Day 3 starts with a climb.
After a short section on a rough road I soon follow a track through high grass, cross the road of the Flüelapass and veer off onto a fun single track.
Suddenly that urge to packraft...
Very soon I'm back focusing on riding. Horses have beaten the track somewhat, wet roots and mossy rocks make it proper tricky to ride. I pedal-kick my way through and get welcomed by some horses running about in a frenzy. Are they enjoying the sun after a cold night?
Easy terrain but steep. I push quite a lot and try to save my legs. They’ll be hurting enough on the downhills.
Looking back. The grade eases, the track gets a little rougher. Win.
Into another stunning valley.
Milk cows go in to give milk, mother cows and the calves stay out. Watching them ford I wonder what's going on as they suddenly all go towards the alp hut. Then I spot the farmer with salt, spread in a big circle on a huge slab.
Further into the valley I realise I made a mistake by letting my girlfriend know that I was going to call latest by 13:00 when back in an area with a mobile signal. When I sent that message I forgot that I had planned to go over Jöriflesspass, Flesspass and Vereinapass. A mere 9 additional km’s, but at least 1.5 h more. I was not going to be able cover ground quick enough to get back to an area with reception by 13:00. So I cut it to Flesspass and Vereinapass. I’ll have to come again…
The riding is proper strenuous. I grind my way up, shifting, hopping and cranking my way through as many scree slopes as possible.
Feeling yesterday's downhills in my legs.
Looking back
Things are getting easier.
Close to the Flesspass. *must visit the area down paced, on foot or so”
Flesspass. The easy part. From here there’s also a track back to Klosters. This would be the easy way back. I choose differently.
Looking back to the Flesspass, left from where I came (Val Torta/Val Fless), right Süser- & Vereinatal).
Fun terrain close to the Vereinapass, far under me in the mountain runs the train through the Vereintunnel.
Facing Piz Linard. My mountain of alteration – after scrambling this mess as a teenager, I withdrew to ice covered summits for mountaineering.
Start of a most amazing descent.
The bull makes me press on and keep my break short.
Super fun and easy opening.
I’ll be down in no time…
Looking back. …not
Riding the path of least resistance.
The single track demands my full set of tricks. Stuff I very rarely do, but here I’m too much in the zone, in the mindset some call flow, despite the track being anything but flowy.
Front and rear wheel hopping, rear wheel kissing, bars to the chest, pedal kicks. It’d be much easier and more efficient to just do the HAB, but that’s not what I came for.
I came to ride.
Some easier parts
Looking back. The track runs right next to the waterfall. The scree slope being the easy part.
Looking back. Big rocks are covered by long grass. It’s a real test piece for me.
Alder shrubs.
After 3 months in the wilderness of Canada/Alaska and 2 months in eastern Tibet with Rhododendron-whacking, I know how to treat this stuff.
I ride through and get stuck. Time to push the brake levers away from the bar, as the branches like to pull the levers and see me go OTB.
The challenge starts to break me. “Gosh”, “oh really?” can be heard more and more from a mountain biker on a blue bike as he starts to struggle, growing tired.
In spots I nearly go too far. I wish I was here without bivy gear and a mate. The stream drops into a small gorge, stupid as I am I can’t stop trying to ride some crazy sections and then it happens;
On wet rocks in some utterly steep section I roll into boulders too big to clear and the chain ring clips the rocks. I loose traction at the rear and slide sideways, then, by the steepness the rear wheel swings in the air to the right. I try to keep balance, open the brakes and roll too fast into the next chocked off lump of rocks where I catch my shin on a rock. My foot still on the pedals, I scratch past into control and as soon as I can stop, get off and sit down to calm myself.
The sun is beating down, I’m sweating like a pig, losing strength, shaking and suddenly…
I spot what I’ve never spotted before in Switzerland; marks of a bear. He’s been digging just next to where I’m sat. Inside I jump with joy. What a nice surprise! I feel energized and continue on what is becoming easier, but still utterly challenging.
Just as I think I’m done with this valley I roll up to one last hurdle. I proclaim a loud and official “feck you!” I’m usually not like that towards mother nature, but I had to laugh at my inability to cover ground in this valley the way I thought I could – from looking at the map and some neat google images. And yet had I climbed Piz Linard from this valley, I still would’ve come back. And probably will again, with and without the bike. Good bye Val Sagliains. Thanks for the appropriate challenge. I have rarely found a place right up on the narrow ridge of being ridable or not for me.
must be quiet here.
