Walkertshofen

Day 1:

So, the yearly Walkertshofen cycling tour was planned for this weekend. As it turned out we were so many people this year we set of in two separate groups. Group 2 left at 10.15 and group 1 let Jons house at 11.00. Set of towards Hammerschmiede after everybody was ready and continued down Wertachtal and onwards. Haven't got a clue where we headed after that, but we had four GPS's in our group, so we couldn't get lost.

First stop was in the shade of a hut and whilst we were having our brotzeit group 2 overtook us, to the surprise of everyone. Turned out they had had a break at a place and we had overtaken them. After getting some water by a friendly farmers wife it was on to Mindelheim were we had an ice. Until Mindelheim it had gone downhill or nice and flat so we were not really prepeared for the four hills in the way. But after some strenuous uphill cycling we arrived at Dieters and had a brilliant evening (and played UNO).

Track at GPSies.

Day 2:

Set of after a delicious breakfast with an aching bum, but that seems to be standard by every cycler. Group 2 started a bit earlier due to my lack of timing (they said 9o'clock and wanted to leave at 8.45) but were overtaken after a short while by group 1. After travelling along some newly stoned ways (which were not very nice) we continued through our patch of of-trail forest, which Hopsing always somehow manages to do with a trailer. After that we continued on and had no pause until the 40 Km mark was reached: After a short “Arschpause” we continued on to Kaufbeuren where we had some lunch. Just as we finished group 2 arrived so the waiters weren’t overworked. After kaufbeuren it continued on, uphill at some point, but we arrived in Nesselwang to have a refreshing ice.

Track at GPSies.

Pictures from Jon, Sepp, Neill and me. Report here.

Track length: approximately 180Km

Time in saddle: approximately 10 hours (5 hours a day)

Thursday Falkenstein

Out cycling in brilliant spring weather today. Mountains still got snow on them but fields are green with flowers.

Anyway, a lot of bikers were waiting at the gym today when the group from Brand arrived. Probably due to the nice weather conditions.

Group one set of at a fast pace towards Falkenstein and proceeded fast towards Rebichel. Moni was squeaking a bit along the way, but Jon promised to get it fixed Before the big cycle trip to Walkertshofen on Saturday and Sunday. Going uphill towards the ruin of Falkenstein we were greeted with some brilliant panorama view of the Alps in the setting sun. As said, perfect weather conditions. Arriving at the top we had a short pause to get our long clothes on and catch some breath. On the way down group two was just going uphill, taking the same route as we had. Due to a cold Jon had started of with group two but joined group one in the end for some fast downhill cycling on of trail routes. After a super downhill ride on said of trail route we cycled through some hamlets back towards Nesselwang and the Bistro for some drinks and after that home to a shower.

Track at GPSies from me and Jon, and also some pictures from me and Jon.

New Lake

Nice and sunny day today, so after college I went out on my first real mountainbike tour.

A friend of mine suggested a track so I cycled that today and it was super. Started of going towards Atlesee and after that past Kögelweiher. Turned of right at some point up a hill and came up behind two castles. After that downhill and past a lake I hadn't known before. One of the first times out this year and I find a new lake. My friend had warned me about some rest of snow on the way which turned out to now be mud. I didn't have my front mud guard on so I was splattered in dirt.

After that through Rebichel and then of home for a shower.

Track at GPSies and some pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 1 hour

Distance: 19 km

Average speed: 19 km/h [ didn't need a calculator for that :) ]

Short Cycle

Just came home from Berufsschule today and as it was bright and sunny outside I thought I'd take a short bike trip round the Grüntensee. Still some snow on the ground, which I will get to later.

Set of, after trying to convince my bro to come with, which didn't work; towards Gschwend. As they are renewing the bridge spanning the Wertach I could cycle on the main road no problem. After Gschwend down into the valley and towards the dam.

Now to the snow bit. As I was cycling through the valley small snow patches appeared on the road, no problem for a mountain bike. Ice is a bit of a different matter and as fate wanted it I slipped on some and came crashing down on a nice ice-stone mix. Received two injuries for that with which I thought I should not carry on round the Grüntensee. Over the dam, past Haslach and back towards Gschwend and home to a shower and to clean my wounds.

