Markus has shrunk five centimetres, Andi no longer knows how to get home and Ludi has never had so much wind around his ears. For me, on the other hand, the past two days have been a very ordinary bike tour through the mountains. From Innsbruck to Lake Achensee. Only I hadn't planned the easiest route, but - I'm happy to admit - the more scenic adventure trail. But from the beginning:
Sweat drips from my chin onto the top tube as if from an infusion. The garlic breath from Andi's mouth blows into my nose. Leaning far over the stem, we trudge the last few metres up to the Stempeljoch. My heels burn in the carbon treads as if I'm walking through glowing coals. But as we hold our noses in the rock gate of the Stempeljoch, first into the next abyss and then into the balmy foehn breeze, there is an awkward silence. The path winds its way down the loose scree slope in a tight zigzag. Just as wide as an iPad, partly over rotten wooden planks and flanked by wire rope railings. According to an old Moser guide, this passage was once passable.
Via Pfeishütte and Stempeljoch into the Halltal valley
"Don't make me laugh," Markus tries to lighten the mood. With our bikes shouldered, we feel our way down metre by metre. As if we were creeping along the summit ridge of Mont Blanc without crampons. I wonder if I'm overtaxing my companions. As photographer Markus, who is travelling with an e-bike because of his heavy equipment, heaves his 20-kilo beast around the exposed rocky outcrop, two hikers turn the corner. "Have you lost your way? Where are you going with your bikes?" asks one of them, leaning his shoulders on the handles of his carbon poles. We point to the mighty gravel track that rolls down into the Halltal valley and sneak on. The dotted line on the map had already revealed that this section was more of a challenge for surefootedness than tyre grip. When the gradient becomes a little gentler, Ludi swings onto her bike and circles past us in vertrider style. No wonder, as the Innsbruck native loves challenging trails and technical passages. Even a hiker would be in a cold sweat here. A little later, we branch off to the right, surfing over scree tracks and head-high gravel cubes down into the Halltal valley. At least we've stayed true to the route we've put together ourselves.
Off the classic route from Scharnitz into the Inn Valley
The plans for such a Karwendel crossing by bike have been cooking in the back of my mind for two years. Back then, I crossed this lonely rocky bastion on touring skis in spring. From west to east, from Scharnitz to Stans in the Inn Valley. Since then, I'd regularly studied maps, squeezed hut owners and egged on friends. There had to be some worthwhile Karwendel passage - beyond the classic west-east route - for mountain bikers. After all, anyone can do the classic route from Scharnitz through the Karwendel valley.
It had been dark for a long time yesterday when we reached the Lamsenjoch hut with empty batteries. Today, on the second day, we are therefore not very well rested as we nibble on the gravel ramp of the Schleims saddle. The sun is blazing. We feel like plucked chickens on a spit. Andi pushes the crank of his single transmission around the axle in slow motion, while Ludi saves himself the drudgery of this never-ending gravel ramp and pushes. She knows no different from the Vertrider tours, where the bike is almost always dragged uphill. Markus swears despite the electric motor, his face contorted with pain. He is also sweating, suffering and struggling. To save the battery, he rides with the lowest level of assistance. The 15-kilo photo backpack pulls mercilessly on his shoulders. A little later, when we are finally chewing on our cheese sandwiches at the Schleims saddle, I shatter the euphoric mood with a view of the rest of the route. "We have to go over there, that's the Gröbner Hals", I explain and point to the distant grassy ridge at the next end of the valley. It should still be a good 400 metres in altitude. And, yes, the last two bars on your battery indicator will certainly be enough for that, Markus.
To the finale over the Gröbner Hals to Lake Achensee
Well, I didn't realise then that the last climb was covered in mud holes. Obviously a whole herd of cows was already struggling with the muddy ground. So riding is out of the question here too. One wrong step and your foot is embedded in the mud. It takes us a full half hour to pull Markus' shoes out of the mud with our combined strength. So it's dark again when we finally reach our destination of Achenkirch after two days.
On the shuttle bus back to our cars in Innsbruck, Markus throws his rucksack off him and slumps onto the back seat. He is certain that the weight of the e-bike and rucksack on his shoulders have cost him five centimetres of his height. Riding technique ace Ludi summarises that she has never put so much energy into riding on a tour. And Andi frantically rummages in his trouser pockets and rucksack: "Oh crap", he shrugs, "I've lost the car keys."
The golden seven: Top bike tours in the Karwendel
1. to the Soiernsee (36 km, 1544 m elevation gain, difficulty: difficult)
2nd Great Karwendel Tour (68.2 km, 1838 m elevation gain, difficulty: difficult)
3. Pleisenhütte (15.8 km, 788 vertical metres, difficulty: difficult)
4. Lamsenjochhütte (37.6 km, 1578 metres in altitude, difficulty: difficult)
5. Falkenhütte (30.4 km, 1123 vertical metres, difficulty: medium)
6. Schleims-Sattel (61.21 km, 1792 vertical metres, difficulty: difficult)
7. Hallerangerhaus (26.9 km, 840 metres difference in altitude, difficulty: medium)
The entire article on crossing the Karwendel by mountain bike and seven tour tips for the Karwendel are also available below as a free PDF download.
