Biketouring tips, suggestions for Slovakia, Slovenia, and Hungary

Travelogues about my tours in 13-14 countries of Europe:

List of cols (74 above 2000 m) I bicycled in Europe

I'm Gabor Györgyi from Hungary.
The liking for cycling started for me in 1990, when my parents bought a bicycle for me. It was a simple touring bike. First I cycled in the surrounding area of the village where I live. On my first longer tour I and a friend of mine went to Visegrád (at the Danube-bend), Esztergom and then back to home. Then I (alone or with a friend of mine) took biketours next to Buda, then to the Gerecse, Vértes, Börzsöny mountain-ranges and then in 1992 I first cycled 200kms in a day. My first bicycletour with a pack on my bike took place in 1993. After it I started to go on a slope and couldn’t and didn’t want to stop. For some years I went to Slovakia - with two-three guys from Szolnok – to enjoy the nature, to "discover" nice forest-roads and to get experiences in biketouring, setting up a tent, and solving the problems during a tour. From 1999 I take bicycletours alone to West or South Europe.

To reach a place by bike gives much more different feelings, experiences then travelling by car or train (to cycle to the beaches of the Adriatic or to bike back to Hungary from The Dolomites or to cycle down to Montenegro. But these examples are all relative, so the tour can be for example to cycle to the end of the country.) I can remember one of my tour, when after a week – that we spent together – when I left my parents I realized that from that time – although I had a plan - I could cycle to the direction, where I wanted to. If I liked it, I could be able to cycle to an other country. It is also an experience, a good feeling, when in the morning I look out from the tent and I see the humid air, the mountains, the first sunlights, and the dewdrops on the grass or the plants, and during / after the breakfast to see the planned route for that day on the map. Bicycletouring keeps the body in good condition, but besides I think it is good for the peoples soul / spirit and develops the will-power. My opinion is that it gives a character to the bikers: for me every bicycletourer is a reliable people.

Ascents where I have cycled in Europe (more than 220 times above 2000 m) (red icons: above 2000m / black icons: between 1000 m and 2000 m)

As the Bicycle Encyclopedia (authors: Dan Joyce, Carlton Reid, Paul Vincent) writes: "The bicycletourers are welcome rather with interest than refusal. The biketourers are often stopped (with interest), or peoples offer fruits or free places for their tents." (In 2003 I slept this way twice – for free) "The bicycletourers weighed down by a big pack needn’t any introduction." (Looking at them it is a really introduction.)

One of my latest actual experiences: in 2003, when I arrived at the center of Dubrovnik, on the square first a german family stopped me with questions about my tour (I weared a T-shirt, with the word Budapest" on it), 20 minutes after it I ran into a british bike-pair, with whom I spoken about our tours. They had just finished their tours. In Montenegro I asked people twice to offer place for my tent for some money. None of them let me to pay for it, they were even very friendly. One of them said gooddbye to me with:"When will you come again?" :-) It was a great experience to see drivers waving to me or hearing horns - 5-8 times in a day - that was used to welcome me.

"Biketouring by a good bike with backwind is one of the best way to spent our time. We can both enjoy the fresh air keep our health in a good shape. With loading the tent, sleeping-bag, toothbrush onto our bike we can take almost all comfort with us (In a year one of my biker-mate took even his small pillow with him.) "For a lazy people who likes to stay at home the freedom that needs phisical effort is energy-wasting. For a cycletourist the effort is the part of the adventure. They can’t put on weight even because of eating 15 cream cakes in a row. But the aim is not to sweat; it comes with the travel / tour (I really experienced in 2003; it was very hot.) The endpurpose is to make our horizon wider, not only geographically but also spiritually. The travelling itself, the new places, people and other way of life that we get to know during the tour make our scope wider." "Bicycling in the freedom itself. Freedom – we can go to there, where we want to, and with a speed, with which we remain the part of the nature. It is the best way to see the world such as it is. It gives the opportunity that after leaving the busy roads we can discover our environment on our way." (Bicycle encyclopedia)

I usually write short or long articles about my biketours; some of them can be found on / are linked to travel- or bike pages. I enjoy to get aquainted with other biketourers and I'm happy when visitors of my homepage write an email to me.
The times how much I needed to climb a few passes can be found in the site on the left side.

