Plansee, Gravel, and the Isar

A relaxed start thanks to yesterday’s booking chaos. Today, we ride 60 km instead of 100. Check-in isn’t until 4 p.m., so we sleep in, have breakfast, and pack slowly.

Despite that, we’re on the bikes shortly after 9, under a bright blue sky. First goal: Lake Plansee. That means a serious climb – but the view is absolutely stunning.

At the end of the lake we take our first break, then descend on gravel. Tricky. After that, more or less decent bike paths take us toward Garmisch.

During the second break we try to figure out which mountain is the Zugspitze. We’re never entirely sure.

Next climb: Mittenwald. Long and draining rather than super steep. At the top, cola and a few minutes off the saddle.

The last 15 km run alongside a road. Many drivers overtake properly with plenty of space. Some, though, pass with just centimeters to spare – hard to understand why.

The final stretch on the Isar bike path is beautiful along the Karwendel, but rough to ride: coarse gravel and potholes.

We arrive at the hotel at 2 p.m. Only the cleaning staff are there, so we sit in the garden with ice cream and wait.

In the evening we stroll through the village, eat burgers, and watch the surprisingly entertaining movie Meg 2. (We laughed at lot, probably not at the intended scences)