Packed with adventure: ​A gravel weekend feels just like a week’s holiday

A weekend can feel like so much more. Like the other day. On Friday, after work, I took the train from Munich to Mittenwald because I wanted to cycle through the Gaistal again – and because the Fern Pass was a good place to add on to the trip. I quickly found somewhere to stay for the night; it needed to be affordable and include breakfast. Whilst booking, an idea struck me: to go for a hike or a run on Sunday, up there in the mountains.

Saturday was absolutely packed with highlights, from Gaistal to Fernpass and Hahntennjoch. Shortly after leaving Gaistal, I’d actually just wanted to grab a quick bite to eat in Ehrwald, but no sooner had I sat down in the café than the sky darkened, the wind picked up, and then it poured with rain. After the pancakes, I ordered another portion of chips to pass the time – and because a bit of food certainly doesn’t do any harm. After two hours, the downpour was over, and I hopped back on my bike – heading for the Fern Pass and on to the Hahntennjoch, which, with an average gradient of 10 per cent at the end of the day, ended up taking more out of me than I’d anticipated. I spent the night just past the top of the pass.

On Sunday, my trail run – which turned out to be more of a hike – was on the agenda: a circular route, punctuated by an apple strudel with vanilla sauce at the Hanauer Hütte. Afterwards, I got back on my bike for the 38-kilometre ride back to the train station – with a thunderstorm hot on my heels. There wasn’t enough time for a snack before the train journey: the first drops were already falling, so I cycled straight to the station. And the moment I set foot inside the station building in Reutte, the heavens finally opened.

To sum up: Zug, the Alpine landscape of the Gaistal valley, a thunderstorm, the Fern Pass with some lovely encounters, a steep climb to the Hahntennjoch, a hotel, a trail run with magnificent views and a break for apple strudel, a cycle ride in challenging weather, and a train journey. All those impressions and experiences were crammed into just two days, but looking back now, they feel like much more than that.

So here’s my advice: pack your bags and plan your own short break on your gravel bike

Where to?

It’s better to stay close by than go far away – that leaves more time for adventure. What does your region have to offer? Are there any places you haven’t visited yet? Or anywhere you’d really like to go back to? You could also simply choose based on where to stay.

Arrival and departure

• ​Set off on your bike straight from your front door: no need to change transport or make a booking, but limited to what your own region has to offer.
• By bike and train: a wider choice of destinations, but check in advance whether you can take your bike on board and whether you need to book in advance.
• By car, if you have one: this gives you the most flexibility when it comes to choosing your destination, but you do have to get back to the car at the end.

Accommodation

For the ultimate adventure: are there any official wild camping sites in your area? Or small, cosy campsites? If you’d rather not lug around too much kit, or if, like me, you want to combine several activities, look for an affordable hotel or guesthouse.

​And now it’s your turn: where will you spend your next adventure weekend?