Austria 2019

Previous
Monday July 15, 2019
Ötztaler Gletscherstraße

Tuesday July 16, 2019
Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo

Next
Wednesday July 17, 2019
Gavia

Today's goal is the 13th highest paved road in the Alps
Passo del Rombo / Timmelsjoch Austria / Italy border 2474m 1797m vertical 29km
from San Leonardo in Passiria IT 677m 29km

This pass can be climbed from either the Austrian or Italian side.
The Austrian side starts in Sölden, the same town as the start for yesterday's climb Ötztaler Gletscherstraße.
However the Austrian side is not as pretty, is shorter (24km vs 29km), and has much less vertical (1106m vs 1797m).
The path over the pass dates back to ancient times.
The last section of paved road was completed in 1967.
In Italian (and Austrian) Tirol they speak pretty much only German in my limited experience.
While it seems convenient to call the Italian side Passo del Rombo and the Austrian side Timmelsjoch, I'm pretty sure very few locals ever use the term Passo del Rombo.
(When I called it Passo del Rombo at my hotel, the owner patiently told me "some people also call it Timmelsjoch")

I checked out, put my backpack in the car, rode down to the bottom of town, then started up the pass.

San Leonardo in Passiria IT looking west up the valley toward Moos.

The early skies weren't too promising.
There were too many cars for the first few kilometers up the valley floor until I reached Moos, then there was far less traffic.

2019/07/16 08:29

It quickly cleared off and I got to enjoy a the weather of my dreams, a bluebird day in the Alps.

2019/07/16 10:01

2019/07/16 10:03
Looking back the way I came

2019/07/16 10:16

Finally I could see most of the way up to the pass itself.

2019/07/16 10:16

PANO - scroll right
There were other cyclists and motorcycles on the road
I was not alone but that was ok, the day was too gorgeous not to share it.

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PANO - scroll right

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2019/07/16 11:21

Dusty: Several Chinese and German speaking folks with lots of cameras taking pics and video of a motorcycle with the perfect mountain background
Dusty: When I stopped a short while later and took pictures in their direction i think they got upset, after being very happy to see me ride by
I assume they were filming a secret new motorcycle and didn't want anyone posting pictures online.

2019/07/16 11:26
Looking southeast toward Botzer mountain
The Austria border runs along the left ridgeline

2019/07/16 11:27
Looking up toward the pass

PANO - scroll right

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PANO - scroll right

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PANO - scroll right

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2019/07/16 12:04

some of the 18 tunnels on the south side

2019/07/16 12:05

PANO - scroll right

2019/07/16 12:20

I made it!
It was gorgeous!
It was a little chilly toward the top as the cool breeze blew from the north.
The sign says 2509m, but the road only gets up to 2474m

2019/07/16 12:37

Looking up toward the pass from the Austrian side

2019/07/16 12:37

summit cross on the Austrian side

2019/07/16 12:38

summit cross on the Austrian side

2019/07/16 12:39
Looking north from the summit

2019/07/16 12:40
PANO - scroll right

2019/07/16 12:41

2019/07/16 12:51
The sign says 2509m, but the road only gets up to 2474m
The rasthaus was packed.
I wanted food but decided it would be a very long wait for a meal, so I settled for a beer.

I recorded my entire descent with my Intra 360 One on my head.... someday perhaps I'll make a video out of it...

I then started my very-long-and-windy-road drive to Ponte di Legno Italy
The windy roads went on for what seemed like forever, but was really more like 2-1/2+ hours...

Deep in the backcountry I saw a motorcyclist on the pavement with two of his buddies attending.
He had clearly hit the wall with his motorcycle and was not in good shape.
He was also a very long way from a hospital.
I felt like I should stop and assist, but since I didn't speak a word of either Italian or German I realized I wouldn't be any help and I continued on.

Passo del Tonale
Almost to Ponte di Legno
The pass had lots of ski resorts and nice scenery

2019/07/16 17:21

Dusty: 3 hours of driving those roads was nuts..
Dusty: loose focus for a second and its the wall or a short flight

Finally I reached Ponte di Legno
I got a walkup rate for two nights at the venerable 4 star Hotel Mirella

Poster in the lobby of the Hotel Mirella, apparently team Gruppo Ferretti stayed here for Stage 19 of Giro d Italia on June 9 1971.

2019/07/16 17:30
Hotel Mirella has seen better days... like in 1971.
The wooden balcony door was pretty rotten, the balcony itself was in bad shape, the interior hadn't been updated in decades.
They put me on the very end of the hotel, which was great, and I was overlooking a roaring river, which was also great.

This sprawling complex was very loud.
Shortly after I checked in I started to hear a rock band playing live.
I found 4 kids playing rock music in a conference room downstairs ... right next door to the yoga room where at least one woman was trying to do to yoga.
The indoor pool was next door to the yoga room, it was loud too.
I could not imagine why the hotel owners thought it was appropriate for anyone to play a single instrament in a hotel, nonetheless an entire rock band.
Fortunately I couldn't hear them from my room.
I later heard others playing drums in different rooms and decided this must be some sort of band camp event for teens.

Overall wasn't too impressed with the hotel.

View from my room

2019/07/16 19:11
View from my room

In Austria dinner was served at my hotels starting at 6pm.
Here in Italy they didn't start serving dinner until 7:30pm.
I was starving since I hadn't eaten a proper meal all day...