CROSSING THE ALPS – in a sustainable way
There are many ways to cross the highest mountain range in the heart of Europe with your own muscle power. Wearing responsibly produced bikewear, three gravel bikers set out on a sustainable bikepacking adventure.
The bicycle is one of the most sustainable ways of getting around for a crossing of the Alps:
Fast enough to move forward and make kilometres. At the same time, however, it is slow enough to consciously experience nature and to stop briefly at any time to enjoy the landscape.
Most of the time, the experience of the great outdoors and the pursuit of one’s own goals are in the focus of a crossing of the Alps. But it is always about consciously experiencing the fascinating nature with all your senses. This inspiration is reflected in the new Löffler collection in the form of graphic elements and colour themes from nature.
To observe instead of overlook
To listen instead of making noise
To experience instead of consume
The travel journal of a sustainable bikepacking adventure
A castle is truly a wonderful place to start a story. Surrounded by the old stone walls, with small towers reaching into the sky. This is exactly where we set up our gravel bikes and start our bikepacking adventure.
In our luggage we have responsibly produced bike clothing for all occasions: Windproof hybrid jackets, dynamic bike jerseys and hotBOND® bib shorts from the LÖFFLER production.
With quiet anticipation & expectation, we climb onto our gravel bikes and set off on asphalt and gravel trails towards the first mountain peak. We have found the trail. This rugged gravel track will take us ‘beyond’. It is the road less travelled into the mountains. With every kilometre that passes, the number of other inhabitants and visitors diminishes. Soon we are alone in the mountain landscape. A flock of sheep, a herd of goats and occasionally the distinctive call of a marmot. We have found our wilderness.
Our end point for the first day in the saddle will be a lonely mountain hut in Naturno. Here we will spend the night and watch the sunset over the most majestic of mountain ranges.
In harmony with nature
After a quiet night, the altitude and spring-like climate ensure a brisk start. Dressed in windproof and responsibly produced Löffler jackets, we say goodbye to our hosts and set off. The short 100-metre climb to the top of the pass is enough to generate a little body heat.
Once on the ridge line, the view that opens up to us is phenomenal. Below us, a winding valley stretches as far as the eye can see. It is filled with apple orchards, vineyards and dotted with small villages whose dwellings emit plumes of smoke from their tiny chimneys – each one rising gracefully into the frosty morning air. We sit quietly on the empty summit, taking in the true beauty of alpine nature. We pause long enough to enjoy the mesmerising view. Then, as the cold begins to creep into our warmed bodies, we pedal again.
Stones fly out from under our tyres and we wind our way back and forth along the mountainside, passing a series of hairpin bends that seem never-ending. It’s not long before the gravel turns back to asphalt and the sound of the stones changes to the hum of tyres on slippery roads. Our speed increases and we fly down towards the city below.
The reason we ride
As the sun reaches its midday peak, we feel an overwhelming sense of achievement, joy and excitement. A majestic mountain formed the barrier between our Austrian starting point and this new Italian province. It is a mountain that we climbed and conquered with our own muscle power.
We rode over the mountains – from one country to another. We accepted the challenge, consciously paused and were fascinated by the experiences in nature. With our gravel bikes we experienced an unforgettable bikepacking adventure. That is the reason why we ride.