BIKETOURING TIPS, SUGGESTIONS FOR SLOVAKIA, SLOVENIA AND HUNGARY

I cycled in / through Slovenia 4 times between 1997 and 2003. During this time I discovered different routes through the country, experienced the beauty of some climbs, lakes, atmosphere of some friendly towns. Based on these experiences I collected my suggestions about bicycling in Slovenia: the advantages and disadvantages of the routes, opinions about some places, etc. After reading this collection you can choose where to cross the country or which way to go to the Adriatic see, and what to see in the Juiljske Alps. READ HERE MY BICYCLING SUGGESTIONS AND TIPPS FOR SLOVENIA!

Since 1993 I've cycled severeal times in / to Slovakia. I took part in 5 long tours, during which I cycled about 5500 kms in Slovakia.
Some places I've been through the years: Kosice, Banksa Bystrica, Zvolen, Poprad, Vratna valley, Donovaly, Slovensky Raj, Dobsina, Bardejov, Spisské Pohradie, Oravsky Pohradie, Malá and Velka Fatra, Certovica saddle, Srdiecko, RImavska Sobota, Banska Stiavnica, etc...+ Zakopane and Krakkow in Poland.
Based on my experiences, I collected some tour-tipps, ideas, advice where to go, what to see, etc. READ HERE MY BICYCLING SUGGESTIONS AND TIPPS FOR SLOVAKIA!

Based on my cycling experiences in Hungary I try to collect some advised routes to visit or experiences about roads in some areas.
First time it is about the Pilis mountain-range (next to Budapest) and the Matra mountain-range, with the heighest point in Hungary (1015m high). It starts with a general cycling infos about Hungary., Here you can find this tour suggestions about CYCLING IN HUNGARY, PILIS AND MÁTRA.

IT IS A GOOD THING TO GET TO KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WHO LIKE BICYCLING ON LONGER DISTANCES AND ENJOY BIKETOURS, SO IF YOU WRITE TO ME, IT WOULD BE A PLEASURE FOR ME. IF YOU NEEDS MORE DETAILS OR OTHER INFORMATION ABOUT CYCLING IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE I WERE, WRITE TO ME!

I’ve cycled for 13 years; take a more week long tour in Europe (Slovakia, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, Montenegro, Greece, etc…) in almost every summer. Short summaries and links of my travelogues about these tours you can find down. Click there!

CHOOSE ONE OF MY TRAVELOGUEs AND ENJOY IT ! HAVE A NICE TIME !

• NEW! June, 2011 Completing the cycling collection of paved roads above 2000 m in the French Alps

  After the fact that in 2010 I cycled on the paved missing climb of the Pyrenées finishing above 2000m, in 2011 I had a serious plan: to cycle, visit the missing paved ascents in the Alps to finish my collection of the climbs finishing above 2000m. I messed more than 30 ascents. In May I visited 6 climbs in South Tirol and Tirol, than it was followed by this tour, in my favourite region, part of the Alps: the French Alps. The bicycle tour contained well known ascents, few of my favourites, like La Bonette (2802 m) for the 5th times, or Galibier (2645 m) and Col de l'Iseran (2770 m), another favourite of mine, but besides - of course - there were climbs about that I could found minimum information on the internet. Such climbs were for example Parking du Laus (2110 m) by Lac Allos, or a wonderful climb, Plan du Lac (2362 m) or Plan d'Aval: about these climbs I could infirm the cyclists by this travelogue or by the description that I published by quaeldich.de.
  I often had rain, more than during my previous tours in the French Alps, but I was so motivated, that the rans couldn't stop me. I visited all of the planned climbs above 2000m. Fortunately in the day of the most memorable climbs I had beautiful weather. On my "king's stage" I visited 4 climbs finishing above 2000m and cycled 162 km + 3890 m. ON the following day - after 6 hours sleeping I cycled up to Courchevel and ascended up sometimes in rain up to the 2188m high Col du Petit St Bernard to be able to catch my airplane in a day time. Courchevel was my 186th occasion that I bicycled above 2000m and the place with I reached that I cycled all of the paved ascents of France that ends above 2000m.
  After I uploaded my videos to my youtube collection, my collection is the only one, that has all of the bicycling videos of all of the paved fremch climbs above 2000 m. Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES & VIDEOS about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• NEW! Aug, 2010 Ötztaler bicyclemarathon : 228 km + 5300 m heightdifference

