Photos and largely nonsense words from part two of Cal and I's Euro bikepacking adventure
The first day in Italy. Fully loaded on the slopes of the Bernina Pass. Piz Bernina is the 4000 meter hulk towering in the background.
Earlier that morning on the slopes of the Albulapass. Nice camp spot, terrifying electrical storm.
The day started with a total failure to find singletrack upon descending to St Moritz
Things looked up once we hit the Bernina Pass, having decided to snub St Moritz' predictably pricy lifts and push on to Livigno. I think we may have missed out on some superb riding.
Bernina was a loooong old climb. Despite a mid climb stop for gulaschsuppe we still had to resort to pushing.
The view from the border.
The view the next morning.
Humble abode. Probably says a lot about our mental state and cleanliness that we felt 'stoked' to have assembled this washing line.
Gondola
World champ DH in the Livgno bikepark. Steep fun was had.
We followed a day of DH with the mother of all XC rides. We had over 2000m of vertical to climb once we got off the bus.
But before the climb was the huuuge Poschiavo descent. The cows at the top where cool until they started drinking from my camelback.
Cal dropping in to a beast of a descent. From glaciers to vineyards.
We just focussed on descending so this one dodgy pic is the only one we got. Super gnarly up top, before turning into a race against the Bernina Express on almost welsh feeling trails.
And then the climb. Nigh on 1600m straight up. Cal approaching the summit.
There was a green grass lined decent on the other side. Fun was had...
...Until the 2nd huge climb of the day. Cal was nearly broken at this point. Some guy told us the other side was unrideable and the trail was to vague.
It was pretty vague, but once we decided which side of teh river we should be on, it was another sweet descent down a lonely valley.
Another climb dropped us in to the top of the bikepark again. This was a huge ride. One of the most epic things I have done on a bicycle.
We followed up one day of mega XC with another, fully loaded this time. We found some awesome trails in the Stelvio national park.
There was just mountains and trails. It didn't feel like the Alps without any ski stuff littering the landscape, more like a massive Scotland. It was lovely.
Cal on his way to Buffalora. I'm going back there for sure.
It had nothing but trails and a cake shop, and a huuge road pass to descend.
We found a trail and headed downwards on that...
...before being forced to take to the road. Cal approaches 88mph on his way to Scuol. This was another 70km plus day.
Awesome.
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