I drop into Lavin and collapse at the village fountain and text mi girlfriend just minutes after one o'clock. Head and wrists get a cool bath. After a lunch out of my rucksack and what feels like a well deserved rest I start my transfer to a bus stop not far outside Scuol. Easy terrain.
Sur En
Sweary Dave would like it here.
Instead of an easy cruise for two hours I see another challenge; Heat, nettles and my need to stick to the smallest available ribbons of tracks. Not-so-easy then...
Some mind-boggling fun though.
I suddenly come across Indiana Jones with three small sculptures, hunted by some bad boys with short sabres.
I block the bridge with my wide handlebar and large wheels.
Sorry mate.
My scorched brain cools off over the river Inn, going into the shade. Only 150 m climb on 500 m distance up ahead, but I feel devoid of energy and it takes me twice as long as usual for such a little climb, albeit steep and rough enough in sections, I'm better off carrying the bike.
If I want to save some 60 or so minutes of a climb on gravel to S-charl, I need to hurry to catch be post bus. The last one for today.
I make it. Drained and thirsty. Looking forward to another fountain in the lovely village of S-charl.
S-charl. My last visit is still present. Winter traverse of the Fuorcla Funtana da S-charl. Good times. Even slower than this mornings trip over the Vereinapass.
Next up is the S-charljoch, a pass into Italy, I still know well from a very late autumn bikepacking trip (no snow, just ice). I feel okay and climb easily.
Looking back.
Again I kind of feel sorry for myself as I just pass through. Even a 15 minute break won't do the view justice. I should spend a night here.
On the climb I gradually feel weak and dead slow. I carry my empty hull up to the pass under the light pain of hypoglycaemia, struggling with every step and chewing on stuff whilst on the slow move. A decent bonk.
After a little break with loads of sugary goods and water and salts I feel much better. Ready to charge another long downhill. Today’s last.
The top is a bit tricky, but momentum can be kept. After that, the orographic right side has super fast double tracks. I’m not going to even think about the overgrown left side I rode years ago. I'm not in for a mess and planned the right side at home already.
There’s a bus that leaves in half an hour down in the valley at Taufers and goes up to Tschierv where I arranged an Airbnb earlier in the day, for the forecast was rather rubbish and I was being soft. Half an hour. I believe there’s a realistic chance I can make it. Only 8 km, 1000 m vert loss. I’ve ridden similar numbers in 15 minutes. Easy.
Off I go. I hammer the track I still seem to remember.
If only there was more juice left in my arms and legs. They are badly wasted.
The single track has some techy bits which usually would go down well, but know I’m struggling. I walk two sections I’d be riding easily.
I’m stupid enough to think I can still make it and go absolutely mental. I can’t remember going so utterly fast on dirt. Ever. And I’ve hit more than 80 km/h on double tracks on a few occasions.
Fence posts fly by in my rush and I hear rocks hitting them and my legs and down tube. I lean back and go low, I work the bike to absorb small bumps and hop rocks. One small mistake at this speed will really, really hurt. Then I switch that part of my brain off again. In the speed rush I go wrong, I go left instead of straight on a less used track. Once back on the planned route, I dive into the forest and am all over the slightly rockier and curvy track, listening to more rocks hitting the trees I pass at warp speed.
On the lower section I enter a super flowy single track. My tyres hardly touch the woodsy ground as I seem to fly from lovely naturally shaped rollers and berms, using roots to launch over obstacles.
I touch down in Taufers. One with my bike. A bike with blue discs.
I missed the bus by little and cruise to a pizzeria. After all I’m in Italy, in the Val Venosta (Vinschgau in German), an area where they speak German, and it would be a folly to leave without a pizza. Not far from here Reinhold Messner has his (first) mountain museum in the castle he lives for a few months a year, the Schloss Juval. It's well worth a visit for those interested in mountains, mountain culture and more.
I get off the bike and barely can hold myself upright sans bike. I successfully have smoked my legs completely. The pizza tastes great, the post bus (hourly service) to Tschierv arrives and soon I’m in my Airbnb room. Some stretching, rubbing and Perskindol out of a small sample don’t help to calm my thighs. They feel fizzy.
My body is very tired and my mind still buzzing from all the rush I was in today. It’s way after midnight when I finally can settle down to beating rain outside.
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