Day 44 Berga – Masella 50 km (2000 altitude)

Ralph
Apr 15, 2022
3 min read

After I got already a bit lost yesterday, I tried to make up for today and I say it straight out: Failed completly, 100%, but fun. The plan was Andorra! Missed. Several options were on the schedule and I chose the wrong one. After I chose a side there was Col de Pal and Coll de la Creueta. With both ways, according to the app, I would have landed in Alp. And I was still thinking during the ride which I take, the one app suggested me Col de Pal the other the tunnel (which is not to ride the bike), because I have decided for the Col de Pal I'm virtually at the tunnel entrance and the bicycle prohibition signs passed. The Coll de la Creueta it has also made it bad, in which it claimed I would have to push, 31% 500 m downhill and 200 m 21% uphill. Believe nothing that is on the Internet. So Col de Pal, everything looked good, great road. Cars drove up, cars drove down, cyclists up, down. So off to the mountain, 1200 meters altitude in 2h 30 min (including breaks), at 2 o'clock I was on top at 2106 m, the wind whistled violently and I put on another layer. Then I drove on and wanted to take the great road down. Which was non-existent. The road ended at a gravel road, with ski lift and snow track. Directly below me about 500 meters in altitude I could see the village of La Molina. Fu%& what to do? Turn around and go down 25 km and the Coll de la Creuta? Or go all the way back to Berga and the coast? There I stood in the drafty wind and called my wife, shouting out my unhappiness. We carefully checked the maps, there seemed to be a gravel road leading down, but with luggage it was not passable. Even without, I would have thought twice. What to do? To turn back I really had no desire, so I took off my cycling shoes and my sneakers on and am uh what's that called pushed off, mh a classic Willi that's also not, is called only so when the mountain is pushed up. Who pushes down the mountain? The bumpy path long always steadily downhill, over ice slabs, under gondolas through (a lift was actually still on, probably for hikers) potholes, thawed ski slopes. Also the direct way to La Molina was signposted, but with a chain on which a red and a black badge hung blocked that were still 2.2 km. So in retrospect, the blockage probably applied to skiers and I could have gone down there. The other way were after about 4 km and that would be really tough. Partly I sank up to the thigh in the snow. The bike I could no longer push there. I actually threw it. Lifted it out of the snow and threw it forward, 50 cm. There was one spot, maybe 500 meters long, that took me 30 minutes. Functional fitness is what they call it. I cursed. Fortunately my wife had time today, so we talked on the phone almost the whole time down the hill, which was really reassuring. At some point I took a shortcut down the chairlift, which was steep, but because of the snow on the way probably the better choice. Had yes brakes on the bike. The good thing about the path? No cars! Only tree trunks. Am only under (about 500 meters in altitude and 6 km) as a tarred path began to meet a touring skier. He also stared at me and I at him. For both of us probably not the right season. My wife had me in the meantime directly at the foot of my descent a hotel room booked. For an amount, I usually get through 3 days, no matter, but with a bathtub. Tomorrow it goes further direction Andorra. Hardly arrived there I was received by a badly coughing man at the reception. Great. In this sense, good night and Putin, the whole world is currently laughing at the incompetence of your army and howling because of the atrocities committed in your name.

P.S.: I recommend today the videos in the Insta story