  After 15 years bicycling in Europe, in the Alps, Pyrenées and Canary islands in 2010 I felt enough confidence to pake part in the Ötztaler bicyclemarathon (228 km + 5500 m heightdifference). THis is said to be the hardest classical and famous (not extreme) bicyclemarathon in Europe. It has 4 climbs, 3 of them are above 2000m and the last one is the hardest: ca. 1800m heightdifference with few kms with 10% steepness. It's like the hardest stage of the Tour de France or Giro d'Italia. In the previous years few Tour de France cyclists took part in it, like Claudio Chiapucci or Gerrit Glomser, and in 2011 Jan Ullrich. This has been one of my dream for several years. I enjoyed the day very much, as one of my most memorable day of my life. It was a cold day and there was risk for raining. AFter entering Italy the weather felt warmer and I could enjoy cycling more than in Austria. I rode my touringbike and cycled and lived the day as a cyclourer: stopped for photos, sometimes during cycling, but sometimes by a stop I recorded video about the event. Totalyl I recorded 50 minutes long film / movie. I needed enough energy by Brennerpass, so I didn't have too much time on jaufenpass, but I could reach the limitpoint at time, and after it the ascent of Passo Rombo / Timmelsjoch (2509 m) was bicycling with joy in every minute. That was fantastic! I took a lot of pictures and memorable video. After enering Austria, I was descending towards the finish, when I started to cry for few seconds: it was so emotional, to do: I would finish and I would fulfill one of my dream and show my answer those who didn't accept my results in bicycletouring, although at that time I cycled all of the paved ascents of the Pyrenées and cycled more than 150 times above 2000m. By the end of the year 2011 I ascended up to ALL of te paved ascents of the Alps too by my touringbike, as a cyclist from a ex-socialist country. Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• July, 2010 The next „hunting” for roads going above 2000m: BicycleTOURing in the Pyrenées II. 2368 km + 42996 m heightdifference

  After 2 years cycling int he Alps, in the year 2010 I returned to the Pyrenées to finish and close „our affair”: my goal was collect by my bicycle all of the remaining paved roads going above 2000m, that I hadn’t visited before.
  As „warming up” I managed to cycle up to Mont Ventoux on the 4 ascents of it inside a day (6126 m heightdifference from my camping and back to there) and with this achievement I reached the next – Galerien - level of the Club des Cinglés du Mont Ventoux. That’s the most heightdifference for me inside a day and with this I entered th ebest 10% of the Club with ca. 3600 members at that time.
  Carrying on with my tour I started my Pyrenées crosisng from the shore of the Canal du Midi and ascended such climbs, like Cirque Troumouse (2109 m), Boi Taüll (2038 m), Andorra-Arcalis (2225 m), Vallter (2150 m) and such hardly known ones, like one of the most beautiful: Presa L’lauset (2193 m) the valley of Puigmal (2077 m) and Lac Bouillouses (2017 m), etc.
  That was a great feeling to see live and experience, live through by wonderful or legendary places the Tour de France experience, see the fans, the caravane and the racers. I was surprise by the beauty of Guzet Neige (Tour de France mountain stage finish a few years earlier), the Tour de France experience by the Col de Peyresourde, and the hard and nice Col d’Azet and the steep Pla d’Adet. After entering Spain, leaving Sallent de Gallego behind me, I was amazed by the landscape for ca. 150kms wide: wonderful!
  By the Ordesa canyon huge rocks, rockwalls, mountains towers to the sky, their shapes are specific and nice flower-fields colours the bare mountainside. Andorra was a gift-day for me as I felt the same in 2007: On a beautiful landscape and by ideal weather I enjoyed cycling 3 times above 2000m; one of them was the legendary mountain stage finish of 2007, Arcalis, where Jan Ullrich won the stage.
  
  After collecting all of the paved pyrenean roads going above 2000m I finished my tour by the camping of Barcelona, where I ended the tour with paddling in the sea and feeling happyness and the success, while enjoyed the rise of airplanes above my head.
  During my 3 week-long tour (from the airport to airport it was 21 days) I cycled 2297 kms + 42866 m heightdifference.
  In the Alps I have ca. 38-39 ascents going above 2000meters left to have all them. I hope by the end of 2011 I would have left less then 10.
  Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES , Videofilms about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• 21st June – 11st July 2009, Bicycletour in the Alps VII. (with La Marmotté, Ötztaler radmarathon test tour) – from record by record: 2366 km + 47060 m heightdifference

