val Mora. It starts raining again. We have a lunch break at a farm a little off the main path. Gorgeous trails make our day! When we reach the Lago di San Giacomo and the Lago di Cancano - two reservoirs near Livigno - we decide to stay in a small guesthouse near the second lake. (About 50 km, elevation gain 1250 m)
- Lago di Cancano - Caiolo (August 23, 2005). A dirt road leads us to the Passo Torri di Fraele and through the Valle di Foscagno (Foscagno Valley) until we reach Arnoga. The road - gravel in higher altitudes - in the Val Viola Bormina (Viola Valley) ends at the Rifugio Val Viola (2489 m). The lodge is of Italian military origin. So is the ancient paved way up to the Pass da Val Viola (2489 m). It turns out to be mostly ridable. When we reach the pass we have to carry our bikes down. Be careful in wet weather! A trail goes from Lago Val Viola to Alpe Campo. Another dirt road and we see the Inn Sfazu. Once we hit the main road, we cross it to take the direct way down to Poschiavo. A fast ride and we leave the mountains into the Valtellina. Looking for a cycletrack along the river turns out to be time consuming. The map is not too exact on it. We move to the West and stay in Caiolo, a village off the main road. (About 100 km, elevation gain 1200 m)
- Caiolo - Gravedona at Comer See (August 24, 2005). We enjoy a break with coffee and ice in Morbegno before we go on back roads to Colico at Lake Como. A ship takes us to Gravedona on the West Bank of the lake. (About 40 km, elevation gain 100 m)
- Epilogue (August 25, 2005). We have to cancel the last stage across the Passo San Jorio to Bellinzona. Rain, storm, and mudflow have made the Gotthard Pass and Tunnel impassable for cars and trains. Several roads and trails we used in the last days are as well blocked. Our train - a direct connection between Bellinzona and Mainz - has been cancelled. So we go back to Colico to get a train to Milano and across the Simplon Pass. Six changes later we manage to get to Mannheim back in Germany. Only a private car transfer helps us to get back home in the middle of the night ...