All the photos were taken by myself whenever I have stopped or by others, who I credit. This means that some of the more interesting downhill sections are missing because, well, downhill. The first morning was cool, damp and slightly overcast, with trail going up and down on the side of the mountain through the trees. Not much later, the trees disappear and the ground is mostly up. Myself and Nils bringing up the rear, after removing jackets, photo by Andi. |
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Down the valley we have come up, above and where we are going, below.
Ever further up the valley.
Gathering of the troops, a break.
Things are to get a bit steeper, notice the trail continuing up on the right and heading left further up the hillside.
Volker and myself by the lake in front of the hut (the large building up on the left) at the highest point of the day. Photo by Norbert.
View after lunch at the hut, the trail down is a steep, gravel covered bitumen road with plenty of oncoming bike traffic. Of note was a clothes hanger where riders and hikers hung sweat soaked shirts to dry while they had lunch.
At the end of this downhill run, the trail turned and we come across horses resting. The riders are eating at a place to the right of the picture. It is just not just mountain bikers and hikers using these trails.
The group over time disperses so intersections are an opportunity for a break and to ensure no one goes the wrong way.
At the bottom of this downhill which ends at a T junction we are to go left and uphill to the dam.
Niki at the dam lookout. (Built in 2008, Kopssee dam has a wall height of 122m and generates upto 525MW.)
We ride out along the edge of the lake on the left before some high speed descents on bitumen down to the Paznaun valley.
We follow the Trisanni River and pass Ishgl, the infamous Austrian ski resort which was at one time Covid central and where we turn right into the very senic Fimba valley. We continue up this valley past the walkers and folk on hired ebikes until we find our accommodation for the night at the quiet and remote Berggasthof Bodenalpe. Needless to say, we are all shattered but relieved to have survived the first day and the one with the most vertical metres.