  In the year 2009 I had the seventh of my serious bicycletours in the Alps. I visited roads going above 2000m: partly such climbs that I have never climbed (one of them was the last paved col of my pass-collection above 2000m in the Alps.), and on the other part I had 2 unforgettable events.
  After the flight and travelling by train I started the tour in Varese, Italy. On my 2nd day I had a pleasant half-day-long tour with my italian friend, Mauro Repetti up to Mottarone. From the 3rd to the 7th day I climbed 9 south-swiss paved ascents going above 2000m: memorable ones were the panoramaroad Alpe Galm (2231 m) and the Oberaarsee where I cycled between snow-walls, but the most beautiful was the Mannlichen (2229 m) just next to the Eiger – Mönch – Jungfrau trio.
  On a wonderful day that made me remember the Tour de France mountain stages, I was riding my bicycle from Morzine (France) to Albertville and climbed Col de Ramaz, the legendary Colombiere and Aravis passes. I managed to broke my record and have a new one with 3151 m heightdifference. Not much after it I was amazed by the Col de l’Iseran (2770 m) again (after 2004) enjoying the beautiful sunlights after a shower.
  I participated in one of the hardest and famous alpine bicyclemarathon, La Marmotte which crosses Col du Glandon 81924 m), Col du Telegraphe (1570 m), Col du Galibier (2645 m) and the finish is situated at the 1860 m high Alpe D’Huez, one of the most legendary finish of the Tour de France. The official distance and heightdifference is 174 km + 4900m, but with a little bit of extra climbsI got a new heightdifference record with 5316 m. After the meeting of the B.I.G bicycling organization in a rainy day I crossed small mountains cycling towards and Austria, where I was riding my bicycle on a test tour along the route of the hardest classical bicyclemarathon of the Alps, the Ötztaler radmarathon (228 km + 5200 m).
  I watched a film about it first in 1993 and planned to take part in it ever for more than 5 years. The marathon has 4 climbs: the Kühtai (2017 m), Brennerpass (1374 m), Jaufenpass (2099 m) in Italy and the last and hardest one, after 175 kms, the Timmelsjoch / Passo Rombo (2509 m).
  
  Without marathon-feeling I tried to lift my spirit and managed to cycle the roundtrip without any problem. After this success my goal is to did it with live, true circumstances with participation of the Ötztaler radmarathon in 2010: cycling the truely hardest classic bicyclemarathon of the Alps. As its slogan says: I have a dream.
  During that 3 weeks I cycled 2366 kms and got another heightdifference record : I ascended 47060 meters.
  Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES , Videofilms about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• April, 2009 : : Bicycling at Tenerife and La Palma, the steepest island of the world: 1633 kms + 36873 m heightdifference

  After the lot of work I had for few months by my working place and have worked for 10 years I felt that I deserved a bicycletour in spring at a warm zone of the Earth in or not far from Europe. Because the airplane ticket to tenerife wasn’t much more expensice than a ticket to South Spain, I didn’t felt worry fly so far (far from me).
  I bicycled there 2 wonderful weeks, along cactuses, enjoying the beauty of volcanos, oceanic panorama, views and sometimes looking downwards to the clouds from the heightlevel of 1800-2400m. I bicycled in tropical forest in La Palma, through lava field in both of the islands and often cycled into and out of clouds. I could hardly realize, comprehend so much beauty and the wonder of bicycling above the clouds. That’s what we could hardly realize during our bicycling experiences in Europe.
  Of course the long and serious climbs attracted me to visit the islands, so I ascended Roque de los Muchachos (2426 m) from both directions and from three directions I cycled up to the Teide plateau (above 2100 m), in Tenerife – 2 of them riding my bike with 24 kgs panniers on it. Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES , Videofilms about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• 17th July – 3th Aug, 2008 : 5th more-week-long alpine bicycletour : Mont Ventoux, Bonette, Izoard, Agnel, Trittico Mortirolo, Stelvio and the others: 1807 km + 32189 m heightdifference

  My bicycletour in 2008 again went back to the Alps: I had to return to a few places; I wanted to conquer some wonderful and / or serious climbs. After flying to there, I started my tour from Nice. The 3rd day was the most waited day of the tour: cycle 3 times up to the 1909 m high Mont Ventoux (4500m heightdifference) so to be the 1st hungarian member of the Club des Cingles du Mont Ventoux. On a perfect day riding my touringbike I managed to cycle 3 times up to the legendary Mont Ventoux from 3 different sides so that when I reached the summit by sunset I shouted my happyness into the air. After bicycling 2 local tours from Nice I had another challenge: on another great day riding my touringbike with 26kg panniers on it I was bicycling the most paved, bicycleable heightdifference in Europe: from sealevel to the 2802 m high Cime de la Bonette. (I have 19 min long videofilm about it) After another beautys, cols, like Col du Vars, Colle Agnello / Agnel, etc, the last great attraction was the Trittico (triple) Mortirolo with an italian friend of mine, Mauro Repetti from Tirano. We cycled the legendary Passo Mortirolo (1852 m) from each of the tree ascents (3600m heightdiff.). Now I say again Thankk you for mauro for that unforgettable day! Instead of relaxing and having rest, on the following day I ascended from Tirano (440 m) up to the Passo dello Stelvio (2760 m), again riding my touringbike with panniers on it. That was the last serious day of the tour, after it light days to the „finish”, landeck (Austria). You can read it (and watch a few videos too) by clicking here Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES , Videofilms about the tour. CLICK HERE !

