Climbing: what's the attraction?

The Hochkönig towers over Dienten's iconic church

After the euphoria of climbing Pyrenean cols made famous by the Tour de France, (see previous blog) it is easy to forget about the passes on our Alpine doorstep. Riding over a pass so close to home, and not for the first time, it is easy to become blasé. To see it as if for the first time requires a conscious effort.

In this part of Austria, most passes are not as long as the big cols in France. But there are still challenges to overcome which act as a lure, a goal to be scored. “Can I still do it? How will I feel at the top?” It’s so tempting: the satisfaction of ticking off another pass, another few hundred vertical metres. 

The road to our nearest pass begins at the bridge over the Salzach river and immediately begins snaking upward through a deep narrow gorge. The sun doesn’t get down here for much of the year. It is cold and damp. The stream rushes and crashes its way along beside the road.

 

There's always work to be done along the road to Dienten

The climb is steady rather than very steep. The effort soon dispels the chill. While riding it is difficult to see the sky in the narrow gap above your head. The rocks on each side rise almost vertically, then give way to steep wooded hillsides. In winter it is beset by avalanches, and in summer, mudslides and rocks often cause delays. This road is one of the most expensive to maintain in the country.

The trees are gold and bronze. There won’t be many more rides up this road this year. There’s little traffic and none of it on two wheels.

The road rises steadily for 10km to the pretty ski village of Dienten with it’s iconic church against the huge backdrop of the Hochkönig mountain. It’s tempting to stop at the café in the village centre, but better to keep on going.

Before long there’s a choice. Left to the Filzen Sattel at 1290m or right to the Dientner Sattel a bit higher. Either way it is steep – the next few kilometres rise at up to 14% - steeper than many French passes. Turning left, is the route taken recently by Iron Man contestants and markings urging riders to dig deep are still visible.

After a kilometre or so, it looks as if the summit is around the next bend. Alas, the road keeps on climbing and climbing until finally it eases off just before the top.

 

Goal achieved

The summit of the Filzen Sattel pass isn’t something to get excited about. A small car park filled with hikers’ cars and a sign marking the altitude…and that’s it. No café, no cyclists comparing heart rate records. A bit of an anti-climax. But a goal has been achieved and this is always a good feeling.

Profile of the circular route over the Filzen Sattel

Mountain views just as impressive as in France

There are bike rides and bike rides. Some are just a pleasant saunter through the countryside. But rides with goals are different – whether the goal is a distance, an average speed, a time or ticking off another few hundred altitude meters. And at this time of year there’s not much time left to meet annual targets.

The road onwards down to Maria Alm is a joy. Steep, smooth and sinuous it drops at 15% with tight bends that invite throwing caution to the wind. The ride back to the start along tiny lanes, through farming hamlets and along the beautiful lake at Zell am See, make the remains of the ride just a pleasant saunter through the countryside – goal successfully scored.

 

The circuit includes a ride along the lake at Zell am See

The facts:

Complete circuit 70km

Vertical ascent 880m