Cycling the Austrian Alps. Italy Austria Odyssey Episode 24

In this episode I tackle the spectacular and highest mountain pass in Austria, The Grossglockner, and find freezing conditions at the top.

All routes and ride stats can be found on my Komoot profile.
https://www.komoot.com/user/3198098439500

You June 16th 10 6 in the morning just pulling out to go and climb this mountain the GL gner fingers crossed it all goes well this will be the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life probably take two I just rode out without filling up my water bottles that would have been

A disaster if I went to take a swig and a half an hour I’ll be riding back down the mountain My cheer laders thanks for the encouraging blats yeah Trail Magic full packet of biscuits sitting on a picnic table oh no I don’t have a tag oh no bicycles on there must be free to ride up Dad you’ll have to come this way it’s free so there is toall booths don’t have

To pay pedley’s ride for free Happy Days the early start is great for no traffic but I’m worried that the Cloud’s going to clear after I’ve gone over the pass it’s pretty overcast I was expecting it to be a bit more clear I think that’s the first bit of sun that’s hit me come on more sun more Sun Austria even has a guy that will clean the cow poo off the road grade’s gone up to 12% the last half a k or so air is definitely thinner I’m at 18860 but yeah feeling pretty good it’s pretty cold up here I’ll just pulled over and put a new pair another

Pair of socks on and put my down jacket on cuz I got to go downhill and then I got to go up again keep going up it’s so Beautiful There’s the downhill it won’t last very long but I’d rather be warm I’d rather pull over and put my jacket on I’ve only seen two cars all morning there’s no one up here it’s Magic this is Awesome I’ve just clocked over 2,000 2032 elevation so I’m basically at the top of tree Line It’s really getting cold now I’m up at snow Level get a bike but they don’t break down bunch of girls get a Boy I’m in the same sort of mental state as the last couple of K of the stelvio where you don’t want to stop you don’t want to film you don’t want to drone cuz if you stop you get cold now I just want to get there I got 1.7k to

Go 185 M of Cent it’s so quiet I’ve only seen about six cyclists or five on the stelvio I must have seen 50 the sun’s just come out on me anyway not everywhere all Road cyclist no touring bikes same on the Stelvio there must be a tunnel up here cuz the road doesn’t go anywhere I hope there’s a tunnel hope I’m not on the wrong route that’d be funny I’m at the top and there’s the tunnel in domain spur AI they did say it was a border that couple I talked to

That suggested this pass said it’s a border an internal border within Austria it’s snowing for real it’s only tiny but it’s snowing holy I didn’t expect that there’s a guy over there in shorts and two layers I got five layers on the temperature gauge has jumped up to 3° it was 2.9 before

All right let’s go through the tunnel it is absolutely freezing in this tunnel there’s a wind blowing straight through it and we’re out the other side and wow it’s Bleak I’m going to put my booties on because I’m freezing my feet feel like they’re going to fall off it’s snowing more

Now my hands are so cold waiting for this stop L I’ve started the second climb it’s only 150 M of sand my hands have never felt this cold in my life feels like they’re burning it’s a really weird sensation cuz it feels like they’ve just I’ve just touched a hot

Plate well I’m at the top of the second climb looks like there’s a shop here well I’m glad I did the filming that I did because it’s really crappy weather over this side but wow it would have been so spectacular I think I’m going to head

Down cuz my feet are freezing my hands have come good but my feet are freezing Oh I found a cafe souvenir shop but they got coffee got a cappuccino this is going to be great it’s so much warmer down here I’m I don’t know I’ve dropped way below tree line I’m probably, 1500 I got the grocery shopping done came out and it was raining pretty heavy but it’s stopped now hopefully it stays away there’s a bit of Blue Sky up there setting up in the rain always sucks well I ended up with a good spot cuz I’m under the shelter and I’ve got

My tent right there and I’ve just cooked my meal and it’s started to rain and I’m all safe and sound under the Eve here and I’ve got a table and chair it’s my stove down there scored that worked out so Well okay root notes this campsite at Helen gute was just fantastic camping gross glockner it was only around €20 I think a night spectacular views really good facilities and a bar and a restaurant and just great I only took my bike bottles 2 750 mil bottles and a 600

Cuz it was pretty cool that was plenty of water for me the only thing I would have done differently is I would have had gloves and I had two pairs of socks on one pair was a thick Marino wool pair and a thin Marino a wool pair and I had

My shoes on and rubber booties over the top of my shoes and my feet was still cold at the top but yeah I definitely would take waterproof insulated gloves with me if I had to do that again I had rubber gloves that I put over the top of

My writing gloves but they have no insulative quality they just kept my hands dry and my hands were just they’ve never been as cold in my life it was painful so yeah I would definitely take gloves but yeah was an absolutely spectacular ride it was it was pretty

Tough with all the weight I didn’t have all the weight on the stelvio and um really pleased with that ride it was just unreal