Munich > Passo Stelvio > Lindau. 6 Days 720km 9,000m

Just finished up my first multiple-night bikepacking trip, over six days from Munich down into the Alps and back up. This turned into a really special week spent with my brother and I'll never forget it. I have very few negative things to say about the route so for anyone else who might be considering doing something similar, here's a a few general observations and some short notes on each day for anyone who wants more detail:

General Observations:

1. All of the big climbs and decents were incredible but they all felt like they might be less enjoyable in the opposite direction. Maybe that's a phsycological thing or maybe it's legit?
2. The near-constant bike path availability great and made the trip very stress-free. Side note, Lichtenstein drivers do not like bikes and are the most impatient of any country we passed through.
3. The Alps are spectacular and every day had a different view and visual landscape to offer. I have never enjoyed cyclig more than I did over these six days.
4. Most campsites were more than happy to accommodate us at short notice, but we found an email ahead the day before arrival worked better than turning up unnannounced. My BA Tiger Wall bikepacking was an MVP and fit on my bike so well.
5. We experienced every kind of weather from a 3 hour thunderstorm to hammering 35ºC heat. Pack accordingly.
6. Two pairs of socks. I only brought one, my brother brought four. Neither of us were happy with our choices.

Daily Notes:

D1 Munich > Achensee: A great first day to settle in. Most gravel of the whole trip but very manageable. Rolling farmland gradually turning into alpine foothills.

D2 Achensee > Brixen: Bit of a drag along the River Inn but once you turn south out of Innsbruck towards Brenner Pass it really starts getting pretty. Brenner Pass is gorgeous but I sense it would not be as nice going south to north. Unsure how I feel about Brixen but we failed to find a campsite with space and had to book a hostel. I'd look for another town but do the same route because…

D3 Brixen > Glurns: …the road south to Bolzano is gorgeous. Western edge of the Dolomites and the scenery was gorgeous. Oddly reminded me of some parts of Vietnam. Merano to Glurns was a proper graft in the afternoon heat and we had to stop to find shade and cold drinks to avoid heatstroke. A great precursor to the day to come, prioritised easy pedaling and fresh legs for the next day.

D4 Glurns > Stelvio > Le Prese: It's the Stelvio. Nothing else need's be said. As beautiful, epic, and special as it sounds. The descent was magic, although I had to swap out brakepads halfway down (should have done the maintenance I said I would every night previously). Bike path deteriorates in quality the closer you get to Tirano from Bormio but being from Ireland, any bikepath is better than home. Never miss a chance to order pizzocheri in Tirano. The climb to Le Prese is a grim end to the day but much better to get done now than the following day. The Bernina Express is also an option if the legs are dust and you don't want to cycle it.

D5 Le Prese > Tiefencastle: Straight up Passo Bernina. Another gorgeous alpine pass, feels like there's another glacier around every corner. Gorgeous. Plenty of pros on the road training too, which feels exciting. Didn't call into St Moritz, I'm probably missing nothing but I wish I did just to see what all the rich person fuss is about. Albula Pass was tough on tired legs but the climb was followed by another incredible descent. Great cheap swiss campsite in Tiefencastle, but get your food shop in ahead of time.

D6 Tiefencastle > Lindau: One last climb up Lenzerheide before a glorious descent down to the Rhine. The radweg departs the Rhine up to Malans to break the flatland monotony and it's worth it for the cute towns you pass. A pass through Lichenstein is fun just to tick off a visit to the micro-state. Skip any stop in Bregenz entirely and get yourself to Lindau before stopping. Lindau old town is very pretty and worth a stop in for dinner and breakfast. There should be a direct train to get you back to Munich but during our visit it was interrupted and we made it back handily through a transfer in Ulm.