We will follow the trail from the source of the river to a little over half the stretch of the trail. The exact stages will be decided nearer the time, but here is a rough idea of what I have in mind:
Thu 22nd May: Travel to Radstatt, start cycling early afternoon up to the source of the river, and the start of the trail. Possible short hike at the source. Ride back down to Flachau. Total 38km
Fri 23rd May: From Flachau, we can take an alternative route up the side of the Dachstein to Filzmoos and Ramsau, and back down to either Haus or Aich by the river. There are possible extra tours both further up the Dachstein and to the Steirischer Bodensee for those who want a bit of a challenge. For those who would prefer to take it easier, it is of course possible to stay on the original route, which is relatively flat. (Via Ramsau ~46km + extra tours - e.g. Steierischer Bodensee +14km; original route via Schladming shorter)
Sat 24th May: From Aich we would take another alternative scenic and hilly route round the back of the Grimming, via Gröbming, Bad Mitterndorf, Irdning to Liezen. (~70km). Again, it is possible to go the standard route, to avoid the climbs (~40km).
Sun 25th May: From Liezen, there are again
two possibilities - one is
to stay by the river through the scenic Gesäuse, and then
further up to
Altenmarkt (~60-70km). The other is the alternative, steeper though
shorter
route via St. Gallen (~40-50km). Return to Vienna.
Length of activity, difficulty:
The described route contains several climbs, some of which will be long
and drawn out, and will be a challenging tour. There is
however
always the alternative route, which is always easy, and apart from the
last day, always shorter. Those chosing to do the easy
alternative can expect to complete the individual stages easily in a
morning or afternoon (except Sunday). It is not necessary to decide in
advance which route you intend to follow. It is of course
possible for individuals to extend the trip and continue on the
following days through the historic town of Steyr to Enns, where the
river joins the Danube. The terrain here is less hilly than
the
stages we are planning.
Meeting point and ending point:
To be decided - see "Public Transportation" below.
Public Transportation:
Trains from Vienna to Radstadt seem quite slow. One
alternative
leaves the Westbahnhof at 7.44 with a change in Bischofshofen, arriving
in Radstadt at 12.35. Here we must reserve space for the bikes (may be
too late already!). The other alternative leaves the
Südbahnhof at 7.12 and arrives in Radstatt at 13.07 without a
change. Here it is not possible to reserve space for the bikes, so
arrive early!
For the return journey, there are several trains from
Kleinreifling
(a few km north of Altenmarkt), which take about 2.5-3 hours back to
the Westbahnhof or Südbahnhof.
Driving Instructions:
It is also possible to drive to a point on the tour and then catch a
train to the start and/or endpoints.
Recommended Equipment:
I recommend a trekking or mountain bike or similar in good condition
with enough gears. Please note - everyone is responsible for
the condition of their own bike - please check the bike before the trip
- e.g. tyres, gear and brake cables, chain, spokes, pedals, saddle etc.
Bring a small repair kit for common repairs, especially punctures. A
spare inner tube is also strongly recommended. For your luggage, I
recommend using panniers attached to a luggage rack on the bike, rather
than wearing a rucksack.
Also bring a water bottle, some small snacks (preferably high
energy), a small first aid kit, sun cream, insect repellant.
I recommend wearing specialist cycling clothes - shorts or long pants,
t-shirt, pullover, waterproofs. I also strongly recommend wearing a
helmet when cycling - I know people whose lives have almost certainly
been saved by a helmet! Also, bring some extra clothes for
the evenings. Packing your luggage in plastic bags inside your panniers
may help keep your luggage dry if it rains.
Comments:
Experience has shown that large groups are difficult to handle in
multi-day bike tours. Therefore there is a limit of the group
size of 10 people, allocated on a first come, first served
basis. Therefore it is necessary to register for this
trip. Please register preferably directly by email to the
trip leader (see email) or by phone (see below). Please only register
if you are sure you will come, as other people will be turned away if
the quota is full!
Contact Information for Trip Leader:
Roger Starkie, 0699 8163 2998 or 02231 20710.