Another country, same heatwave, another cemetery tap. Not the first and most definitely not the last.

Somewhere in Germany.

5am breakfast of assorted petrol station finds and a Maccy D’s Hot Apple Pie that I’d been carrying since around 2pm the day before. In a shed next to a big road up a hill somewhere south of Kempten, Germany.

Heading for Austria and the mountains.

Early morning light in Austria.

The river Lech, Austria.

The lower slopes of the climb to Hahntennjoch.

Tunnel avoidance.

Into the squiggles up to Hahntennjoch.

Highest point so far.

Austrian not-Fanta to a soundtrack of AC/DC.

Fast descent to Imst. Crazy fast. Overtaking motorbikes and cars fast.

The second climb of the day, up to Timmelsjoch.

The second climb of the day, up to Timmelsjoch.

It was a long long way to get to the top of Timmelsjoch, and it seems in the evenings this is where the BMW and Audi drivers of Italy and Austria come to powerslide around the corners.

The highest point so far.

Sketcharama.

We thought the descent from Hahntennjoch was fun until we got to Passo del Rombo, the Italian side of Timmelsjoch. Fast, twisty, went on forever. And then some. It may have taken all afternoon to climb the thing but it took about thirty minutes to plummet down the other side.

Looking back up Passo del Rombo.

Hello Italy.

Somewhere between Bolzano and Trento on day 5 (we should have been here on day 4 but there are reasons that shall be written about later).

Trento. After the cycle path of indirectness.

Yet another petrol station machiatto and Fanta. And more water. Lots more water. (We shouldn’t be on this road, we should be in those hills over the way. Again the reasons for this shall be written about later.)

Cyclepath between Trento and CP2.

Cooling down / washing socks.

Campsite shower block roof. Home for the night. Food and rest needed and the climb of Monte Grappa could wait until the cool of the next morning.