Rainy days were coming to end. The weather forecast seemed favourable for upcoming days. I decided to pack my backpacks. A tent, a sleeping bag, a mat, a cooker and cooking utensils, clothes, teaware and teas, two flutes, a first-aid kit, a headlamp, tools for basic fixing bike and else weighed in total around 18 kilograms.
I started my bike trip in the southwest Bohemia heading towards the Bavaria. The first day was planned short regarding the biking distance, around 30 km to warm up. My destination was clear this time. I arrived to my grandma’s place to say goodbye to a part of my family. It was the last day of sleeping on bed for a while.
I continued cycling in the following two days across the Šumava highlands and the Bayerischer Wald.
My first sleeping spot was situated in a wood in the surrounding of Regen. It was easily accessible spot, which I discovered by following tractor tracks on a meadow for few hunderd meters from the aspahalt road which was leading to a remoted farm. It was out of sight, sheltered by trees, with a soft “carpet” of moss.
I aimed to the Donau river at Deggendorf and, at the end of the second day, I reached the river Isar near Plattling.
I biked along a massive dike which was separating the river from the rest of the landscape untill I encountered a groove behind the town where I set up my tent after pushing my fully loaded bike on muddy and bumpy track. The understorey was very dense in the groove. That’s why I chose a T-intersection of two tracks as my camping spot. The night was filled with noise coming from cars passing on 4 km distant highway and a nearby state road.
The journey went on smooth and quick in the upcoming days as I biked in the flat lowland along the rivers. Firstly Isar which I followed to Dingolfing, then Vils between Aham and Velden.
Near Aham, a decent place awaited for me. It was situated on the river bank in a meander of Vils. It was evidently maintained and used as a gathering place by villagers. It happened twice, in the late evening and very early morning, that dogs by passing local dogwalkers came to check on my tent and me. I was afraid of their reaction for a moment. None of them kicked me out or called police.
After passing Velden, the terrain started being hilly and I rode up and down. One of the ascents reached 13%. The effort was rewarded with an excellent view.
I managed to cycle for 57 km this day and I set up my tent in a very nice forest. The access was very easy at the beginning as I was riding on a packed dirt road. Last fifty meters, I had to carry all my baggage, one by one, to the site which was situated aside the road. The forest floor was full of mushrooms. It was actually difficult to choose a spot without removing any of them. I didn’t identify them securely they didn’t end up on my dinner plate.
When I rode across the hilly passage, I joined a cycling path along the river bank of Inn near Wasserburg. My goal of that day was the Sims lake and then Neubeuern. I didn’t accomplish any of them. I exchanged Simssee to Hofstätter See and Neubeuern for Rosenheim. The reasons? The second named lake was situated closer and I felt I need to dip in a water soon. The other change resulted partly from the first one as I took another track.
While I was biking towards Rosenheim to pass by the city in the direction to Neubeuern, I met a cyclist. He started asking me about my journey. In the end, he offered me a place for sleeping in Rosenheim. I accepted and I was accomodated in the workshop/club room of the local biking club. He behaved very hospitable. He invited me for a dinner with his family in the brewery restaurant Flötzinger Bräustüberl. Both, the beer and the dishes, tasted delicious. The club room is situated in the city centre. It is called Bikekitchen Rosencrime. It is possible to contact the place if you needed to stay over night for free in the city during your journey. Here is the link https://rosencrime-bikecrew.de/
[//]#(!worldmappin 47.85768 lat 12.12493 long d3scr)
The longest lap happened this day. I rode 77 km along the Inn river. Even though the road was very flat it took me lot of energy. The strong headwind blew against me during a part of it. And on top of that, the inner tube got punctered in the late afternoon twice.
As the dusk was coming near and near I searched for a camping spot. No place along the cycling road seemed to fit my purpose until I came upon a children playground and two high trees. My first intention was sleeping on the bench which I found. I was very tired after the whole day and I hadn’t any will to set it up. But then I look around the playground and found a structure with a slide, a ladder and a bouldering wall. Inside the structure there was enough space for me to accomodate with all the stuff.
I arrived to Innsbruck. Instead of restful and smooth moments, I had to solve a puncture of inner tube again and a rupture of the tyre. I was a bit desperate because it was early Saturday afternoon and most of the bike workshops were closing very soon or already closed. I managed to reach one and although it was officially shut the guys were standing in front of it and gave the first aid to my bike. I could continue the journey the same day and took a train to Brenner. There was enough light yet. I biked down from the Brenner pass in the direction to Brixen.
I arrived to the gate of a former little castle. I rang the doorbell and a woman opened the door. I explained her my situation and asked for warm water first and afterwards for a place to sleep. She showed me a grassyard for camping beneath the castle.
The last day of biking before the pause finished in the same manner as I began in Czechia. I slept in a bed, this time at my friends’ place. I’m admitting I looked forward to it.
