Reinhold Messner has supposedly been taking ice-cold showers his whole life. But I'm regretting that I gave Markus my last coin for the hot water.
Hardening up can't hurt. Better than making coffee. I can usually trick my body into thinking like this, but the shower water in the Heidelberg hut seems to come straight from an ice cave. By the time I've finally rinsed the soap off me, my whole body is shivering. But I'm not complaining. When I started my internship at BIKE magazine, I was expecting a lot of desk work and the classic running jobs. But I had just been sitting in my office chair for a week when photographer Markus Greber suddenly appeared in the editorial office and raved to me about a new project: an Alpine route that combines real super trails and spectacular landscapes. Four days from Ischgl to Val Müstair in Switzerland, with overnight stays in mountain huts, challenging trails - and four women. My tasks were to record the route with GPS and write a report. What a question - of course I wanted to!
The four stages of the Mini-Transalp (GPS data at the end of the article):
Stage 1 12.2 km / 641 m elevation gain / 1103 metres altitude gain
Stage 2 37.0 km / 1452 m elevation gain / 1895 metres altitude gain
3rd stage 53.5 km / 2076 m elevation gain / 1978 Tm
Stage 4 42.2 km / 1043 m elevation gain / 1948 TM
Two days later, we loaded the bikes into the Silvrettabahn gondola in Ischgl. Johanna, Lisa, Tina and Katrin are a well-rehearsed team - everything works hand in hand. You can tell that the friends have often been on trail tours together. At the top of the Idalpe, we had to change to the chairlift - but the bearded lift attendant just pushed the entrance gate into the lock in front of us. "15 minutes too late!" I don't know what was more convincing in the end - Markus' irritably presented schedule, the pleading looks from the girls, or the gathering rain clouds. After some back and forth, we floated up the last 500 metres to the Idjoch after all. An icy wind blew at the top. The low sun could only occasionally pierce through the cloud cover. It was already late, and there was still a whopping 650 metres of ascent to the Heidelberger Hütte, the first stage destination. I could see us arriving far too late and missing dinner. But my companions saw completely different things. Namely an incredible trail meandering southwards along the rocky ridge, spanned by a dramatically illuminated cloudy sky. Despite the threat of rain, lightning and thunder, the girls were in high spirits. "It's sooo flowy!" exclaimed Lisa enthusiastically, before she and Tina disappeared behind the next crest - and yes, of course we did get pretty wet.
After an ice-cold shower at the Heidelberg Hut, we share the table with a group of archaeologists at dinner. They are poking around in the rocks around the house for traces of the first settlers. Clay shards and charcoal remains indicate that an important route across the Alps led here several thousand years ago. It's amazing what was possible back then with the simplest of means. Oh, I've just remembered that I need to switch off the GPS device if I want the battery to last until tomorrow evening.
The next morning, the alarm clock rings three hours earlier than usual. Breakfast is cancelled. The reason is Lisa's nagging: "When the sun rises, we have to be at the Fimber Pass. The sunrise up there is unique." Lisa should know, because we're already in the centre of her territory. The Swiss by choice has been running a bike school in the Engadin for three years. And the Fimber Pass is also an exciting destination from there. For us, however, it's uphill first. 300 metres of zigzagging up the still pitch-black mountain flank. We push, ride a bit, push again. We reach the top of the pass just in time for sunrise. But given the view that awaits us, nobody is really interested in the natural spectacle. The wild and romantic Val Sinestra opens up before us. Also wild, but extremely fun for experienced riders, a kilometre-long rocky trail winds its way down into the valley, into which the girls now throw themselves with wild cheering.
"Haaaaalt, stop!" In the middle of the brilliant descent, just as we're gliding through the now rounded trail bends, it's Tina who drops anchor. Hunger pangs! She now insists on stopping off at the Tanna da Muntanella. Markus looks hesitantly at the sky because clouds are gathering again, but none of the four girls care. Pasta à la "Wild Meadow & Garden Herbs", spruce syrup juice and Ruebli cake are the winners. Only then do the girls get back on their saddles in a good mood. However, the trail behind the hut is now a little bitchy. Slightly blocked, the trail now winds down into the valley in unrhythmic bends. It takes a while for the trail to relax again, but at the end it turns into a fun pump track that is clearly man-made. The natural "nettle trail", which Lisa later leads us down from Sent to Scuol, is completely different. As a local, she knows exactly how to tackle the trail's treacherous hairpin bends. I, on the other hand, must have taken one of the hairpin bends the wrong way round, as I suddenly shoot straight into the botany. It's soft, but extremely unpleasant, as the name of the trail suggests. Lisa hasn't even noticed my departure, but Katrin stops. "Yes, yes, I'll help you in a minute. Just take a quick photo ...!" It's a laugh at dinner, because only my right shoe is sticking out of the nettle thicket.
In the restaurant of the Crusch Alba in S-charl, however, another photo from 1905 hangs on the wall: the last Swiss bear - shot. Just as the landlord, Jon Duri, proudly tells us that bears are now roaming these woods again, raindrops tap on the window. They are still pattering when we throw on our down duvets later on, and they are still roaring when we are torn from our sleep by a clap of thunder in the middle of the night. "The road into the valley is unfortunately closed", Jon Duri reports almost casually at breakfast. Did we hear the thunder tonight? It was a mudflow. The only way down into the valley is now buried. It's just as well that our bike route leads around the top anyway. As we get the bikes out of the cellar, the curtain of cloud briefly lifts and gives us a view of the surrounding three thousand metre peaks. Yesterday their rocky peaks were still glowing in the sunset, today they are covered in snow. The stream, which was still gurgling along in a deep blue the day before, has turned into a wild, lashing grey monster.
