Day 25: 26th August 2011: Oppenau to Tumlingen. Biggest Mountain So Far.

I wake behind my pile of gravel to the sound of the bell continuously tolling at 7am. The nice Austrians next door offer me a coffee and Roman the husband tells me of his own exploits. Last year he drove from Innsbruck to Santiago De Compostela in Spain on the Pilgrim trail. 2700Km in 21 days. Whilst I'm mulling this over I realise he means cycled not drove and the feat becomes impressive. This year in April he walked it! He looks of retirement age so well done Roman. The biggest climb so far is on the cards so I go to the post office and dispose of as much unneeded stuff as possible. The kind but uptight woman in the post office stresses as I take her display carton outside to see if all the stuff will fit inside it or if I need the next size box. She keeps explaining that it is the display box, and please don't cut it. Eventually I decide this box is a good size and buy an actual box and post the 3kg of unneeded gear back home. So the weight issue is seen to. Next, power. I go and find some tortellini and heat the whole lot up on my stove near the public toilets, the uber modern toilets are spotlessly clean and have a power socket so I have a charge up whilst cooking an early lunch. Whilst hanging around the toilets a man walks by and inspects the bike. I pass him my translation when realising no English will be talked and he tells me in no uncertain terms about what lies ahead and how big the hill is out of town. He then asks me if I'd like a drink. A fresh bottle of fizzy water is produced and I join him on his bench for a drink and a ridiculous chat. Ja Ja. I say most of the time. Now with a whole pack of pasta and half a pack of fruit and nuts devoured I tighten up my sandals and immediately go the wrong way. Direction sorted I head for Bad Peterstal, not an up and coming DJ but the next place in the search for a dead Hi Bic rider. I fill up one of my water bottles here, not wanting to add too much weight by filling up both. Mineral water flows from the taps here. Superb. The church bells ring out 1 o'clock and the next two hours are probably the hottest part of the day. What a classic bit of timing for my biggest hill climb ever. Approximately 500m up in about 6km distance. I've never attempted anything like this before. I get stuck in and get a regular pace going, before long I'm in bottom gear and technique and groove is what it's all about. This is fine until an articulated lorry, of which there are many, wants to overtake on a hairpin. Both cyclist and driver compromise and neither has to stop dead. The tall pine trees give shade on a hot day until a hairpin bend is reached and a small clearing appears and the sun shines through, and boy is hot. Sweat on! 970 metres above sea level is the supposed summit and I'm only at 600m. Sunshine appears and it looks like it might get a bit easier. It does for about 0.5km then back on it, steeper than ever, touching 12% sometimes. My bottom gear is quite low but with the luggage and my scrawny legs it's absolutely killing me; every time I look up I just see the barrier and cars above meaning still more to go. I weave across the road to take the sting out of the incline but have to get back when traffic comes my way. Fortunately it's not too bad and it allows for quite a bit of weaving. I finally see a change of scenery and know the summit is near. Adrenaline and determination not to fail at this stage keep me going to the top at virtually sprinting pace. I must be doing at least 3.5kmph now! As I reach the top I see a place to pull over and take some pics. I'm deliriously happy. A couple are at the best spot and I think I've interrupted their romantic moment. They know nothing of my super human feat to haul my bike, my luggage and myself up this proposterous road without getting run over or falling off, let alone some sort of massive medical condition bringing itself to my attention. I've made it and the view is incredible all for having got here under my own steam. Well chuffed. It all gets a bit shit after this. No road signs, roads turn into motorways without warning, go down steep hills the wrong way, have to come back up them, and bicycle paths....agrggghh!! I eventually collapse in a heap at the bottom of a valley with nothing but steep gravel paths as an exit. The only saving grace is that about a dozen eagles are swooping down into the valley and back out again. I wind up in a small shopless village and notice people swimming in a lake. It looks like a good spot. So in full view of everyone I set up camp. In all this hilarity I've forgotten to get water. Another first is called for. I scoop up a panful from the lake and boil it up. The pasta and sardines taste great.