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GRAVEL RIDING ON A GLACIER

Travel Gravel: Gravel riding on a glacier

Posted By Gravel Union On 5 May 2021

With the Alps practically at the end of his road, Shimano Gravel Alliance rider Flo Nowak goes searching for some Alpine gravel riding with a difference.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

Last summer, while traveling was not really possible and not many gravel events were taking place, I decided to take on a totally new challenge with a couple of friends. As I grew up in the Alps, and still have an extraordinary connection with the mountains, I wanted to get a new perspective on the alpine landscape.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

We all know that unfortunately glaciers are disappearing. I normally only visit them for skiing during the winter, but I wanted to experience the big blue ice and snow in August too. And not just see it, but also to ride my bike on it.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

We decided to start in the Ötztal valley and used our gravel bikes on normal roads to gain some decent altitude as efficiently as we could. After nearly two hours of climbing, we had to leave the road and use the trails and gravel paths to gain some more altitude. Everything seemed so quiet and calm, just birds, water and nature in the early morning hours.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

As we climbed higher, we could see what was coming for us – on the horizon we saw big blue ice shelves and huge snow walls. But in between the snow and the ice, we found some very rough gravel roads – the surface was pretty difficult, with big rocks and stones in places, but it was just possible to ride. And I can tell you, riding up to the glacier in the middle of those walls of ice and snow just made me feel so tiny and unimportant.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

It was a spiritual experience to really feel the glacier and nature around you. Realising that everything around you has been here for millions of years and might be gone in just a decade made me think about it lot. That ride definitely changed something in my mind and strengthened my connection to the mountains even more.

Image by Sportful/Chiara Redaschi

I definitely feel that if you explore beyond your comfort zone, you also receive an experience and sensation beyond everything you have experienced before.

If you want to see more details on Flo’s route, you can check it out here

Florian 'Flo' Nowak

What would you do if you flew to the other side of the world to take part in a gravel event and your bike didn’t make it onto the flight with you? You could rant and rave at the airline. You could cross your fingers and hope it turns up in time. Or you could use the power of the gravel community to help get you back on the trail again. Shimano Gravel Alliance rider Florian Nowak had exactly this problem recently and, of course, the gravel riding community helped to save the day.