In 2019 I bought myself a climb to Großglockner High Alpine Road for my 30th birthday.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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: