The Big One

Stage 23: Zagreb to Innsbruck (760km)

Day 1: 111.3km Near Sumnik (Slovenia)
Day 2: 56.3km Ljubljana
Days 3-4: Rest days/drinking days
Day 5: 114.9km Nr Rocinj
Day 6: 107.7km Beyond Gemona (Italy)
Day 7: 105.1km Beyond Oberdraubu (Austria)
Day 8: 86.2km Near Fusch a.d.Gr (The Big One)
Day 9: 94.7km Beyond Gerlos
Day 10: 84.0km Innsbruck

Right, so it's hot, I'm tired, I'm sitting on an EXTREMELY uncomfortable seat, half-crouching at the computer with a German keyboard that I'm unable to change to the normal layout, but we'll see how it all goes. Why is the seat so uncomfortable? Well, in an effort to stick to my €10 a day budget (an effort that gets harder by the country; especially when one is surrounded by Apfelstrudel and other such delights) I have found myself at a free internet kiosk that is naturally designed to keep you there for as short a time as possible. But maybe, just maybe I'll be able to beat the system.

So a fair amount has happened since the last "proper" update. Jimmy, you get the prize, I should have known someone would pick up on that, and I should have known it would be you.


I left Zagreb in the sweat-inducing heat that I shall always now associate Croatia with and had a nice easy cycle up to Ljubljana. It follows the river for the whole way, so it was flat, with a nice cooling breeze from the river. I camped one night, and my only visitor was a deer that ran at the smell of me, crying the very un-deer like cry that I'm sure all deer make, but that sounds like a horse being strangled and vomitting at the same time. It did make me feel better because I had heard that sound in the darkness 4 days previously and it had scared the hell out of me.

Two nights in Ljubljana turned into three. I usually arise at 6am on the day I'm meant to cycle. This time, the day I was meant to cycle, I came home at 6am! A night out partying with my couchsurfing hosts required a day sleeping to recouperate. Ljubljana is a fantastic city even if just sitting doing nothing resulted in sweat running down one's back. Thank-you to all you guys that made my stay there such a fantastic one.

So, having spent longer that I'd planned, and with the heat remaining comfortably in the 30's, I was looking forward to finally entering the Alps. The air would be cool, the scenery beautiful, and once I'd popped out the other side, I'd almost be home. Unfortunately, I hadn'd thought about my equipment. Over my first pass, I hit a rough section of road and looked down to see a massive buckle in my back wheel. "Shit! Another spoke gone", is what I naturally thought, but a quick check showed all to be intact. It was then that I saw the massive crack in my rear rim where 2 spokes had almost been pulled right through. I managed to adjust the others so that the wheel didn't rub off the break pads and continued on 40km to Tolmin to where I hoped there would be a bike shop.


There was a bike shop and it did have rims, but in the words of the bike shop man "these rims are awful". A call to Ljubljana just informed the man, who then informed me, that none of his suppliers had any rims that would be any better. So it was back on the bike to head 40km south of my intended route to Nova Gorica, where maybe, just maybe they would have a decent rim.

I reached there the following morning. Yes they had a better rim, yes they had DT spokes (i.e. good ones) with which to fix it. No, they couldn't fix it today. No, they didn't think there was a camp site in Nova Gorica. So, it was over the border into Italy to try my luck.

With "no ablo Italienno" being about the only Italian I knew at the time (or at least, the only Italian I THOUGHT I knew; I think it may actually be Spannish!), it took a bit of time to find a bike shop on the Italian side of the city (the two parts seem to run into each other). Yes they had a rim. Yes they had DT spokes. How long would it take? The man pursed his lips, my spirits fell, and he said "in about an hour".

Sold.


90min later, €54 lighter, with my bike set and ready to go with a new map of the Alps in my front left pannier bag I set off North back into the mountains. The area around Tolmin had reminded me exactly how much I love mountains and I was anxious to get back into them as quick as possible. I was not disappointed and camped in the shadow of a rather impressive peak.

