In July 2012, I stay in Westendorf, about a 20-minute drive from Kitzbühel. There lies the infamous panoramic road to the Alpenhaus on the Kitzbüheler Horn at 1670 meters altitude. Notorious not so much because of its length (about 7.5 kilometers), but because of the average gradient. Various values are indicated on websites, it is around 11.7 – 11.9%. That is even steeper than the (longer) Zillertaler Hohenstrasse from Kaltenbach. And this year I’m doing it differently than usual – on July 30th, the Kitzbüheler Horn Radrennen takes place, a once famous race, won in the past by Lucien van Impe. A golden opportunity, so I signed up well in advance.
That Saturday morning it’s gray and the rain is coming down. That promises something, it will undoubtedly be cold at the Alpenhaus. Certainly not beautiful cycling weather. But okay, no backing out now and I load the bike into the car. The mountain bike this time, and that’s also a first. All other climbs on this site have been done on the road bike. But taking the mountain bike with me this year has a dual purpose. First of all, it saves me worries about what gear I’ll need for the ‘Horn’. In addition, it’s also wonderful to do a few days of climbing on the mountain bike over unpaved paths.
Arriving in Kitzbühel, I already see some road cyclists riding around. I find a spot for the car at the cable car and get on the bike towards the center. Right there is the registration at a cafe. And my name has neatly found a place on the list. I receive a plastic bag full of provisions that I cycle back to the car. It keeps raining incessantly, and I decide to stuff a jacket into my saddlebag. Fits perfectly. Just before the start, all cyclists are chatting with each other and I look around. I’m not the only one with a mountain bike, although we are in the minority. At the start, the group sets in motion, and as a peloton, we ride about 2 kilometers to the foot of the Horn. Through a little tunnel and we pass a residential area. Here it starts to climb steeply, and I already see the first cyclists around me dropping off. I try to pick up the pace, but it’s clear that they’re already riding very hard up front. When I cycle under the official arch of the Panoramaweg, the roles are clearly divided. A group of mountain bikers, including me, look for each other and we start the climb, which has gradients of up to 17% right from the start.
I feel fine, but easy climbing it is not. It’s so steep that there’s no real rhythm. The first part of the climb goes through meadows, followed by a bit of forest. The ‘mautstelle’ (toll station) is not long in coming and is characterized by a brief stretch of flat road. Which my fellow cyclists use to accelerate instead of resting, and immediately it’s full throttle again. We turn into the forest again with a gentle right turn, only to emerge again between the alpine meadows. The group falls apart, and now it’s every man for himself. Signs along the road indicate the gradient. Just as I’m starting to get pretty tired, a German tells me that we’re about to hit over 22%. However, that section is not long, and slowly the end of the Panoramaweg comes into view. Or rather, I can only see one turn ahead at a time because of the rain/mist. Advertising banners show that the end is near, and I try to give it my all to the finish. Finish after 57 minutes, that’s tough! Quickly put on the jacket and like a comet back down, in search of warmth.
By the way, it’s possible to climb further up from the Alpenhaus. For this, you follow the parking lot and have to get off for the barrier. However, on sunny days, it’s very busy on those last steep kilometers, with numerous hikers on the road.
Featured photo: Image by Alois Grundner via Pixabay
