Looking for a new climb to test your legs out on? Hans-Peter Obwaller has the collection for you!
This week, HPO takes us through the stunning mountains around his home on the Austrian/Italian border. Some gravel roads, sweeping views, and breathtaking climbs await.
Unless you’re a German speaker, we suggest you don’t try too hard to pronounce some of the locations either, as Mount Großglockner and Zirknitz are a bit of a mouthful for us.
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The bucolic scenery near Olang-Valdaora, Bolzano–South Tyrol, Italy, is where the ride starts on a gravel trail adjacent to Lake Valdaora, The ride transitions to tarmac before climbing starts through Olang. Approaching the summit the road changes to gravel and steep slopes. The summit offers scenic views of the Dolomite mountain range. The descent ride follows the same route as the climb. The Giro d’Italia has used part of this route for Individual Time Trials (ITT).
More InfoStarting in Salzburg – the hometown of the classic music composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart – the ride climbs the city's notorious mountain: the Gaisberg. The first six kilometres have moderate gradients. However, Gaisberg's final three kilometres has an approximately 12% average grade. Great views of the city and its surrounding mountains on the descent. Winding country roads bring you to the "Wiestal Stausee" along the lake. The ride continues around the lake to climb a few shorter hills to ride back to Salzburg. Finally, the route climbs Gaisberg from another side with a downhill finish back to starting point.
More InfoA great climbing route through the Carnic Alps in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. In 2011 this would have been part of, in my humble opinion, the most iconic Giro d'Italia stage EVER!!! There's a seven-kilometre gravel section at the top of the mountain, followed by a very technical, steep and winding downhill.
More InfoThis ride really is an extraordinary climb. There are 50 switchbacks during the 9 km climb up to the Oscheniksee reservoir. The summit is at 2394 metres above sea level, for roughly a vertical climb of 1220 metres! But there are some easy areas to recharge before turning left and starting the switchback "festival." Amazing scenery guaranteed. If you can climb Oscheniksee, you can do any climb in the world!
More InfoA great climbing route through the Carnic Alps in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Italy. In 2011 this would have been part of, in my humble opinion, the most iconic Giro d'Italia stage EVER!!! The ride starts in Ravascletto. The easy way to get to Comeglians or Tualis would be on the main road. Instead, this ride does the scenic version via the Monte Crostis – probably the most beautiful climb I have ever done in real-life. There's a seven-kilometre gravel section at the top of the mountain, followed by a very technical, steep and winding downhill.
More InfoA route above Döllach village starting at Zirknitz. The climb up to the Großsee reservoir is a little steep from Zirkntiz and quite nice. At approximately the half-way point, the road soon flattens out and goes straight into the valley. The route goes up the Kleine Zirknitztal. After a short steeper stretch the road passes by some houses. Then the route enters the final long and steep climb up to the Großsee dam. The reward is a great vista and fast ride down to Zirknitz.
More InfoStarting near Heiligenblut, the route presents a great view of Mount Großglockner, the highest mountain in Austria at 3,797 metres. The first two kilometres are the only easy ones for this ride. Then, the crucial climb starts with immediately steep gradients on tarmac. Later on the gravel road, the road deteriorates the higher the route climbs. However, there is superb high alpine scenery to ease the pain. The climb ends at the Zirmsee reservoir at 2,529 metres above sea level.
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