Cycling Bad Hofgastein in Summer - bike to the Biberalm

Farms and fields in Gastein

Biberalm – the long and winding road June 2011

Sometimes you can look forward to something for months but then, on the day, it’s a big let-down. Bit like losing a long anticipated Cup Final. Just occasionally everything falls into place and, like my bike ride today, expectations are exceeded and it’s a winning game.  Mind you, my expectations might be a lot lower than many peoples. 
I attempted to cycle up to Biberalm last year but thunder and lightning caused me to beat a hasty retreat from about half-way up. This time I picked a warm and sunny June morning.

Biberalm is very high at around 1730m but is one of the more accessible mountain huts. Visitors without the necessary puff can get there by car or minibus via a steep and winding toll road. Walkers can get to it by a long traverse over from the Schlossalm or by climbing up from behind Bad Hofgastein railway station; first through farmland and then on mature forest paths.

A gap in the trees

My method of ascent was the trusty bike. I chose to pedal my way up from 830m to around 1730m which is a long old haul. The route meanders up through Alpine Farms until about 1200m where the route enters the forest. There is a toll at this point where cars can pay 5 Euros to take to the forest road. No price to pay for cyclists but there is payment in full in terms of physical effort! The tarmac runs out but the road quality isn’t bad, not too much loose gravel. Had to walk a couple of times on some steep sections and the problem then comes in the form of over-friendly flies. I was the arguably the smelliest, warmest and wettest substance on the forest road at that point so, when at walking pace, they landed on me. Normally the alpine cows or their waste provides a tastier meal than an Englander in shorts on a zig-zag cycle route. 

Still a mountain to climb

My road criss-crossed the walkers route. The walking path goes, more or less, straight up the mountain. To be honest, I was not climbing much faster than a walker I saw several times on the path. In my defence, I did leave him in the dust on the way back down and he did turn out to be an expert 'wanderer'.

He arrived at the Biberalm a few minutes after me. He had parked his car part way up, just before the toll road, and I had passed him not long after.  I reckon he did his 500m climb in under 90mins - that’s good going!

We shared a lunch table and I found out that he was an Austrian from nearby Wagrain. He runs a wander hotel (they specialise in walking holidays) called the Erika in central Wagrain and he also has a mountain ski hut called the Adler. 

The Biberalm - journeys end

He had not climbed the route before but I think he planned to come back with his guests. The Biberalm is just about on the tree line but there's still plenty of climbing above it. In fact, while I relaxed over my lunch he set off up the hill to check out more of the mountain!

I really enjoyed my lunch. One Austrian Lady on the next table, who’s English was as limited as my German, called me ‘Young Boy’ as I had cycled up to there. What me? I told her my age but in her opinion I was still the Young Boy. The age profile of guests in Gastein at this time of year is weighted towards the high end so I suppose it’s all relative - but it made me chuckle.  Her husband was a hunter.  He shoots deer or goats I think.  Pity I couldn’t get him to pick on the pesky flies instead.  The chap running the Alm, Kristian was friendly. He had been to England a few times and spoke English well with a bit of a London accent. He sounded just a bit like Dick van Dyke in Mary Poppins but heh, that’s not a criticism.

A cyclists lunch - going down fast

So, after enjoying the company, my lunch and the stupendous views of the Gastein Valley for about  90 minutes it was time to celebrate with the effortless 8.5km descent back to the valley bottom. 

No flies on me this time!

Lunchtime - a view to cycle for!

The long and winding road down