Originally from Annecy, Sarah Fayolle has gotten into the habit of organizing a cycling trip every year, generally in May. The time is ideal: it's not yet too hot and the roads remain fairly calm.
After having traveled the Netherlands and the ViaRhôna, Sarah and her companion this time wanted a more mountainous, exotic route close to home.
It was while exploring social networks that they discovered the idea of a Munich → Venice route and the adventure was launched!
PREPARING FOR THE TRIP
We love traveling by bike because it’s a slow, free mode of transportation that’s close to nature. This allows you to savor each landscape, each encounter, each moment. It is also a sporting and environmentally friendly approach, in perfect harmony with our values.
In terms of physical preparation, we did not follow any specific training. Our usual activities, ski touring, trekking, mountaineering, road cycling, allow us to stay ready all year round.
The main objective was not performance but discovery and pleasure. No time, no records, just the desire to enjoy, to visit and to take the time. I was particularly looking forward to crossing the Dolomites, a massif that has fascinated me for a long time and that I had already explored while hiking.
THE GREAT DEPARTURE
To plan our route, we used the Komoot app. An official cycle path, well marked throughout the journey, allowed us to organize our stages peacefully.
We simply added a few detours to enjoy the Dolomites, including Lago di Braies, a magnificent site that we did not want to miss.
Traveling by bike in total autonomy is a unique experience. We carried 22 to 25 kg of luggage each: food, cooking equipment, tent, sleeping bags... We were even equipped with a solar panel to charge our phones and camera.
Every evening, we pitched our tent in a discreet and sheltered place, in order to rest and enjoy calm evenings surrounded by nature.
Our route – 600 km, 5,300 m D+ in 8 days
- Munich → Achensee: 104 km | 900D+ | 500 D-
- Achensee → Brenner: 72 km | 800D+ | 700 D-
- Brenner → Bruneck: 90 km | 1000D+ | 1,150 D-
- Bruneck → Lago di Braies: 40 km | 800D+ | 100 D-
- Lago di Braies → Cortina d’Ampezzo: 50 km | 700D+ | 800 D-
- Cortina → Farra d’Alpago: 83 km | 600D+ | 1,400 D-
- Farra d’Alpago → Treviso: 70 km | 300D+ | 750D-
- Treviso → Venice: 40 km
BREATHTAKING LANDSCAPES
This trip was a total immersion in the diversity of European landscapes. In just a few days, we crossed three countries, Germany, Austria and Italy and discovered:
- picturesque and authentic villages,
- turquoise lakes and dense forests,
- the mythical Dolomites and their imposing peaks,
- the Prosecco hills,
- and finally the Adriatic Sea.
The feeling of freedom that traveling by bike provides is indescribable. We refocus on the essential: moving forward, admiring, feeling.
CHALLENGES ENCOUNTERED
The main difficulty? The weather! As is often the case during our adventures, we had our share of unexpected events:
- Two days of heavy showers in the Dolomites
- Thunderstorms every evening, right when it’s time to set up the tent
But nothing could dampen our motivation. The beauty of the route and the satisfaction of moving forward more than compensated for these constraints.
AN UNFORGETTABLE ADVENTURE
I recommend this route to all cycling enthusiasts. It is secure and pleasant because it avoids major roads. It is an experience that is both sporting, exotic and rejuvenating.
If I had to remember just one moment, it would be our encounter with a deer in the Dolomites. A suspended moment, rare and magical.
A huge thank you to Cairn for joining us on this adventure! The PRISM II helmet followed me for eight days: light, comfortable and perfectly suited to this type of trip.
