Day 1, Wien to Vordernberg, 23km, Ascent 439m
Tag 1, Wien nach Vordernberg, 23km, Bergauf 439m
29/08/2019
Suz met me after my final German class in town and we rode to the West Bahn station to catch the train to Bruck an der Mur. Suz managed to break the rear derailleur cable just before we got to the station. We were quick enough to buy a new cable just before the train left and were able to replace the cable before we had to get off. We then catch a local train to Leoben 15km further up the Mur valley. From there we find the cycleway up the Vordernberger valley.
Nach meiner lezten lektion, habe Ich Suz getroffen und wir sind zum West Bahnhof gefahren, um den Zug nach Bruck an der Mur zu nehmen. Das umwerferkabel von Suz fahrrad ist kurz vor dem bahnhof gerissen. Wir haben noch schnell ein neues kabel kaufen können bevor der zug abgefahren ist. Wir haben das neue kabel montiert bevor wir aussteigen mussten. Danach wir ein lokalbahn nach Leoben 15km Murtalaufwärts genommen. Von dort finden wir den ragweg in das Vordernberger Tal.
Past the once mighty steelworks, still in operation, now specialized steels only.
Vorbei an dem einmal grossen Stahlwerk, noch in Betrieb, aber jetzt produziert es nur Spezialstahl.
We cross the Vordernberger stream a couple of times.
Wir überqueren der Vordernberger Bach mehrmals.
A hot, sunny day, and some ridiclously large pumpkins casually growing in someone's compost . . .
Ein heisser, sonniger Tag und einiger lächerlich grosse Kürbisse wachsen einfach so in jemandes Misthaufen . . .
Sunny, but you can see the dark clouds further up the valley in the distance.
Es ist noch sonnig, aber man kann die dunkeln wolken am Horizont sehen.
This is a museum at the beginning of Vordernberg. Note the steam locomotive was an ABT train with the ability to tackle steep inclinations (lower right).
It is similar to the one in Tasmania and a warning of steepness to come . . .
Es ist ein museum am anfang von Vordernberg. Note Sie die Damfplokomotive war eine ABT Zug, der steil bergauf fahren kann. Es ist gleich als der Zug in Tasmania und das ist eine warnung vor kommenden steigungen . . .
By the time we get to Vordernberg, the trail has become much steeper, and the town itself appears to simply follow the road. A nice local managed, after quite some effort, to find us some accommodation. Of course, it is much further up the road. A couple had just cancelled. It is dark, cold and raining by the time we showered and changed and ventured out for dinner, just '300m' further up the road. Those would be vertical metres . . . we walk alongside the main road (high speed, though not busy, no footpath) at least that far. I believe we clocked 1,000 metres when we passed the place the next day. It is not so much the horizontal distance as the effort of acquiring height at the time.
Als wir ankommen in Vordernberg, der weg ist mehr steil und der stadt sich tauchen einfach entlang dem Straße auf. Ein nett lokal, nach viel anstrengung, Unterkunft gefinden. Naturlich, es ist viel weitere auf dem Strasse. Ein Eherpaar gerade absagen. Es ist dunkel, kalt und regnet als wir dushen, umzeihen und fahr vor Abendessen, nur '300m' weitere auf dem Strasse. Diese ist senkrecht metres . . . wir spazieren entlang dem haupt Strasse (sehr schnell aber nicht belebt, kein fussweg) gehen zumindest das weit. I gleibe wir 1,000m als wir vorbei des resturant um nächster Tag gegangan.
Day 2, Vordernberg to Admont, 58km, Ascent 722m, Descent 1054m
Tag 2, Vordernberg nach Admont, 58km, Bergauf 722m, Bergab 1054m
30/08/2019
We wake up to a cool, overcast day and it was a solid, steep 220m climb to the saddle at Praebichl Pass, 1230m above sea level.
Wir stehen zu ein kuhl, bewolken Tag auf und es war ein schwer 220m steigel bergauf zum Praebichl Pass, auf 1230m Meereshöhe.
There is a small Enercon wind turbine at the pass, this is skiing country. There is also a very sobering memorial (2007) to the Death March at the very end of WWII that the SS made prisoners (mainly Hungarian Jews from the iron ore mines) to the top of the pass where those that made it, were shot. Just about the darkest chapter of any peoples, anywhere, anytime ever. What to say? I could not even take a photo of it.
Es gibt ein kleine Enercon WEC bei der pass, das ist schnee Land. Es gebt ein sehr nüchtern denkmal vor der Stol
That is a 10% gradient and the only road going through the pass. The wet road surface made the high speed descent more interesting than perhaps it needed to be - though I catch a truck on the way down and follow behind it for a while on the brakes. We stop half way down to lose the truck and some of the traffic. And check out how far down we have come, it is a good 500m plus of pure downhill.
You can see the road we came down at the top, above, and the iron ore mountain on the right. The mountain is still being worked with tourists able to watch the 20,000 tonne of dirt being blown up from the comfort and safety of haulpak trucks modified for the job.
I manage to hit 65km/hr again on the way into the iron ore mining town of Eisenerz but we do pull up and have a coffee there before a short tour of the local town hall and museum - and the list of times (5? 6?) it burnt down and was rebuilt. We continue down the Erzbach valley mostly on the road with some parts on timber cantilevered over the river to Hielflau where the Erzbach joins the Enns river, the longest, freeflowing river in Austria. We have lunch there before continuing upstream. The valley is now quiet open and large mountains now appear on our right.
Entering the Gesause National Park area, a kayaking, rafting, climbing, hiking, mountain biking and in winter skiing, playground.
At one point, the road disappears into a tunnel, the trail skirts around with this impressive view.
Numerous wooden bridges cross the Enns, note the mountains in the background . . .
The river Enns at Admont towards dusk.
We arrive in Admont mid afternoon. It has a nice park with about a dozen huge oak trees. A benedictine monastery was first established here in 1074. In 1776, the world's largest monastic library, over 200,000 books began construction. In the evening, we walk around it and it is indeed, massive.
I was using a GPS bike computer which provides an idea of the vertical metres ridden. The steep climb first thing in the morning followed by a long high speed descent down the valley to where the river flows into the Enns at Hielflau is clearly shown. We then headed west and up the Enns valley.
Day 3, Admont to Schladming, 86km, Ascent 578m, Descent 437m 31/08/2019