• 2007. july-aug: Bicycletour throught the Pyreneen ; Raid Pyreneen from the Atlantic to the Mediterrarean sea

  After cycling up to almost all of the alpine paved passes of the Alps, in 2007 I and the tourmate of mine, Peter Riskó planned cycling in the Pyrenees. On the web I found the Tourist version of the RAID PYRENEEN, which was just made for us. The tourist version of the Raid Pyreneen is officially 790 kms + ca. 18000m heightdifference with 28 cols and we had 10 days for it. Before starting the 10 day long Tourist version of the RAID Pyreneen, we spent 4-5 days in the Pyrenees, in Andorra and visited such climbs as Port Cabus (2300 m), Port d'Envalira (2408 m) and enjoyed the Tour de France feeling. We had fantastic memories at Cirque Gavernie and then in the valley of Cirque Troumouse, where we saw waterfals, and small clouds coming up from the bottom of the valley not much before sunset - in beautiful lights. I enjoyed very much the legendary climbs of the Pyrenees as the hard (11% for 4 kms) Col du Marie Blanque, Col d'Aubisque, Col du Tourmalet... THis col is betwen the 5 most legendary climbs of the Tour, so we waited it very much, and we had fortune with the weather. With a little bit clouds around us the surroundings of the col was so fantastic which is very rare and made the Col du Tourmalet one of the most memorable col for me through my 15 years bicycling.
  In the Pyrenees we also experienced froggy mornings and evenings, but the weather was very good. The second half of the Raid went through lower mountains, but we had Col de Mente and Portet d'Aspet, Port de Pailheres as legends. IT was a good feeling, that we cycled where famous bicycleracers climbed few decades before us. Through the 10 days we could keep our plan, so we had left one day for a local tour on the 9th day. We visited calm mountain roads and reached the spain border again. Our last day was memorable again with the beautiful Col de Garavel, the mediterranean Col du palomere with the sight for the sea and the last 20kms along the sea through a few tourist village.
  We succeeded to cycle through the Pyrenees as first hungarian bicycletourers.
  For the next few days we planned cycling up to the Mount Ventoux, but because of a serious fire through the train line, we couldn't arrive there in time, so - at last - we cycled through the Grand canyon du Verdon. We flew back to Budapest from Nice.
  List of all of my passes: hungrian, but with pictures and data
  Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES about the tour.

  Total: 2060 km + 37611 m heightdifference

• 2007. june: Bicycletour onto three very challenging climb (above 2000 m) in Austria

  Before the long bicycletour in the summer, my second trainingtour happened in Austria. I and a friend of mine spend three days there and I cycled up to Weisssee (+Hochwurtenspeicher: 2417 m), GRosssee (2380 m) and my most memorable one, the Grosse Oscheniksee (2394 m). Eacg of them has 12-13% steep sections, but the first is generally variable, as it has after 4-5 kms short flat or down sections. ON my second day morning I climbed GRosssee in a nice, friendly valley with leafy and fir trees, grass, flowers, and fantastic panorama. In the afternoon it was hard to reach Grosse Oscheniksee before sunset, but I tried it. That road was superb and very hard, but enjoyable. 4-5 kms with 13-15% steepness. The last 3-4 kms twisted on a mountainside without trees but with panorama down to the valley. The steepness was again 12-14%. As I arrived the top I felt it was one of my most memorable climb and day with these two challenges. On each of the three climbs cars are prohibbited, so there were only two: the nature and me (and 1st day my touring-mate). Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES about the tour.
  Total: 151,87 km + 5413 m heightdifference

• 2006. sept: Bicycletours up to the last 4 cols above 2000 m in the Alps. I have all of them.