But more was in store as I crossed into Austria the following day. I've enjoyed all the scenery I've passed through thus far but, with the exception (maybe) of SE Turkey and the area around Daramshala, the Alps have once again blown everything else out of the water. Obviously the Himalayas are the king, queen, jack, and 10 of hearts of mountains, but the Alps are a close second. Plus, on this trip, I only really got a glimpse of the foothills of the Himalaya. This time round, I'd have a decent enough time to enjoy the hills.

I hit 3 passes the first day, before reaching the top of "The Big One" on mz second day in Austria. I believe it to be the highest pass in Austria and skirts round the highest mountain: the GroSSlockner. It stands at a rather modest 2504m. I've been higher on this trip, I think I hit a 3000m pass or two in Iran, but you start on a plateau, so it doesn't feel so bad. This time round, I started at about 700m, climbed to 1200m, before descending to about 800 or so. A gradual climb over 30km up the vallez ensues before a final ascent from the town of Heiligenblut. It's 16km from here to the pass. 16km of road at a 12% gradient.

Road gradients meant nothing to me before this trip. Some were uphill, some downhill. Others were vaguelly flat, while there were some that were sneaky bastards as they appeared downhill, but were actuallz very slightly uphill. But 12% is steep. Quite steep. And there was almost no let up the entire way up. My lungs were screaming after about 500m and all I could do was tell myself there was "only" 15.5km to go.

It took 4 hours to reach the pass. Four hours of hypnotising myself with the sound of my breathing to forget about the pain in my legs. Four hours of staring at the road 4m in front of me telling myself to "just reach there". Four hours of waiting for the hairpin bends where the gradient reduced enough to take my hand off the handlebars so I could take a drink of water, or wipe the sweat out my eyes.
Will, I respected you before for crossing the Himalayas. I respect you even more now.


But after four hours, I reached the top...only to be afforded with 50% of a view, though it was a cracking view. The other 50% was on the other side of a short tunnel. As was a 300m descent followed by another 200m ascent. More fantastic views awaited there, I got to enjoy them for a full 45min as I waited for the 16 hair pin bended road to reopen after the classic motorbike racing that had caused it's closure. In all, over the 3 passes I hit that day, I think I climbed about the full 2500m.




It took 4 hours to ascend. It took 4 hours to descend. Why? It was those bastard punctures again. Sneaky punctures, with no obvious cause. Eventually, I had to fix both tubes again and cooked my rice on the side of the mountain while I gave them time to set.

That night I curled myself into a ball and thought it was the end of my adventure as the thunder and lightening crashed overhead. I counted the timings as the storm approached, and counted them as it departed. But for a full 10 minutes, all I could think about was the Aluminium tent poles, the open field I was in and the 4m between myself and the higher trees. Was it close enough? I thought about getting out and lying flat on the ground outside, but it was absolutelz pissing it down and I didn't really want to get wet...particularly if my tent didn't get struck by lightening. Then, I'd just look like a wet, almost naked fool.

Had a 600m climb yesterday on a 9% gradient that I pushed myself up repeating again and again "it's easier than yesterday". A pleasant descent followed by some valley cycling, often along quiet cycle paths has brought me to this city where I intend to finalise the next leg of my route home. I either head straight for Switzerland, or I go up to Bavaria before coming back on myself to head into Switzerland.

I'd better decide fast because the turn-off is in about 10km.

Oh yeah, and before I congratulating you on actually reaching the end of this post, can I just say the cycle paths in Ljubljana are the best I've ever come across. I usually avoid cycle paths like the plague. Cars don't see you and you lose right of way at every road and driveway you come across. But in Ljubljana, the bikes have right of way at crossings, and the traffic lights for bikes are the same as for cars. So basically, you have the same rights as a road user, only you're off the road.

congratulations. here's some photos.


2 of my hosts in Ljubljana













Entering the Alps (slovenia)













Entering Italy














Italian mountain














Entering Austria

My reaction to...










...this sign (at the base of the Hochter pass)


Sicandar taking a rest up the ascent

















At the pass
















The descent











Austrian Mountains














More mountains









...and a lake