E-bike cycle to Trattenbachalm

The day of hiring e-bikes has arrived and we set off from Element 3 at around 9.15am. Our intended route was from Kitzbuhel, along the riverside to Jochberg and then up a gritted path which took us through woodland and along the Trattenbach river. The road was very steep in sections and this is where the e-bike has proven its worth. Both of us worked hard but we gave ourselves a turbo boost on occasion (though the road surface really wasn’t conducive to it as the back wheel was skidding on occasion).

Stopping for a rest

We stopped for a rest and to look at the views and watched a family of e-bikers coming up the road behind us. We let them pass and then carried on our journey right to Trattenbachalm at 1628m. We stopped for lunch here and I had Käsespätzle (macaroni and onions again! - but to be fair I thought I was getting the cheese dumpling) and Blair had a sausage with bread, mustard and cheese. We both had Kaiser beer which seems to be the common beer here and is very refreshing despite being lager.

Our lunch awaits in the alm ahead

Having a full belly is probably not to be recommended when you still have a last leg of cycling to do and we knew we had to take it easy going downhill due to the slippy road surface. Brakes were on pretty much all of the way down and at one point we had to get off and walk the bikes down as Blair had skidded off the path due to the brakes being in reverse compared to UK bikes (our minds were never far away from the fact that these bikes are worth upwards of 3000 Euro and we were responsible for any damage!).

The Aubachgraben woods were on our right on the way down and this was very picturesque. We passed several Alms and then finally made it onto firmer ground back at Jochberg where we joined the riverside path back to Kitzbuhel.

An early bath for Lynne

We still had some time before handing the bikes back so we attempted another small tour but got a bit lost and ended going half way up the Kitzbuhler Horn road before turning back along by the Farmhouse Museum and back into Kitzbuhel, arriving around 3.30pm.

We took a short walk up and beyond our hotel after dinner. It was such a hot night and we were sweating while eating dinner - it was almost airless. We took only a short walk - it was a lovely night and getting back to the hotel I saw a flash of orange tinted lightening. That was the first of many electric flashes that lit up the sky for the rest of the night, mixed with some deep rumbles of thunder and eventually rain. It was mesmerising watching the lightening light up the hills through the darkness.