  In Sept. 2006 I decided to go back to Austria to finish to collect by bicycling up to all of the asphalted alpine passes above 2000m. The first was my last italian, the nice Jaufenpass / Passo Monte Giovo (2099 m), with friendly nature, countryside, and panoramas backwards. Küthai (2017 m)from Innsbruck was sometimes hard, but with only a little traffic is was enjoyable and calm. This is one pass of the famous Ötztaler Bicyclemarathon.
  The Silvretta / Bielerhöhe (2048 m) from Landeck was 50 kms long, but for 40 km long very light. For 40kms it was friendly, with nice villages, meadows, flowers, etc. My last pass (or not an official pass) was the Zillertaler Hönestrasse, Melchboden, with 2000m height. The calm road lead up to 1800m high for 12 km long with 11% percentage steepness. After a few kilometers downwards the last 3 km climb wasn't so hard, but it was a panoramaroad. THe pass isn't a true pass, because it doesn't go to between two mountains, but on a mountainside up, and then on the other side down. With shouldering to finish this hard climb, I accepted to skip the train which I needed to arrive home on that day. With the naxt train to Wien I had to sleep there, but my BIG TARGET / AIM I succeeded: Through ca. 10 years I cycled up to all of the asphalted alpine passes above 2000m. List of these passes: hungrian, but with pictures and data
  About the tour I will write a few page long article. You can read it soon! Here you can read the TRAVELOGUE in english + PICTURES about the tour.
  Total: 363,5 km + 6475 m heightdifference

• 2006. july-aug: An Alpine bicycletour onto the next few cols above 2000m - the last / 3rd chapter

  After the last 2 years of my alpine bicycletours, in 2006 I went back to the Alps with the aim that after my tour maybe I would be the first hungarian people who bicycled up to all (74-75) of the asphalted alpine passes above 2000m. I love the Alps, with the fresh air, nature, plants, climbs, views, so it was equal for me, where to bicycle. AFter 6 years of alone bicycling, this year I had two guys with me: Balázs Gaál for (unfortunately only ) 2+1 days, and Peter Riskó for the whole tour. In Italy and France we had nice, warm, sunny days with cycling a few hard cols, passes, like the 2612m high Passo Nivolet (I'm sure between the 3 best / most beautiful passes, where I had been), or the almost unknown Passo del Preit (2083 m), onto we bicycled in stormy weather with thunderstorms. The Fort Gondran (2347 m)was also very nice next to Briancon, I can suggest to visit it, although the last 3-4 kms of the road was closed because falling rocks 50m long on the road. We went down in dark, so it wasn't a simple task with only one good light on two bikes.
  After Col du Lautaret, Alpe d'Huez, Col du Sabot, we arrived to Chamonix on a nice day, when at last we could see the snowfields of the Mont Blanc before sunset. Next day we got rain and cold as we cycled to Switzerland, and the bad weather remained for 3-4 days long. Because the weather we postponed passes onto the next days, or climbed 1-2 of them partly in rain and arrived to the top in 4-8 degrees Celsius. The Sustenpass was the worst. After the also rainy and cold Oberalppass we bicycled southwards to Italy and to the warmer weather. The Passo Spluga (2117 m) was also a very beautiful pass, with a lot of hairpins, views and superb hairpin-row on a almost vertical wall, with short straight sections. Because the times went by too fast on that evening I decided to climb the famous Mortirolo (and the 2100m high Passo Val Bighera) in dark, in the night. It was wonderful: in a calm, dark forst in a warm air. I enjoyed very much the nature, air, and the views, because it was light, because I had fortune with the full Moon. I enjoyed the feeling so much, that I spent much time above. Our last pass was the Passo Goletto di Crocette (2070 m), onto we had 8-10% steep kilometers in or after raining for 2-3 hours. With a few passes postponed, we remained 4 passes to climb, we had to leave for a few weeks. I had to go back to HUngary because important works at my workplace. Here you can see the ENGLISH TRAVELOGUE + PICTURES about the tour.
  About the tour I will write a few page long article in english. You can read it soon! Total: 1729 km + 30622 m heightdifference

• 2006: Bicycling in the Dolomites and finishing the Granfondo Campagnolo (204 km + 4447 m heightdiff.)

