You might think that the story of crossing the Alps is over. Not so. A Munich touring enthusiast has come up with a spectacular new variant. On the Seven Summits Transalp, you cycle down twice as much as you pedal up.
It has been almost three decades since Andi Heckmair and his crew were the first mountain bikers ever to cross the Alps. At least no one else is known to have done it before. The event triggered a Transalp boom. The Heckmair route, which led from Oberstdorf in Bavaria to Lake Garda, is a tough, thigh-bruising beast. A mixture of extreme biking, expedition and mountaineering. Something between drudgery and borderline experience. Regardless, it was this incredible concentration of sweat, adrenaline and summit experiences that made the Transalp a hit with touring bikers in no time at all.
Thousands now cycle across the Alps every year. There are x different routes and variants. The commercial providers offer all-round carefree packages including luggage transport, while the purists cycle with rucksacks and spend the night in mountain huts. You could say that the Transalp is a done deal. However, the opening of lifts for bikers, the emergence of trail networks and many new bike parks are making things possible that were unthinkable years ago.
Munich-based touring freak Thomas Bauer, known as Tom, has now redefined the Transalp theme for himself. His "Seven Summits" route combines everything that is possible today. Seven days, a summit every day. Lifts, shuttle, bike park detours? Of course, whenever possible. The main thing is endless trails. And at the end of each day, the marvellous, priceless feeling of satisfied exhaustion.
We took part in the first ascent of the spectacular "Seven Summits" route. The crossing of the Alps added up to almost 20,000 metres in altitude, of which only about half had to be pedalled thanks to the integration of various climbing aids. What does this have to do with the adventurous original version and is it still enough of a slog? The full report with all the information can be found in BIKE 11/2018 - in stores from 9 October. You can get the new BIKE at newsagents until 5 November 2018 and also in our Online shop and as a digital edition for all end devices.
You can find these and other exciting stories in BIKE 11/2018 - in stores from 9 October. You can get the new BIKE at newsagents until 5 November 2018 and also in our Online shop and as a digital edition for all end devices.