Not as planned but here a track at GPSies and a picture at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 25min

Distance: 8,9 km

Average speed: 21,1 km/h

Cycling + Skiing

Skiing today and biking yesterday. Only really possible here and a few other places in the world.

Warm up bike tour round the Grüntensee yesterday with snow still abundant on the mountains. Makes some really interesting views.

Cycled with Dad towards Gschwend first and then further on over the Römerbrücke to Haslach. Of to Wertach where we meet a colleague of his who was also cycling. Whereas we stuck to the tarmac road he cycled on some of road tracks which where covered in snow. Wasn’t that easy apparently. After Wertach it was back toward home and a bath as it still does get cold here in the evenings. Track at GPSies.

Today was of to Schattwald with mum and dad in the morning for a bit of skiing. Brilliant pistes early in the morning which you could really stick to. Went up and down a few times, had a drink and enjoyed the views of the Alps. As dad would say: “shit life” (ironically)

Saturday Bikeride up Aplspitze

Didn't have a clue what to do today. Bright Saturday in summer and I am bored.

Luckily Matze (ex 12Ta) rang up and asked if I wanted to go cycling. I agreed and he asked me if we could do a route here by me as he was coming in the car from Kempten.
He got a bit lost but I meet him by the train station and we set of up the Alpspitze via Maria Trost. Strait at the start Matthias was clearly more trained than me and we hammered up the Alpspitze at 6-7km/h (which is fast for me). Had a few drink and photo stops and we got to Sportheim Böck and then the Fichtelhütte quite fast. Then I had the advantage. Going downhill I hammered past him, also I was the one that new the way. Along the Alpspitz until we meet the road going up to the Stubenthal-Alpe and Matze was faster again. But after that a long downhill race past the Haslacher Alm and on to Reichenbach. On the way we shocked a few people with our speed but nothing happened. Over Bayerstetten back to Nesselwang, said goodby to Matthias on the way to the station and then of home for a nice shower (with a short stop for a drink at Frenches).

Track at GPSies and some pictures at Picasa.

Time in saddle: 2 hours 5 min.

Distance: 25.1 km

Average: 12 km/h

Sunday Cycle up Breitenberg

A day or two ago Jon sent out an e-mail asking all of us who would come up the Breitenberg with him.

At 8.30 am Neill (Dad), Jon, Moni and me where at his house. A few minutes later Karin arrived because she had overslept a bit. She told us that she went to bes at 2 in the morning so she wouldn't be racing of as usual. Noticed nearly strait away that that was not true. She was at the front nearly all the time. We all had our long clothes on as it was about 7°C. On the way we had some discussion as Neill wanted to go via the main road to Kappel and Jon wanted to go the back way. As Jon is the “Boss” we went round the back and got a bit damp going through some high grass and offer a wet wood bridge where dad had his worst accident. Nothing happened this time so we carried on as planned. Through Kappel and then round the Kiemberg, up the back towards Grän and then the long climb up the Breitenberg. Was a bit chilly but no one got frostbite and at the foot of the Breitenberg we got our long clothes of, as it was getting warmer.

I hadn't cycled up a mountain for about 8 weeks so I took it nice and easy, whilst the “tired” Karin raced up the mountain. Thankfully they all stopped from time to time to wait and going up we had a nice view of the Alps. Reaching the top we got our long clothes on again for the downhill ride. Stopped at an Alm and had a drink and a piece of cake whilst the girls got an alcoholic drink to help them down the steep bits.

Just as we wanted to set of Dad had a flat tire and that had to be changed. The girls decided to get a head start and wait at a specific point. After the tire had been fixed I also left a bit early and after a while Jon was on my tail with Dad somewhere behind him. I still reached Karin and Moni first but all signs of Jon had vanished. We where wondering if someone had had an accident and waited a while when Moni looked behind of the hut we where waiting at. Dad and Jon where standing behind there and they where both laughing their heads of. As it turned out Jon had had an accident when he went across a short cut field. He had been getting deeper and deeper into mus when he went over his handlebar, got out of the klikis somehow, did a somersault over the bike and landed in some wet mud. Dad then came racing up behind him and told him to stay put so he could get a picture. Jon and, especially, his bike were completely mud-covered.

After that it was a whiz down the front of the Breitenberg and then of home so Jon wouldn't miss watching Formula 1.

Track at GPSies and pictures from Jon, Dad and me at Picasa.