  IN the spring of 2006 I aimed to finish to succeed the Granfondo Campagnolo, the hardest bicyclemarathon in Italy in 2006, based on this link Before the Granfondo I and two friends of mine spent 3 days in the Dolomites, with those tours I bicycled onto 6 passes above 2000m there. The most wondeful climb was the very hard Tre Cime di Lavaredo (2350 m) from the Lake Misurina, with a beautiful panorama. An another memorable pass was the Staller Sattel (2052 m) on the austrian border. It's last 5 kms was only half road wide, and the traffic could go up and down for each half-half hours. This section is very nice with panorama, calmness, forest, flowers, blue lake down and snow on the mountains. The Giau pass was a hard one, but "only averagely nice".
  The Granfondo was one of my most memorable bicycle memory. I was the only one who finished it with a 13 kg+ 2,5 kg pack heavy touring bike. I could bicycle with the last 30-40 participant; I enjoyed the nature, countryside and the feeling; I stopped few times for photos. After arriving in time, as the speaker saw with how a bike I arrived into the finish, he called me next to him and after 2-3 sentences he spoke a few minutes about my performance. After it, the 50 people audience clapped for me and immediatelly I could hear the hungarian anthem from the loud-speakers. It was a surprise for me from the speaker, who found this performance very serious with a bike, I had. You can hear + see it from this link .
  Here you can see summary + wonderful pictures about the tour. TRAVELOGUE !!!
  Total: 610,63 km + 13023 m heightdifference

• 2005: Bicycletour through the legendary passes of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour de Suisse

  
  In 2005 I made a bicycletour in the Alps similar to the tour in 2004. While that year I climbed the famous cols of the Tour de France, this year I choose the passes of the Giro d'Italia and the Tour Suisse, but besides them I succeeded in finishing a hard bikemarathon, the Fausto Coppi granfondo!
  The well known passes of my tour were: Colle Lombarda, Cime de la Bonette, Colle Fauneria / Pantani, Col de Vars, Col de Granon, Sestriere, Colle Finestre, Nufenenpass (CH), Grimselpass, Furkapass, Passo San Gottardo, Julierpass, Berninapass, Passo Gavia, Timmelsjoch and at the end the Gletscherstrasse up to the height of 2829 m.
  After this bicycletour up to now I collected 50-51 passes above 2000m in the Alps.
  About the tour I will write a few page long article. You can read it soon! But I have already made the map and the diagram about the heights. Here you can see summary + pictures about the tour.
  Total: 2093 km + ca. 38400 m heightdifference

• 2004: Bicycletour from the Cote d’Azur next to the Mount Blanc through the French Alps with panniers
  (bicycletour up to the historical climbs of the Tour de France):
  This year I succeeded in cycle through the French Alps, which had been one of my Great dream, plan for year. For years I felt that a tour in France can have more problems than in the nearer countries, but with the experiences of my tour in 2003 (along the Adria and to Montenegro), this year I felt enough encourage to cycle up to the famous french cols. I had read a lot of travelogues (Trento Bike Pages, Velofahren.de, biketrip.org, etc…) and I tried to think about every problems which can occur through a French Alps tour: degrees around zero on the high cols, the busy campings, the effects of the Tour de France, and maybe some mechanical problems and the lot of train-changes.
  In the first two days and in the last two days I had some problems, adventures, but just between the high mountains of the French Alps everything happened well. There every night I could send the sms to home: Everything went as I planned, I climbed this… and that cols…" I climbed almost all of the passes / cols, that I planned for the whole tour, this means 21 serious ascents, 13 of them are above the height of 2000 m. The most famous cols where I cycled are: La Bonette (2802 m), Col du Galibier (2645 m) , Col d’Izoard (2361m) , Alpe d'Huez (1860m), Col de Iseran (2770m), etc.
  Through my tour to and back I mainly travelled by train (I biked half and one and a half days in Hungary and Slovenia). The core of the tour started at the train station of Imperia, in Italy, and ended at the train station in Aosta. Between the two town I cycled 12 days between the mountains of the French Alps. Although there was 1 or 2 rest days in the plan, as I didn’t have any serious rain (for a whole day) through the tour, every day I ride my bicycle. I didn’t have any problems with it, that I couldn’t rest, because the beautiful nature and the experiences, adventures, ascents gave my power to climb them. Usually 1-2 days with panniers were followed by a "light" day without panniers (but with 2 climbs)
  About the tour I will write a few page long article. You can read it soon! But I have already made the map and the diagram about the heights. Here you can see !
  Total: 2053 km + ca. 31500 m heightdifference

• 2003: Along the Adria-sea from Slovenia to Montenegro: Because I like both the blue-green sea and the mountains, this (2003) summer I chose a tour, when I can enjoy both. From Ljubljana - with visiting the islands of Brac and Korcula - I cycled to Montenegro along the Adria through towns shown on the lists of UNESCO World Heritages, like Sibenik, Trogir, Split, Dubrovnik. Above Makarska I biked up to the height of 1228m, on the Sveti Jure, on a forestry road, that contains the death-bend. Arriving to this hairpin the cyclist can see that after the bend in there is a big abyss. Next to the edge of the road the rocks go down uprightly. Montenegro is the casket of Europe, what show us for example the Jaz beach, Budva town, the Moraca-canyon, the National park of Biogradsko and the untouched Rijeka Crnojevica. From Dubrovnik I travelled by ship and by bike bach to Ljubljana, where from I used train to come home. . The travelogue in english HERE!
  Total: 2157 km + 19588 m height difference

