Up to the top of the Grünten

Set of today with a long journey planned. I wanted to cycle up the Grünten with a few classmates and we decided to meet at the dam of the Rottachspeicher between 9.30am and 9.45am. As I didnt know how long it would take to get there I set of at 8o'clock and had a fresh mourning run to the Rottachspeicher. Arrived there at 9o'clock which means I still had ages to loung around at the lake. Meet a motor cycler on his way to Neuschwanstein and had a little chat.

Then, just before half past Lukas zoomed past me and told me I was waiting at the wrong place so I followed him until we arrived at the meting place. Matthias came ten minutes late as he had to go around a bridge which was being repaired.

So at about 10o'clock we set of towards the Grünten at a fast pace. Arrived at the bottom and took the steepest way up, as Matthias had requested. On the way up we had three big stops and at one point I couldn't get onto my bike any more as it was so steep. So I pushed a bit and after that it was only a short run to the Grüntenhütte where we had another big stop and drank a refreshment, after Lukas had to get rid of a pestering cow which didn't want to leave him. Matthias really wanted to go to the top to get a “Gipfelbild” so we set of for the monument which stands at the top. Just underneath it we looked up our bikes and had a mountain climb to the top. Reached the top and had some brilliant panorama view of Allgäu. After that a walking trail down to the Roßberalm, which was a mixture out of cycling and walking. Matthias nearly had an accident as his back wheel slipped and I nearly went over the front. Down a tarmac road where we picked up a bit of speed to shot over a river. I nearly went over the front again when I hit a stone and Lukas slipped on some mud. Arrived at a park place to wash of all the cow-pat that had spatter us. Along a nice road until we had to walk over some marshy place. Last time it was a complete marsh but now they have put some stones down and built a nice bridge.

Then a shot down until we arrived at the main road where I said goodbye to Lukas and Matthias. They went left towards Kranzegg while I turned towards Wertach to go home. A nice race along the Grüntensee and the, after Gschwend, home. A long tour with a lot of Höhenmeter (1200m).

Trach at GPSies and pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 3 hours 40 min.

Distance: 53.3 km

Average speed: 14.3 km/h