Day 13 (16th Augst) – Lienz to Zell am See.
A big day today. The Großglockner Hochalpenstraße or Grossglockner High Alpine Road topping out at 2,571m.
The route over the mountain has been used for over 3,500 years. The modern road, constructed between 1930-35 was a monumental feat of engineering at the time and provided much needed employment for thousands of workers during the Great Depression.
Our starting elevation is 673m. Sam heads off in the dark. I head off at first light. Somewhere along the climb we hope to meet up.
Before the big climb we first have to retrace the Iselsberg Pass that rises over 500m from Lienz at an average incline of 7% with stretches at +10%. Not the kind of warm up I was hoping for.
Near the pass I catch dawn lighting up the Lienz Dolomites.
Recovery comes on the descent and gentler incline for the next 15km.
On the climb proper, I settle into my rhythm of practised sustained ambling.
“Are you a pusher or a pedaler?” my father once asked me. He was a champion racing cyclist who taught me the difference between pushing (one stroke at a time) and pedalling (pulling up on one pedal whilst simultaneously pushing down on the other). Pedalling is more proficient in power output, cadence and efficiency, especially when climbing.
It can be hard to maintain though, so for a few days now, I’ve been practising visioning my feet as an extension of the cranks. I found it’s easier to feel attachment of feet and legs to the cranks than balls of feet to the pedals which has made pedalling a little easier. Something to continue to play with.
Either way, climbing a big mountain like this, it mostly feels like simply climbing a giant staircase!
The pay-off is as I climb so the vista expands. And how beautiful it is! Snow-capped mountains and (retreating) glaciers come into view, waterfalls, tarns, alpine flowers and views that stretch endlessly in all directions.
The road winds through the heart of Hohe Tauern National Park one of the most significant national parks in Europe, both in terms of size and ecological diversity. A striking landscape of more than 250 x 3,000m peaks and home to over 20,000 animal and 3,500 plant species, many endemic to the region.
By good fortune, we all meet up at the top of the first peak at roughly the same time. Breathtaking views and lush alpine pasture full of flowers awaits us.
A wild descent through 2 tunnels followed by a short climb and we meet up again at the base of the 1.5km cobbled section to the summit.
Cars, bikes, hikers and motor bikes pack the summit.
Lots of hairy pin turns on the descent. It doesn’t take us long to get to our camp at Zell am See.
According to Garmin
By Bike 
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