In 2019 I bought myself a climb to Großglockner High Alpine Road for my 30th birthday.
This was as expected to be, one hectic day. But definitely worth it every second. We went there the day before and slept at the Hotel in Fusch, a village on the north side of the mountain. We had a short toast in the evening (Ria smuggled the whole cake with her, haha, thanks!) and soon I had to go to bed so I could wake up early in the morning, have breakfast and hit the road.
My first and main goal was the climb to Edelweissspitze and I did it without big problems. Weather was perfect and I was really motivated to ride. The climb was quite long and the views were amazing, patches of snow on top of the mountains were just like a cherry on top.
We met at the top of Edelweissspitze and drank a well-deserved beer, but then I wanted some more. I was really motivated and legs were in a good mood. I decided to take a ride on the other side. I went on through Hochtor tunnel, speeding downhill a bit and then climbing again all the way up to Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe to see the highest mountain in Austria.
The weather here changed quickly and I didn't have a lot of time to enjoy the view. It was still a great feeling to see the magnificent Großglockner mountain and Pasterze glacier. I had to move on and the ride back down was a bit more difficult as it started to rain a bit. I made it to Heiligenblut just before the big storm. We slept in this beautiful village and headed home the next day.
This was definitely one of the best cycling / climbing days and I am really looking forward to do this again some day. The weather cooperated almost all of the time and the experience was unforgettable.
*Biggest thanks goes to my wife for support and the perfect gift.
A short video made from instagram stories: