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WIMA D.A.CH meeting- Day 3
This time at 8:00 breakfast and punctually at 9:00 departure.
Why do we romp around like this? Actually the shortest round is planned for today, but since Berti is leaving us on the way and has a long way to go afterwards, it is better to visit the Nockalm earlier.
Millstatt stops us with a construction site in town, but after that we continue at a fast pace to the access road to the Nockalm Road.
I pay for the whole group right away, so there’s no need for the annoying stop and go at the cash desk and we’re back on the road quickly.
In contrast to the WRWR passage in May, we are welcomed by a good frequented road, the weather is brilliant, and the huts are full. 😉
So we leave the first hut (Glockenhütte) on the right and continue immediately to the Eisentalhütte.
But not all of them, I found the stab into the Leobengraben on the map and want to find out if it is really passable.
So I cut out for a moment and ride down the gravel road towards the west, while the rest of the group enjoys the further curves.
Passing a few hikers I find a small alpine pasture at about 2 km and in the shade of a tree I meet a KTM Adventure rider with son.
His bike, unlike mine, is pointed uphill and so I stop and inquire about the further road conditions.
He confirms what I already suspected, here it really goes down into the valley of the Lieser near Leoben. According to his statement there are still about 8km of gravel and the rest of the route is old asphalt.
Ok, thanks! I turn around and speed up the mountain again until the agreed meeting point at the Eisentalhütte.
My stop is naturally very short before I continue to Innerkrems and further east to the turn-off in Predlitz to the Turracherhöhe. Before that we stop at the Steinerwirt, which offers us a fantastic meal with a view of the crossroads frequented by motorcycles. Also the guest garden is filling up more and more with motorcyclists. Here women recognize very well the importance of motorcycling for the economy. Machines that have to be serviced and refuelled, equipment that wants to meet the current safety standards, tour guides that lead groups through the country, inns that are regularly visited along the route, beds that are gratefully used after a strenuous ride. All these factors account for about 1% of the total GDP of Austria, which is about € 2.9 billion. Thus, the “hobby” of motorcycling is an important economic factor, the more incomprehensible is the ongoing debate about the introduction of noise limits and speed restrictions only for motorcyclists. We pay the same taxes, NOVA and insurance as all motor vehicles, then we should have the same rights and obligations. Always putting the black sheep in the foreground is politically incorrect. For this reason we have cancelled our planned stay in Tyrol and moved to Carinthia. A federal state that still welcomes us.
Now it parting from Berti, which will continue to drive toward Murau, while we go in express speed on the Turracherhöhe.
There we realize that we were either shrunk or the pass sign was mounted disproportionately high.
With the exception of France, I have never seen such a high pass sign before. Somehow we manage to attach our sticker.
As soon as the descent from Turracher Höhe is over, the ascent to Nockalm begins, again.
While the group just drives the Nockalm road again, I turn off halfway into the Leobengraben, because I want to know it now. We agree on the ice in Gmünd and separate.
As expected, the trail is not challenging, but longer than expected. The advantage: it runs in wooded areas next to the creek and therefore pleasantly cool.
At some point, the path turns into asphalt and leads under the impressive arched bridge of the A10 down into the valley of the river Lieser, which I now only follow in the direction of Gmünd.
I refuel at the gas station, get some cash from the ATM, and then meet everyone at the ice cream parlor.
In the afternoon, I had a short contact with Manuela from Linz and her Varadero, the female rider who definitely deserves to be part of the best motorcyclist in Austria. It is a pleasure to watch her riding.
We meet briefly at the gas station, but after a photo, she and her girlfriend go on.
Since the hotel restaurant is closed today, we buy some more treats and drinks at the Spar and then start our picnic on the terrace in front of the hotel.
Weather: warm and sunny
distance 300km
Traffic: little traffic
