To Mondsee

September 17, 2021

Overcast, chilly, windy, but dry. We’ll take it!

Yesterday’s stage would be hard to beat for the pure enjoyment of the ride and the splendid views along the Traunsee; but today’s ride from Gmunden to Mondsee was probably more interesting and diverse. And considerably more challenging. We won’t forget the steep climb above the Attersee that kept rising at 13-17% for entirely too long. At each bend in the road that revealed yet another impossibly steep stretch ahead I considered giving up and pushing - and would have, if I didn’t know that Rachael was ahead and apparently hadn’t stopped yet either.

We arrived in Mondsee about 4:30 and didn’t wait long before heading out to Ristorante Nudelini for probably the best pasta meal of the tour. After making gluttons of ourselves I asked Rachael if she wanted to walk around town to see the sights on the way back to the room, and she instantly said No, so abruptly it was almost startling. Music to my ears. We’d seen plenty of sights for the day already.

Before leaving town we stopped by the waterfront for a view down the lake. Pretty, but the broader northern half doesn’t have the rugged drama of the south.

Stopping for a longer look at the beautiful Gmunden Rathaus as we biked out of town was the extent of our tourism activities here.

When I first saw this colt he was on his back, legs up. He rolled over a few times and then finally struggled to stand up at just about the time I thought he might have a problem.

After climbing away from Gmunden and the Traunsee we biked across the neck separating the Traunsee and Attersee.

A good day for frolicking livestock! These two cavorting and amorous alpacas seemed to think it was spring.

Passing through colorful Aurach am Hongar,

Our lunch stop, sitting by the Marktplatz fountain in Schörfling am Attersee.

For several miles we biked high above the Attersee. Great views, but at a price - we surprised ourselves by both staying in the saddle for one painful climb that topped out at 17%.

Well, we didn’t bike straight through that steep ascent. Some things you just have to stop for.

Often sunflowers are the most colorful crop around, but sometimes they get upstaged.

Video sound track: Sunflower, by Milt Jackson

Looking down on the Attersee. We got a different take on this lake two days ago from the summit of Schafberg..

Beginning the descent back to lake level.

On the gradual descent back to the Attersee, admiring the sheer range rising above its eastern shore.

From above the lake we get an impressive view of the Höllengebirge (Hell Mountains).

The lake ferry in the Attersee. If it had been raining today we could have taken refuge here and spared ourselves from a few soggy miles.

Along the western shore of the Mondsee. Like other lakes in the Salzkammergut, mountains plummet steeply down to the shore and leave little room for a road.

And like along the Traunsee, there’s the narrow old road that hugs the shoreline, and the new road that tunnels through the rocks. Once again we have the shoreline to ourselves for a few miles.

Under the mountain. It’s a good thing it’s illuminated because we left our lights back in Salzburg.

And out the other end. If you zoom in you’ll see there are two tunnels that emerge side by side - the smaller one on the left exists now only for foot and bike traffic.

I was completely turned around and thought this little spike was Schafberg. Silly. The Drachenwand is impressive, but dwarfed by Schafberg which is 2,000’ higher.

Now this is Schafberg, towering above the clouds beyond the opposite end of the lake.

The view from the window of our pension in Mondsee.

Heart

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Ride stats today: 38 miles, 2,600’; for the tour: 1,222 miles, 40,000’

Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 1,222 miles (1,967 km)

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Comment on this entry	Comment	5

Ben ParkeYou’re really tempting me to ride there next summer. Minus that bit between Gmunden and the Attersee. That climb does not sound tempting. Great photos. Hope the weather cleara up a bit more for you though. I usually have bad luck with the weather when I’m there as well.
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo Ben ParkeIt’s quite a remarkable area alright. You were sure right when you recommended biking along the shore of the Traunsee. I think the climb on today’s ride is avoidable. You could ferry past this part of the lake, for example, or you might consider riding one of the lakeshore roads. It looks to me from Google Maps like there is a shoulder on the east side (route 152), although I’d want to research it first.

Have you ever ridden the Finger Lakes region in New York? In a less dramatic way that region reminds me a bit of the Salzkammergut.
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2 years ago

marilyn swettEnjoying your journal, Scott. Looks like a beautiful area! I was wondering if you know how to change the order of an entry in my journal. I accidently put it at the end rather than at the top. Thanks!
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2 years ago

Scott AndersonTo marilyn swettHi, Marilyn. It’s pretty easy, once you know how.

1) Open up the journal to the title page and put it in edit mode.

2) Select Change Order.

3) Handles now show up next to each menu entry. You can use these to slide the entries to a different position.

4) Afterwards, save changes.
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2 years ago

Ben ParkeTo Scott AndersonI've been to the Finger Lakes region, but not with a bike. Also a very nice area. And yes, the climb is avoidable on the Attersee. I ended up riding from the Mondsee up to the south end of the Attersee. I wanted to see it, but the weather was too rainy to warrant riding up the whole west side and there's not as good of cycle infrastructure around that lake either.
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2 years ago