I was born in 1972 and started school in 1978 ... - Blimey, I'm knocked out. Whenever I realise that I'm running out of energy on tour, I try to distract myself. Like now. My speedometer adds up the metres in altitude so slowly that with every new number I think about what I did in that year. 1980 ... the first New Year's Eve I can remember. We've been in the saddle for twelve hours and already have more than 2000 metres of altitude in our legs. The heavy photo rucksack is dragging on our necks and our destination of Sulden is still nowhere in sight. We have nothing left to eat either. My stomach is growling and all my batteries are empty. If something happens, we can't even call for help - even our mobile phones have run out of juice. 1982 ... what was that again? As the daylight fades, so does my concentration. And just as I say to myself: "Watch out, most mountain accidents happen in these conditions ...", I crash.
On the highest bike pass in the Alps
We've been on the road since yesterday lunchtime. Finally up to the highest pass in the Eastern Alps that you can reach by bike: the 3123 metre high Madritschjoch in the Ortler massif. The panorama from up there must be magnificent
but the ascent must be hell. But we're too late to pedal up the gravel monster with an average gradient of 20 per cent under our own steam anyway. So we save ourselves the ordeal and buy a ticket for the cable car up to the Schaubachhütte.
So we are well rested when we throw back the blankets at six o'clock this morning. The first rays of sunshine caress the Königspitze and Ortler. Their glaciers glisten pink-red in the early light. Only our hut is still in the shade and as we step outside the door, the cold immediately bites us in the face: two degrees above zero. The valleys beneath our feet are still asleep. In any case, they are shrouded in a thick blanket of cloud. Only above our heads is the sky a clear blue. We have to get going, because there are still 500 metres of ascent to the Madritschjoch. But we have to push it. The ski piste is snow-free, but so steep that skiing is out of the question. Surprising, because I know this passage from winter and on a snowboard I always think of it as a flat section. However, in winter the Ortler doesn't stand out as majestically from the landscape as it does today. Whereas in winter you have to pick it out from the many snow-covered peaks, now you can recognise it immediately by its snow coat.
It's not long before we reach the yoke. A feeling of happiness shudders through my body. I've heard a lot about the trail descent down into the Martell Valley that now awaits us. But the mean, steep ascent from Sulden had always put me off. And now I'm here. There's not a breath of wind. We sit down in the sun and unpack our bacon sandwiches. We savour the view of the endless line of our downhill trail.
Mauro, our local, is the first to feel his way onto the trail. But I can see him struggling. The first hundred metres are steep and exposed in places. "It's best if we push. It wouldn't be a good idea to injure yourself up here," I suggest. But soon we are all firmly in the saddle as the trail becomes smoother and more flowing. Blocky passages alternate with meadow sections, the first hikers from the Martell Valley trudge towards us, everything goes according to plan. The plan is as follows: as soon as we reach the bottom of the Vinschgau Valley, we have to head back up to Sulden, our starting point. On the map, this doesn't look like too much of a challenge. But things turn out differently.
After a break at the reservoir in the Martell Valley, we fly down a gravel road into the valley and turn onto the Vinschgau cycle path: a slalom course through apple orchards and oncoming Alpine crossers. When we finally reach the foot of the Stelvio Pass road, it's already 4 pm. "Another 1200 metres in altitude to Sulden, about two hours!
hours!" I estimate, my companions nod. But we also agree that we're not going to take the tarmac road, but instead look for the trail that we've only heard good things about so far. And this is where the trouble began.
Orientation is not easy. Only in hindsight: we should always have followed the gentle incline of the military road and ignored the turn-offs. But we get lost twice and waste the last of our energy until we eventually reach the start of the trail we are looking for. The route to Sulden is actually flat, but some bumpy sections require absolute concentration. And then it happens: my front wheel slips. I fall. Adrenalin rushes - and the meltwater down in the gorge, into which I fall and fall. And suddenly: stop. It takes me a while to realise: I've got stuck in some bushes. My bike is lying in the rubble above me and the horrified faces of my friends are staring at me. With trembling knees, I climb back to the trail and sit down on a rock. The silence of the twilight in the mountains has always fascinated me, but this time I fear it. The bruises throb in time with my heartbeat. The sky is pink, as if to apologise. A feeling of security spreads through me again. Like after a fight with your girlfriend, when you're lying in each other's arms again. Today I simply overestimated myself, but once again I escaped with a big scare.
Information about the MTB tour to the Madritschjoch
THE TOUR
Total: approx. 75 kilometres, 4800 vertical metres
(of which 2100 vertical metres by cable car).
Difficulty: ★★★★★✩
You should definitely allow two days for this high alpine tour. Especially if you don't want to use the cable car. The gravel track to the Schaubachhütte is very well developed, but even mountain enthusiasts will struggle with the average 20 per cent gradient. The next morning, you should start as early as possible, as there are still 2700 metres of ascent and a long, challenging trail through the Martell Valley waiting for you.
Route of the tour
Prad am Stilfserjoch - St. Johann (church) - Pastelwies - immediately after the mountain pastures take a sharp left uphill on asphalt (no sign, study the map carefully!) - after approx. 500 metres take a sharp right uphill (again no sign) - Obervalnairhof - Valnairalm - marker no. 6 Waldruhe (at the beginning pushing passages) - continue on gravel path Ri. Sulden - Sulden - cable car - Schaubachhütte (overnight stay) - Madritschjoch (3,123 m) - shortly before the Zufallhütte, turn left downhill to the gravel path - Enzianhütte - Gasthof zum See - turn right onto the gravel path to the right of the lake - at the dam, turn right uphill to path no. 36 (difficult downhill, alternatively via the tarmac road) - down to Morter (on path no. 36, gravel path next to the road, later singletrail, then on no. 22) - Vinschgau cycle path to Prad.
Sulden cable car: Tel. 0039/0473/613047, www.seilbahnensulden.itSummer operation from the beginning of June, daily 8.30-12.45 and 14-17. Overnight stay: Schaubachhütte, tel. 0039/0473/613002, www.schaubachhuette.it. The hut has 12 rooms with 2, 3, 4 or 6 beds.
ARRIVAL
Via Landeck - Reschenpass into the Vinschgau Valley to Prad am Stilfserjoch. From Munich approx. 3 hrs.
THE BEST TOURING TIME
July to September. Check the weather forecast! www.provinz.bz.it/wetter/suedtirol.asp
CARD
Compass map no. 52 "Vinschgau", scale 1:50 000.
You can find everything about this MTB tour to the Madritschjoch in the free PDF download.
