Yesterday’s rest day was great. The weather was rubbish and I think all I achieved was to get the blog sort of up to date. There’s plenty of backfilling to do yet though.
Being Sunday, shops weren’t open, so I went to the local pizzeria (pixxeria for some) and had a very average pizza. Slovenia and Italy have spoilt me for pizzas for evermore. While there, I looked at today’s ride and realised that I’d need to get a train through a tunnel to Bad Gastein. Further reading suggested that I catch the train in Spittal – about 12kms back the other way. Intermediate stations had hardly any trains stopping and the ride to Mallnitz (the station just before the tunnel) included a 500m climb. So, over dinner I decided to be a wuss and retrace my steps to Spittal then get the train from there.
This morning at the campground, I spoke with a young German couple who were riding to Mallnitz and that made me think I should do it. Why shy away from a hard climb ? I’ve done more than 31,000kms of training for today, so I should just get it done.
I’m so pleased I did it too. It was beautiful. Painful and unrelenting, but just amazing.
Then it was onto the train. That process wasn’t exactly in line with the usual Austrian efficiency. I bought a ticket , then walked to the bike car on the train. It’s the very last one. There, you secure your bike, then walk to the passenger car which is the first one. It’s about 150 metres – more exercise than some of the ebikers have done all day.
You repeat the process at the other end. I thought the train went to Bad Gastein, but it shuttles only between Mallnitz and Bockstein. However, it’s all downhill from Bockstein through a steep valley that brings you to Bad Gastein.
I followed Komoot’s directions and it routed me through a carpark. I stopped thirty metres away, thinking that Komoot had gone mad again. One of the guys working on a building across the ravine called out and told me that yes, go through the car park. It must happen a lot. It was ten stories high and with intermediate levels offset, I descended through twenty carpark levels before I emerged amongst a throng of tourists in the centre of town.
What a beautiful town built in the steepest of valleys. There’s barely a level patch of land to be seen. And there’s a waterfall in the middle that is gushing a huge amount of water. It’s not a cheap place to stay and it’s very touristy, so I decided to look for the next camping ground on my way. Besides, any place with “Bad Gas” in the name, is not for me 😁 Camping Bertahof was about 5kms up the road and sounded fantastic.
All of the reviews mention how amazing the facilities are. I’ve never seen anything like it in a campground. It was five star luxury. There were already a number of cyclists there and as each one came back from their showers, they were shaking their heads and mumbling “amazing”.
I rode to the next supermarket for some food for dinner before pigging out on pasta and Antipasto.
