Exhilarating descent
N 47°44'839'' E 009°08'824''
Day: 7
Sunrise:
05:56 h
Sunset:
21:00
As the crow flies:
27.30 Km
Daily kilometers:
70.55 Km
Total kilometers:
311.20 Km
Soil condition:
Asphalt, gravel
Temperature – Day (maximum):
26 °C
Temperature – day (minimum):
19 °C
Temperature – Night:
17 °C
Latitude:
47°40’558”
Longitude:
009°29’731”
Maximum height:
520 m above sea level
Maximum depth:
400 m above sea level
Time of departure:
10.00 a.m.
Arrival time:
7.30 p.m.
Average speed:
13.47 Km/h
After a wonderful night’s sleep, we set off at 10:00 am. After just a few minutes, the ascent up the ridge begins. The muscle burn in our thighs is not long in coming. I feel as if my legs are inflating into Eifel towers and my lungs are evaporating on the partly gravel path. Slight knee pain sets in and I’m worried whether my knee, which has suffered four operations and several torn ligaments, will hold out for the next few years. The gradient becomes so steep in places that we only manage to get our bikes up by persistently pushing them. Other cyclists are surprised at us and some of them shake their heads. “What all do they have with them?” “But some of them have to take their entire household with them everywhere.” “It’s their own fault if they load so much luggage onto their bikes”, and we hear many more snippets of conversation as they cycle past. After about two hours, we’ve covered just seven kilometers and a total of 150 metres in altitude. “How much further uphill is it going to be?” I ask a fruit vendor on the side of the road. “You’re at the top. From now on, it’s all downhill to Bodman,” his reply delights us.
Tanja and I let our heavily laden bikes roll down the path. The weight pushes and accelerates our machines so much that we are forced to brake from time to time. On the empty road, I only use my brakes before the bends. A special kind of happiness fills my body. It roars and whistles, the wheels whir and the speed increases. “Huurrrraaaaa!!!” I shout out of sheer cycling pleasure. A glance at the speedometer makes me wince briefly. I would never have thought that my companion could become so fast. A warning instinct makes me pull the brakes from time to time, but the joy of the rush of speed, especially after the eternal slog, overcomes reason and I continue my rapid descent. After far too short a time for my liking, I reach the plain. I stop to see where Tanja is. I hope nothing has happened to her, a thought runs through my mind. I watch with relief as their little freight train shoots down the mountain. Beaming with joy, she stops next to me. “Wow! That’s fantastic! It could only go downhill for me. It makes cycling fun,” she cheers for the next few kilometers. After climbing from an altitude of approx. 520 meters to approx. 380 meters towards the shores of Lake Constance, the route continues with only slight ups and downs in the direction of Überlingen.
Today, on Sunday, all hell is breaking loose on the cycle path. Thousands of people seem to be using the day to take their two-wheelers out. Again, we have to be very careful not to collide with a speeding racing cyclist or one of the many children’s trailers. Our destination today is our starting point in Ailingen near Friedrichshafen. We have already phoned our hosts, the Bodenmüller family, to register. “We look forward to seeing you,” said Ingrid. “We first”, I replied, thinking of the nice conversations, the cool beer and the good snack.
At 7:30 p.m., after exactly 70 kilometers, we arrive at the Bodenmüllers’ door. As expected, the welcome is very warm. “Come in, have a beer and tell us about your first experiences,” they greeted us.
