Query re Grossglockner Toll

[Deleted account 240831001]

I know how you feel.
My next trip isn't until June!

Are you busy at work right now? I’m having a break after the slog I’m on which finishes in the middle of March and the World Endurance round at Le Mans in April has a certain appeal....

 

[Khulu]

Are you busy at work right now? I’m having a break after the slog I’m on which finishes in the middle of March and the World Endurance round at Le Mans in April has a certain appeal....

I've been out of work since mid November but I start a 3 month contract on Monday!

I just need to work May too to see me free to ride Europe again in June [Mugello MotoGP] (and August {Austrian MotoGP again}).

Who knows what will happen Andy.

 

[Neil W]

Hope you get the weather at the Edelweisshutte that we got when we stayed there , frst pic is the view from outside out bedroom window, second is the view at dawn the next day and the last one is where our room was

 

[Hatcho]

Hope you get the weather at the Edelweisshutte that we got when we stayed there , frst pic is the view from outside out bedroom window, second is the view at dawn the next day and the last one is where our room was

Wow - savage pics! Would be fantastic if the weather was that clear during our stay. Might start making offerings to the weather gods soon - ye can never do too much!

 

[Paul C]

In the area three years ago. The local hotel gave us a free ticket for the pass. We were only there one night and it was a standard hotel. Might be worth asking.

 

[The Grey One]

Thanks for the replies folks - much appreciated! I've already booked us into the Edelweisshutte - to be honest, I didn't think there'd be availability, but when I contacted them turns out we were in luck. Hopefully we'll get decent weather up there - I'd say the sunrise is something not to be missed.

We'll won't make it into Zell unfortunately as we'll be heading towards Vipiteno via the Krimml waterfalls - then it's over the Timmeljosch the next day..

Its a fabulous place to stay and having it all (almost) to yourself is a wonderful experience. I would add just a word of caution. During the eight summers we lived in the area the Grossglockner was closed at least two days each month even during high summer. The chances are you will be fine and the road will be open when you get to the toll booth. I would say just be aware that if you hit a period of bad weather the road might be closed and you will need to find alternative accommodation. Its one reason they have availability, the other is that it is generally only us Brits who book early.

You won't have to pay on the second day.

Enjoy!

John

 

[Hatcho]

Its a fabulous place to stay and having it all (almost) to yourself is a wonderful experience. I would add just a word of caution. During the eight summers we lived in the area the Grossglockner was closed at least two days each month even during high summer. The chances are you will be fine and the road will be open when you get to the toll booth. I would say just be aware that if you hit a period of bad weather the road might be closed and you will need to find alternative accommodation. Its one reason they have availability, the other is that it is generally only us Brits who book early.

You won't have to pay on the second day.

Enjoy!

John

Cheers for the advice. We'll keep an eye on the local weather to see how things pan out. At this stage of the trip the group will have shrunk from 8 down to 5 so should be easier to find accommodation at short notice. We'll have spent the previous 3 nights in Bled so will have plenty of time to change plans if it comes to that. Fingers crossed it wont though.

 

[skellum]

Absolutely, we were there in August a few years ago and had 2 inches of snow - we knew how beautiful the view must have been but just couldn't see it!

 

[The Grey One]

Cheers for the advice. We'll keep an eye on the local weather to see how things pan out. At this stage of the trip the group will have shrunk from 8 down to 5 so should be easier to find accommodation at short notice. We'll have spent the previous 3 nights in Bled so will have plenty of time to change plans if it comes to that. Fingers crossed it wont though.

As I said the odds are that it will be OK, just be aware that the weather in the valleys is no guide to what is happening higher up. I have been over the top when it was 25 c lower down and just 1 c at the top. Check the weather on the road itself. The webcam at the top is one of the best ways of checking. If you use the Grossglockner website you will find more up to date info on the German version. They often either don't mention road closures on the English version or put them up hours later than on the German pages. This also applies to special events, cycle races, tractor rallies etc, which are often ignored on the English version but listed on the German pages. Usually these only involve short term closure of sections of the road but forewarned is forearmed so you can plan to avoid (or spectate)

From Bled you can go over the Wurzen pass (pausing to take the obligatory photo astride the turret of the Russian tank!) skirt around Villach, pick up the B100 but turn off at the second roundabout, over the river Drau and on to the L37 and then L39 to join the B98 along the north shore of the Millstattersee. The floating bar in Millstatt is a great place to stop for a coffee. Then re join the B100 ( via B99 and the L9) before picking up the B106 all the way to Winklem and the B107,the start of the Grossglockner. Even in august you will see almost no traffic on those roads. The B106 and the first sections of the B107 are a fast roads with open sweeping bends but watch out for the police in the villages. A favourite spot on the B107 is just after you pass a large waterfall on your left . They wait just beyond a petrol station on the right and catch over excited bikers who can sense they are nearly at the exciting bit and miss the limit signs.

If you have time its even better to turn right when you get to the B98 and then ride the Nockalmstrasse to join the B99 (go south to pick up the L9 and B100). This will add at least an hour to your journey but the Nockalmstrasse is one of the best roads you will ever ride.

