Cycling in the Alps

Tomorrow I leave for Germany to visit a great and dear friend of mine. Errol and I had planned to do some cycling this summer in search of adventure, physical challenge, and above all, a good time! We set our sights on the Alps and started to prepare and plan. Unfortunately, two weeks ago, Errol severely injured his knee. It looks as though he will not be able to join me in this summer's episode of cyclotouring (yes the bike-a-thon must go on).

Here is a brief outline of my upcoming trip:

After visiting with Errol in Hamburg, I will head south to the German-Austrian border outside of Munich. There I will hop on my bike and head into the Alps following the Inn river to its source, some 500 km to the west, in Switzerland. I will be following the Innradweg (Inn bicycle path) for this leg of the journey (click for info and map). Once in Switzerland, I will continue through the heart of the Alps visiting small villages and towns. This section of my trip is left mostly unplanned to see where the road and winds take me... the Matterhorn, Northern Italy, Mont Blanc... All of this meandering and wandering will have a direction and goal in mind though: Thonon-les-Bains, France on Lac Leman. This is the northern terminus of La Route Des Grandes Alpes (click for info and map). This route will lead me 684 km through the french Alps on the epic and storied climbs of Le Toure de France, ending at its southern terminus on the Mediterranean in Menton, France. Then I have a choice: east to Italy and Venice, or west to Spain and Barcelona... I'll let you know when I get there. Check back to this blog for updates and of course pictures often.

Now, I must return my tray and seat to its upright position and prepare for take off. I will miss you all! See you in September.

Aaron