Monte Zoncolan, Monte Crostis double.

Zoncolan and Crostis done. At the top of Moonte Crostis (the road anyway) just under 2,000m up

What a day! Two big climbs done in a mixture of rain, mist, wind and sun. Monte Zoncolan lived up to its hype and was a constant 12%+ gradient, but Monte Crostis was a little wolf in sheep's clothes. Still, they were both worth the ride, even with the not so perfect weather.

Maintenance Day

Looking busy...

Day off the bike today here in Villa Santina. Don't know if it was needed but just trying to be prudent as I don't want to spoil this ride with an injury, or overdoing it early on. It did give me some time to plan the route ahead though, do some bits and pieces to the bike (still can't find that squeak in my pedals), and have a little lie down in the afternoon which is always nice.

Finding Italy

Well first time in this country, and it is overdue. Today was a bit different in that my purpose was to relocate near Mont Zoncolan and Crostis which involved some uphills, some downhills, some proper pasta for the first time,  and a lot of trouble finding accommodation which meant going further away and farther down hill than I wanted. But still, there were some great moments of course and an all round superb day again.

Grossglockner Hochalpinstrasse

Looking down on on the road up to the top of the Grossglockner Pass

What a day! Skirting up a valley through small towns, seeing the World Champs for Grass Skiing, watching Austrians go about their business on a sunny Saturday, finally seeing other people wearing helmets, climbing to over 2,500m and being surrounded by behemoth mountains where ever the eye looks. Unforgettable!

Kitzbuheler Horn....done!

The view from the top of Ketzbuheler Horn

Boom, one down! Certainly didn't start out easy on this trip going from New Zealand straight into a Category 1 climb off the bat, but may as well jump in the deep end and see what happens...and I did it! So happy.

And we are underway....

Man, what an awesome day! Today was all about heading south and into the Alps, but it was awesome to actually finally to get going.

Rose fashionably late as always

Yusssss, she has arrived! It took all day but Rose has arrived. Am so happy, there was a point mid afternoon where I started to think of worse case scenario and at what point I would just go out and buy everything new and just get going. Luckily it didn't come to that though! 

Something's missing

Easing into holiday mode in a Beer Garden in Erding

Wie gehts? So after a great start to the trip and two good 12 hour flights I arrived into Munich this afternoon. Unfortunately, Rose did not. Delays in getting into LA meant there was not enough time to go through customs, retrieve luggage, recheck luggage, go through customs again and have Rose make it to the plane's hold. It was a close call for me too - you know you are cutting it fine when you start to hear your name being called on the loud speaker. Oh well, what can you do?

It's business time!

Today is the day! Everything all packed into the cardboard bike box nice and snuggly with copious amounts of bubble wrap and the whole thing weighed in at a measly 11kgs - awesome. Flew through check-in with no additional fees for the oversize box, so that was a weight off my shoulders too (many thanks Air NZ). So now it is waiting to board, and fingers crossed the two hour connection in LA is long enough to recheck my bike box in time for my connecting flight to Munich.

It's getting real!

A little bit of New Zealand travelling with me

One day before I go, things are getting real! Today was a relaxing day of spending time with Holly, saying goodbye to people, and creating some sunny Auckland memories.