New! Garmisch - Lake Como

7- 12 participants
4250 Hm
4 Stages
Level light I
320 km
6 Days
Driving Technique
Stamina
Description

Garmisch - Lake Como

The Transalp with the Gravelbike from the Zugspitzdorf Grainau to the north shore of Lake Como is characterized by pristine nature and remoteness. We discover imposing mountain massifs and fascinating glaciers. We experience diverse alpine culture and fantastic gravel routes over the Fernpass, along the alpine river Inn to its source and finally through Bergell to Lake Como.
Ideal Transalp beginner's tour mainly on marked cycling routes. The stages are, although not technically demanding, a challenge for the condition. Compared to the route Garmisch Gardasee, the requirements for fitness and cycling technique are somewhat higher due to the higher proportion of unpaved roads.
The highlights are strung together like pearls on a necklace: secluded valleys in the Ammergau Alps, the Plansee and Heiterwanger See lakes. Zugspitzblick and the historic Roman route over the Fernpass. The Inn Valley in the Tyrolean Oberland and the impressive customs fortress of Altfinstermünz. The panoramic route through the Engadine from Martina to Maloja leaves very special impressions, not only in terms of scenery. The culture, culinary delights and, above all, the unique route through the quaint Engadine villages leave a deep impression in the memory. From the Maloja Pass, numerous hairpin bends wind their way into Bergell and we follow the Meira River until it flows into Lake Como. This stage with its fascinating landscapes and routing with more than 2,000 meters of depth is more than just the cherry on the highlights cream pie.
From Grainau at the Zugspitze our Gravelbike route leads into the Ammergau Alps to the picturesque Plansee and Heiterwanger See. In the Außerfern we meet the historic Roman road Via Claudia Augusta and reach the Tyrolean Oberinntal via it. We follow the mighty Alpine river into the Swiss Engadine. Fascinatingly pristine and yet modern, ancient villages blend into the sublime Swiss mountain world, which culminates at the Upper Engadine lakes with the elemental glacier world of the Bernina Group. St. Moritz offers a sophisticated contrast before we take a leap back in time in Bergell. Massive granite mountains enclose the valley all the way to Valchiavenna in Italy. After about 320 kilometers and 4,250 meters of altitude, we reach Lake Como at Colico.
Details & stages
6 pm Meeting in Grainau near Garmisch to get to know each other, bike check and dinner. Discussion of the overall tour on the basis of maps.
We start in the Zugspitz village of Grainau. From the warrior chapel at Höhenrain we have another wonderful panoramic view before we reach the nearby Loisach valley. Through the wild and romantic Neidernachtal we drive to Plansee in Tyrol. The only thing missing to create the illusion of Canadian wilderness in this scenic valley are brown bears stalking supposed salmon from the shore. A narrow lakeside road and an easy single trail take us from Plansee to Heiterwanger See. Following the Via Claudia Augusta bike route, we reach the Ehrwald basin. Between Lermoos, Ehrwald and Biberwier a vast plain spreads out and we enjoy the view of the surrounding rock massifs with Zugspitze, the Mieminger chain, Ammergau Alps and the northeastern foothills of the Lechtal Alps. Over the Fernpass we finally reach Imst on fast gravel roads through beautiful pine forests.
From Imst we reach the banks of the Inn River, which we follow from now on to its source. Up to Landeck, the bike route almost imperceptibly overcomes the first meters of altitude that we follow the river flow upwards. The imposing rugged rock faces of the Lechtal Alps to the north leave us in awe. Between Schönwies and Zams, only a few meters from the bike path, we discover the historical traces of the old Roman road, for which the Inn Valley, which at that time was full of nature, offered almost impassable obstacles in many places. Between Pfunds and the Swiss border we discover the customs fortress of Altfinstermünz. Shortly thereafter we find ourselves in the Swiss canton of Graubünden. We cycle through picturesque villages with typical Engadine houses, with their massive stone walls and deep window alignments, often decorated with so-called sgraffito and house paintings. Compared to the cycling route in Tyrol, the path now follows the wild and largely natural course of the turquoise Inn River for the most part as an unpaved farm track. There are also a few energy-sapping climbs. We reach our stage destination Scuol through the historic lower village of Scuol Sot, where we discover another special feature of the region at a fountain with a wooden knight figure: Mineral water springs.
In addition to imposing scenic impressions, the unique Engadine villages are particularly fascinating today. Immediately after the start, a long climb to Ftan awaits us on a narrow mountain road that offers a gigantic view of the Engadine Dolomites and the Swiss National Park. On the opposite side of the Inn River, Tarasp Castle rises prominently on a hill. A second longer climb takes us to Guarda, the setting of the famous Swiss children's book "Schellenursli". As one of the best preserved villages in the Engadine, it consists almost exclusively of the typical Engadine houses with picture-rich sgraffiti, which are considered part of the regional building culture. Shortly after, we reach a gravel path to the bank of the Inn River and change the side of the valley. From now on, the route follows the course of the lively young alpine river. Cycling against the flow of the river, we experience how the Inn, roaring and wild-bearded, tries to squeeze its way through the eye of a needle made of rocks, only to later ripple again through the deep green landscape. Following the Inntal cycle route, we reach Lake St. Moritz and take a look at fashionable Sankt Moritz, where Alpine tourism once had its beginnings. Passing Lake Champfèr we reach the much larger and among water sports enthusiasts very popular Lake Silvaplana, where our stage destination is located.
The postcard motif morning atmosphere at the Upper Engadine lakes is indescribable. We follow the southeastern shore of Lake Silvaplana on gravel paths to Sils. The shore path of the following Silsersee narrows on a section of about one and a half kilometers to a single trail, which is well doable with gravel bike. At the highest point, the branches of the Swiss stone pines offer a picturesque view across the lake to Maloja. There is the striking highlight of our journey. As soon as we jet down the serpentine road of the 1,812-meter-high Maloja Pass into Bergell, we are already on the southern side of the Alps. The river Maira will accompany us through the Bergell valley until it flows into Lake Como. The valley is characterized by imposing steep granite rock faces, original forests and small villages. We feel as if we are traveling back in time through a bygone century. Our route winds along ancient mule tracks through deep green chestnut forests until we reach the Italian border. Immediately afterwards, the cycle path leads almost without gaps on asphalt in a slightly varied up and down through the impressive landscape to Chiavenna, which as the "Key of the Alps" was already under the Romans an important center on the trade routes in the direction of the northern Alps. The cycle path now leads almost flat through the wide valley floor, the Piano di Chiavenna, to the Lago di Mezzola and further through small rural Italian villages, through fields and pastures to the shore of the mighty Adda River, which shortly thereafter feeds Lake Como at Colico as its largest tributary. There Colico is the lively arrival point of our tour.
After breakfast transfer back to Grainau.
Services, dates and prices
Self-drive to Grainau near Garmisch.
5 x half board in double room in good and well-kept hotels/pensions, partly with sauna and pool
tour guidance (guide)
luggage transfer
return transfer
Online picture service
Travel
Dates
Price €
G1GC34 Early Bird Super Early Bird
19.08.2024 - 24.08.2024 till 31.12.2023 till 01.11.2023
1269 € 1239 € 1199 €
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