The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz - Alpe-Adria Tour 2018 - CycleBlaze

September 2, 2018

The Big Climb: Sankt Veit to Unterkolbnitz

We start out in pretty rolling countryside, the weather is truly fine, and after 2.5 km we reach the tunnel of ill repute. It's all of 1.5 km long, we have a separate bike lane with guardrail between us and the cars, and perhaps because it's Sunday there isn't much traffic. No complaints from me. It was definitely overhyped in Bikeline. Then some more pleasant riding, and some more, and then a very flat strech along the Gasteiner Ache. Are we there yet? Where's the Big Climb.

It starts at around kilometer 25, the beginning is gradual, then there is a very steep part, but it's not long. I know it's steep because I see some very athletic young men on their loaded bikes grunting and sweating like crazy. My e-support is good, but I still have to work my muscles more than I am used to and I probably would have had problems if the steeper parts of the hill had been longer. The Ride-with-GPS profile below indicates 11% which I know can't be accurate. I estimate it was something like 16% - 18%. After you reach Bad Gastein and think it's finished, you go around the corner and have a few more hairpins, probably the steepest part, before you reach the autorail tunnel. It was work, but nothing to worry about!

It was a great experience and I loved it. The views are exceptional, and I marveled at the 18th century spa atmosphere in Bad Gastein. Old, many storied hotels, where the upper crust of the day came to benefit from the hot springs of Bad Gastein, are set into the hillside.

A bit further and we reach the train that takes all traffic, cars, bikes and pedestrians, through the top of the mountain. We settle in for the short ride feeling mighty proud of ourselves. What a day this has been so far, and it will be all downhill from here.

Leaving Hotel Posauner, up and away
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Here comes that tunnel.
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End of tunnel - we survived.
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Charmaine RuppoltI know tunnels like that can be very loud inside with traffic! But at least you had a safe and separate bike path. :)
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1 year ago
Enjoying this
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Look at those geraniums!
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Charmaine RuppoltWow, beautiful! More hotels ought to use flowers to decorate their building(s).
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1 year ago
Big baby
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The weather is improving.
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Charmaine RuppoltBlue skies appearing!
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1 year ago
See the stag on the house front.
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Not using pesticides, I think.
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Following the Gasteiner Ache for a while
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From somewhere on the way up, looking back down to the valley
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Hotels from another era
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The Gasteiner Ache plunges through Bad Gastein to the valley.
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Charmaine RuppoltWow, reminds me of Spokane Falls, Washington, where the falls go through the city. :)
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1 year ago
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In Bad Gastein
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Getting higher up
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Looking back to Bad Gastein - some newer hotels have been built, too.
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We emerge from the tunnel and it's raining cats and dogs! We get into our rain gear, to keep warm as well as dry, and after a short wait and then a few km's, it stops raining. The descent is wonderful. The Bikeline book also warns that the descent is very steep and recommends an alternative route that first goes up before it goes down and isn't paved. We don't take that.

Then follow about 13 kms in the beautiful Möll Valley to Unterkolbnitz, where we have a B&B for the night.

Down, down, down
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Charmaine RuppoltGood action shot! :)
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1 year ago
Photo stop
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Can it get any better than this?
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Scott AndersonThe clouds are incredible in these photos, Suzanne! And I was glad to read this post because it’s a route I’ve wondered about taking sometime. I’ve been biased against it because you can’t just bike through, but taking a train over the top looks like no big deal at all.
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5 years ago
Suzanne GibsonGreat clouds, huh? But they had their price!
The train was simple and I think it was only about 10 minutes. I haven't ridden as many mountain roads as you and don't have the comparison, but I found this spectacular. Going into Italy it got even better.
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5 years ago