Wrapped up warm, we cycle past Tamangur, the highest Swiss stone pine forest in Europe, and continue up to Alp Astras. For me personally, the sun rises here. I would have loved to have at least stopped for lunch with Maria, the 23-year-old dairymaid. But there are 2000 metres of altitude difference on the agenda today, we have to keep going. We don't stop for a plate of capuns until we reach the Ofen Pass. This Grisons speciality made from spaetzle dough, chard and lots of mountain cheese is very substantial. This tip, which usually works for girls, is completely irrelevant to our female companions. They know that the steep climb up to Passo Gallo awaits them after the meal and leave nothing on their plates for us. The stage continues along the picture-book trails from Passo Gallo down to Lake Livigno and from there in constant ups and downs towards the day's destination of Livigno. And the marathon stage leaves its mark. Only Johanna still has a grin on her face. The Allgäu native was one of the best German cross-country racers until a tobogganing accident in February 2012 almost left her in a wheelchair. During her rehabilitation, Johanna discovered her passion for freeriding, but of course she still has her endurance genes. The sun is already low when we climb the Passo Trela hours later. Completely exhausted, we can hardly enjoy the trail with its berms and jumps to Livigno. But tomorrow morning we have another opportunity to ride Livigno's flow trails.
"Over in Val Müstair, the trails are completely different again," promises Lisa as we leave Livigno behind us the next day and take a short break at Lago di San Giacomo. That's right! In this Swiss valley, the focus is on unspoilt trails. Old, partly overgrown smugglers' paths are being opened up again, shaped a little and made suitable for bikes. Lisa chooses her favourite for our final descent down to Santa Maria and introduces us to Sergio in the village. He is one of the trail managers in the village and would like to show us more of his trails tomorrow. I'm about to shout "oh yes!" enthusiastically when Markus reminds me of the office: analysing GPS data, creating elevation profiles, writing the report - oh yes, I almost forgot: The internship also has a desk side.
INFO MINI-TRANSALP
The tour
This four-day route climbs over the main Alpine ridge behind Ischgl and is extremely singletrail-heavy, leading from the Austrian Paznaun Valley via the Swiss Engadine to Livigno in Italy and from there to the secluded Schmugglertal Val Müstair. Along the way, lifts and really good refreshment stops help you get over the often long high mountain climbs. Total distance: 144.9 km / 5212 m elevation gain / 6924 tm.
Stage 1 12.2 km / 641 m elevation gain / 1103 metres altitude gain
Ischgl - Silvrettabahn - Idalpe - Flimjochbahn - Viderjoch - Idjoch - Salaaser Kopf - Zeblasjoch - Heidelberger Hütte.
Lift: Ischgl - Idalpe + Flimjochbahn, last ascent: 4 pm, chairlift 3.30 pm. Price: 16.60 euros (ticket free from one overnight stay in the Paznaun valley).
Overnight stay: Heidelberger Hütte (2264 m), tel. 0043/664/4253070, www.heidelberger-huette.at
Stage 2 37.0 km / 1452 m elevation gain / 1895 metres altitude gain
Heidelberger Hütte - Fimberpass - Val Sinestra - Sent - Scuol - S-charl - Crusch Alba.
Refreshment tips: great cakes in the Tanna da Muntanella, "Munggenäscht" in Griosch in Val Sinestra.
Overnight stay: Alpengasthof Crusch Alba in S-charl. Bike hotel with a cosy atmosphere and delicious Engadine cuisine. Owner Jon Duri Sutter is a bike veteran. Tel. 0041/81/8641405, www.cruschalba.ch
3rd stage 53.5 km / 2076 m elevation gain / 1978 metres altitude gain
S-charl - Alp Astras - Pass da Costainas - Alp Champatsch - Alp da Munt - Ofenpass - Buffalora - Passo del Gallo - Ponta Acqua del Gallo - Passo di Fraele - Lago San Giacomo di Fraele - Passo Trela - Livigno.
Refreshment stop: Alp Astras, just before the Costainas Pass. Cheese still made according to an ancient Engadine recipe.
Alp Champatsch: before the steep ascent to the Ofen Pass. Alp Trela: typical northern Italian cuisine (e.g. polenta with rabbit). Overnight stay: Hotel Concordia, Tel: 0039/0342/990200, www.lungolivigno.com
Stage 4 42.2 km / 1043 m elevation gain / 1948 TM
Livigno - Mottolino - Trepalle - Trelapass - Lago San Giacomo die Fraele - Val Mora - Döss Radond - Santa Maria.
Accommodation and restaurant: Biohof Pauraria Puntetta, Müstair, tel. 0041/81/8587135, www.puntetta.ch
Here you will find the altitude profiles of the individual stages of the Mini-Transalp from Ischgl via the Heidelberger Hütte, S-charl and Livigno to Santa Maria. Below the article you can download the GPS data of the four-day Transalp tour from BIKE 5/2017 download free of charge.
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