Mikes Blog

An Afternoon Mountain Bike Tour
Sunday 13th May

Today is our first day back from Greece and last day in Germany on this trip. I did have plans to either go and do a final long run in this part of the world for a while (maybe 2 hours around Hochgrad) or take part in a local half marathon in the morning before doing something with the Wespel family in the afternoon. Once arrangements were sorted there was no time for this and Zita, Gebhard and I headed off at about 11am to meet up with Hubert and family at 12 in Fussen. This is near Neuschwanstein, the unusual castle built by Ludwig II and made famous on many tourist adds for South Germany.

As we drive towards Fussen we see the castle and behind it Sauling, 2050 metres, a great steep little mountain. From a distance it looks impossible to climb. I had climbed it 10 years ago, and today I enjoyed tracing the route up as we drive past. I remembered an excellent and not very difficult day of walking and a little scrambling.
Our plan for today is - the three girls will do a three hour walk together in the forest, while the 5 boys will mountain bike up, over and down a hilly forest road further back into the mountains up to about 1400 metres. Travel distance = 22 km. Height gain = 650 metres.

We head off. It is steep but enjoyable climbing - with a few rest stops on the way. At an open clearing high up on the hill we see the Wieskirke, considered the finest example of a Roccoco style church in Germany - and which had left a lasting impression on me when we visited it 12 years ago. One aspect of the church which had been of great significance to me was a painting on the inside roof of the "Doors to Eternity".

Once at the top of the climb we could see the bigger mountains to the south. After about 20 minutes of ups and downs at about 1400 metres, we start our general descent. In Wellington I have done some rides with a mountain biking group from the Hutt Valley Tramping Club. I know the guys would love this. A local Alpine Club sign indcates that this is a ski touring area in winter. It would be fabulous with good snow. For a while the metalled logging road descends slowly. The views of the mountains to the left (south) are mountains I have never seen before, with great rocky ridges and interesting summits (all around 2000 metres). It is a joy to me. I could imagine exploring these mountains forever - as if in a joyful dream. Why does such imaging, such action, give us such pleasure?
Our descent road now steepens and off we go, zooming down as fast as we dare, so much fun, and still views of the new mountains rising above us. The final section of our route returns to a narrow sealed road running beside a wooded river for 3 kms. Back at our departure point we order ice-creams at a Gasthaus (restaurant). They come in a glass dish - three scoops for each of us, each a different flavour.

When the girls return, we head back to the cars and to the Wieskirke for a quick visit. It is a mothers day and "Mary" service and we end up staying for 1 and 1/2 hours. I can't understand much of the German but I have a detailed guide about the history of the church and information about many of the artistic features, in English, which I buy as we enter, so I read this as I look about the church while the service continues. Above me is the door to eternity.

Later...
It is 12.37 am. I have finished packing for our trip back to NZ tomorrow. My guitar and case together weigh 26 kgs. (The limit is supposed to be 20!). Also my carry on bag is about 10 kgs! Hopefully this goes OK at checkin. But Singapore Airlines are generally pretty good and allow quite alot of extra weight without charge (we heard up to about 28 kgs per person!!).
Zita is still packing. Tomorrow we fly.

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