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When you hear Pustertal, you think of the Dolomites. But you can say goodbye to that at the start of the tour on the Markinkele. You find yourself in a shady valley, with forest on one side and alpine meadow humps on the other. But that's exactly what I like about this trail: the best comes at the end.
But first things first. The tour is a stage of the legendary Stoneman Trail and a real challenge with 1434 metres of ascent without a spare battery. So I check my bike again - a full battery and careful battery management are a must today.
In Dobbiaco, we get on our bikes and start in resource-saving eco mode as a precaution. Over tarmac, then on gravel, we head uphill to the Silvester Chapel. From there, we continue along a military road from the First World War. With its varying, sometimes extreme gradients, nasty holes and rough boulders, it demands full commitment - and sucks greedily at the battery: the first battery light has already gone out.
All my concentration is focused on the challenging terrain, which is why I only realise that the landscape has changed when I stop for a moment. Alta Pusteria offers us a fantastic view of the imposing walls of the Sesto Dolomites. Surrounded by dark wisps of cloud, they are now reminiscent of the mythical realm of Mordor. I find it hard to concentrate on the gravel track again. Just over halfway to go - and the second battery light is already flashing.
Finally, we can see the Stoneman checkpoint from a distance. I squint at the battery indicator: phew, one more light - that should actually be enough. We crank the last few metres up to the stamping point just below the Markinkele summit. A little further on, then our trail variant branches off. A short breather, a little refreshment, the scenery quickly makes us forget the effort. Ruins of old military shelters, the huge Dolomite walls and part of the Austrian glacier world around us. Fully motivated, we set off on the trail. A thick snowfield right at the start - in the middle of summer, I get stuck. "Good start," I grumble as I try to get the snow out of my shoes.
On we go. Challenging terrain, loose scree, narrow trail. The paths are completely natural, and I have to slow down a little on the rocky, somewhat exposed terrain until I can take it easy again on the now flowing meadow trails. Hairpin bends and berm-like curves alternate, so even leisure cyclists can have fun here. The path winds its way downhill through meadows and past small lakes, with the magical scenery still in sight.
Now it gets technical. The trail demands my full attention. Some hairpin bends are so tight that you have to turn the rear wheel. Small gullies, washed out by the water, now run through the meadows and I have to concentrate on finding a rideable line. Finally, the trail turns into a wider forest path. The breather does me good, only now do I realise that I'm pretty exhausted. Just as I'm wondering how much longer we're going to stay on the gravel, we turn into the forest again. At the end, there's something for my ability - just the right mix of fun and technique. The finale of the tour leads over roots, through tight bends and berms back into the valley. Satisfied, we cycle back to Dobbiaco via San Candido along the Drau cycle path. The rock towers from Lord of the Rings have disappeared behind the meadow humps, instead of fairy-tale trails, the main road is noisy in a shady valley notch. Reality comes abruptly.
Welcome to the Pustertal Valley.