John

 

[Hatcho]

As I said the odds are that it will be OK, just be aware that the weather in the valleys is no guide to what is happening higher up. I have been over the top when it was 25 c lower down and just 1 c at the top. Check the weather on the road itself. The webcam at the top is one of the best ways of checking. If you use the Grossglockner website you will find more up to date info on the German version. They often either don't mention road closures on the English version or put them up hours later than on the German pages. This also applies to special events, cycle races, tractor rallies etc, which are often ignored on the English version but listed on the German pages. Usually these only involve short term closure of sections of the road but forewarned is forearmed so you can plan to avoid (or spectate)

From Bled you can go over the Wurzen pass (pausing to take the obligatory photo astride the turret of the Russian tank!) skirt around Villach, pick up the B100 but turn off at the second roundabout, over the river Drau and on to the L37 and then L39 to join the B98 along the north shore of the Millstattersee. The floating bar in Millstatt is a great place to stop for a coffee. Then re join the B100 ( via B99 and the L9) before picking up the B106 all the way to Winklem and the B107,the start of the Grossglockner. Even in august you will see almost no traffic on those roads. The B106 and the first sections of the B107 are a fast roads with open sweeping bends but watch out for the police in the villages. A favourite spot on the B107 is just after you pass a large waterfall on your left . They wait just beyond a petrol station on the right and catch over excited bikers who can sense they are nearly at the exciting bit and miss the limit signs.

If you have time its even better to turn right when you get to the B98 and then ride the Nockalmstrasse to join the B99 (go south to pick up the L9 and B100). This will add at least an hour to your journey but the Nockalmstrasse is one of the best roads you will ever ride.

John

John, you sir, are a gent. This is just the type of info I love to get when planning a trip. There's nothing like local knowledge when it comes to finding the best routes to ride. The Nockalmstrasse will definitely be done - I'd much rather do an extra hour or so in the saddle than spend days later on agonising over why we didn't ride it when we had the chance. The route you've described still has us getting to Grossglocker after about 260kms which is very doable even with the sightseeing stops along the way. Thanks again.

 

[Khulu]

John, you sir, are a gent. This is just the type of info I love to get when planning a trip. There's nothing like local knowledge when it comes to finding the best routes to ride. The Nockalmstrasse will definitely be done - I'd much rather do an extra hour or so in the saddle than spend days later on agonising over why we didn't ride it when we had the chance. The route you've described still has us getting to Grossglocker after about 260kms which is very doable even with the sightseeing stops along the way. Thanks again.

The Nockalmstrasse is a great road as has been said. When I went over it the weather was very windy and damp and, heading south, near the bottom of a section there is a cattle grid on a bend; be very careful at this bit as you know what can happen!
Enjoy!
I might be back there this August again.

 

[The Grey One]

The Nockalmstrasse is a great road as has been said. When I went over it the weather was very windy and damp and, heading south, near the bottom of a section there is a cattle grid on a bend; be very careful at this bit as you know what can happen!
Enjoy!
I might be back there this August again.

Yes,I know the one you mean, there are several grids along the road but that one is the only one actually on a bend. The good thing is that there is rarely much traffic on that road so it is usually easy to straight line it by using the whole road.

John

 

[Hatcho]

It's a real shame there's no street view for Germany and Austria - I do love plodding along the roads and looking at the scenery along the way...next best thing to being there.

 

[Wapping]

It's a real shame there's no street view for Germany and Austria - I do love plodding along the roads and looking at the scenery along the way...next best thing to being there.

You can of course still ‘fly’ routes in Google Earth. Not quite the same as looking into front gardens or at the cow shite on the road I grant you but not bad even so. Most on here moan like feck about Google but their efforts to bring far flung places into bods’ living rooms has been a marvellous triumph of technology.

 

[Hatcho]

You can of course still ‘fly’ routes in Google Earth. Not quite the same as looking into front gardens or at the cow shite on the road I grant you but not bad even so. Most on here moan like feck about Google but their efforts to bring far flung places into bods’ living rooms has been a marvellous triumph of technology.

Don't get me wrong - I think the service that Google Maps offers is amazing. Mapping data, routing, streetview, 3D buildings - all pretty incredible. I've 'walked' many a road in my living room before riding it on the bike. The coverage here in Ireland is especially good, right down to the smallest boreen. I understand the lack of Street View in other countries is down to local privacy laws where google weren't permitted to cruise around in their camera cars.

 

[Khulu]

Yes,I know the one you mean, there are several grids along the road but that one is the only one actually on a bend. The good thing is that there is rarely much traffic on that road so it is usually easy to straight line it by using the whole road.

John

That's exactly what I did although I didn't know I was approaching it until I was nearly on it!

 

[The Grey One]

That's exactly what I did although I didn't know I was approaching it until I was nearly on it!

Then you were looking at the scenery and not the road! If you are riding towards the Ebene Reichenau the grid is visible from several hairpins on the way down. From the other direction its not quite so easy but the road in almost straight coming up to the grid.

I do miss that road being on my doorstep!

John

 

[Neil W]

Not many bikes up at the top today !

 

[Deleted account Cooperman]

I've stayed in Solden then went over the Timmelsjoch, heading south (in mist and rain) then worked my way over to the north of the Grossglockner and went over it heading south then stayed in Gmund - a great day's riding.

If you stay in Solden and like mountain biking you get a free ticket for the lift and mountain bike hire.

There is a very good downhill route worth a run.

https://www.soelden.com/bike-republic-soelden-en