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| The Salzatal reservoir on the Grimming ride |
The blog
before this mentioned bike rides to achieve goals; chasing for better times,
longer distances and so on.
Autumn is a
marvellous time in Austria’s Alps. Crisp mornings, warm days, crystal clear
skies and wonderful colours. As the colder air marches down from the peaks, so the
larches in turn change from lighter green to gold in a cascade of colour.
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| Fabulous autumn colours along the "forbidden" trail through the Salzatal |
Two recent
rides inspired this blog. One of the routes I wrote about in a blog a couple of
years ago. Looking back, it is still one of the best autumn circuits – circling
the base of the huge monolithic Grimming mountain. Cruising through neat and
tidy open meadows, puffing up a steep trail through golden woods, and bumping
along beside a narrow gorge, autumn colours reflected in the lake.
The second
is in the Salzkammergut – Salzburg’s lake district. Here a network of cycle
tracks, well-signed bike routes on tiny, quiet lanes can lead safely in and out
of towns and villages while affording fabulous and surprising lake views.
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| The Drachenwand |
Austrians
are a very organised folk and it appears that most people, regardless of the
weather, put their bicycles down into the cellar on October 1 and don’t bring
them out until May 1. This means that the cycle routes, busy in summer with
families, couples, racers and cruisers, are quiet at this time of year.
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| Early morning sun glitters on the Mondsee while cloud drift down through the valleys |
The Mondsee
glitters in the early sun. The distant mountains are blue and grey. Great
blankets of white fog slither from the connecting valleys down to the water.
The
Drachenwand rises like a great ragged tooth from a wreath of white cloud.
The day
warms on the approach to the Attersee – a long lake lined on the far side by
mountains. The water turquoise, the mountains indigo. The bike trail parallels
the lake, but mostly high above the road, ducking and diving and frequently
bursting over a ridge to offer up a new vista of lake and mountain.
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| Along the Attersee the bike trail ducks and dives with fabulous views |
Finally, at
the end of the lake there is just a short hop back to the Mondsee. The bike
track skirts the end of the lake and dives into a tunnel – solely for cyclists.
It must be nearly one kilometre long, winding back and forth with a few
openings for extra lake views.
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| Cycling heaven beside the Attersee |
Riding a
circuit like this should not be hurried. Stop to admire the views. Ride a bit more.
Look back and wonder. You can’t fail to be inspired and thrilled. Yes, it’s the
social and scenic rides that are far more memorable than those chasing the
clock.
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The route returns to the Mondsee with the Drachenwand in the distance Distance 57km Ascent 475 The Attersee, clear and blue as in the tropics - but just a little colder  |
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