• 2002, march: After winning the article-writing competition of the Bringa (Bike) magazine I could spent nearly two week in Greece in spring with the hungarian MTB-squad. While they made trainings, I made nice cycletours ind the 17-22 degree warm weather and took good photos and videofilms. It was strange, but good to cycle already in march in every day almost 150 kms. I enjoyed it very much. I visited one of the most beautiful towns in Greece: Nafplion, then Argos, I biked up to the height of 1400m, but I also managed to cycle to Athens. I wrote an article about it, that was appeared in the hungarian Bikemag magazine in Sept. 2002. You can read the little bit modified article here (ENGLISH !)
  Total: 1387,38 kms + 11610 m heightdiff.

• 2001: The swiss Alps
  My truly alpine tour started after a week with my parents in south-west Switzerland. On that week I made 2 difficult tour: on the first I cycled into France, I visited Chamonix. On the second I cycled from the height of 430 m up to the 2469m high Grand Sankt Bernard pass. After these I cycled zig-zag through Switzerland: up to a pass, then rolling down, then up againd...... etc. From the austrian border I managed to cycle up to the third highest pass of The Alps: it was the Passo Stelvio, with it's 2760m high point. It was unforgettable and beautiful! I was fortune with the weather: 10 day long I had 28-30 degree warm weather without any serious rain. I got a turly rain, storm only on the last day, not too far from Munich, where from I arrived home by train. The tour-report in english HERE!
  In the case of some passes I noticed the time of some climbs onto a site: for example: Flüela-pass, vagy Stilfser Pass (2760m)
  Total: 1665 km + 22675 m height difference

• 2000: From the snowy mountains to the sandy beach of the Adria (Dolomites, Switzerland, Lake Garda, Venice, Slovenia):
  On the summer of 2002 I sent a week in the Dolimites with my parents, when I made 3 beautiful cycletour between the mountains, rocks of the Dolomites. After leaving them I cycled back to Hungary with my packed bike, but at first I started towards Switzerland to take part in a cyclemarathon. Because of the cold, underaverage weather I left the high mountains and I hurried to the Lake Garda, and then to Venice. Unfortunately I got there only 24-26 degrees warm weather. Thanks for the 510 kms I cycled on the last 3 days, I arrived home on the day before I planned it. At Nagykanizsa I could just reach the train. The tour-report in english HERE!
  Total: 1948,1 km + 18169 m height difference

• 1999: Adria-Alps tour:
  After 5 Tatra-tour between 1993 and 1999, at this last year, 3 weeks after arriving from Slovaky I started for my first cycletour alone. Through the years I got enough experience to discover the area, the lands towards west.
  I biked to the Adria-sea through Croatia (Zágreb, Karlovac, and through the fantastic Risnjak National Park), and then cycling around Isztria island arrived to Slovenia and then to Italy. In the slovenian Julian Alps I made beautiful cycletours up to the Vrsic pass, to Bled and Lake Bohinj. The valley of Soca south from this mountain-range was also very scenic. Leaving the Julian Alps the next point was the start-town of the FIS Bikemarathon, Deutschlandsberg, in Austria. After this marathon I arrived home on the 12th day.
  Total: 1706,93 km + 12351 m height difference

• 1999: Passage through the Carpathians :
  On my last High Tatras-tour at last I could visit Krakkow by bike. On the first part of the tour we followed our traditional route, but on the polish side we not only cycled around the High tatras, but we left it towards Krakkow. The day before arriving this city an unexperienced guy from our team left us, and we could find each other only the next day. From Krakkow we went towards home without any serious climb. On a night next to the castle of Orava we got some rain, so we started cycling early in the morning. First I tried to reach the hungarian border - until there I have to bike 100kms in rain - but then I could arrive home at 10 pm. This day I cycled 250 kms through Ruzomberok, Donovaly, Banska Bystrica, Zvolen and Vác to Budakalász (Hungary). I finished the series of my 5 Slovaky-tour with this remarkable day.
  The travelogue of this tour in english is here ! Total: 1122,38 km + 7584 m height difference

• 1998: Biking between the snowy mountains of Salzburg county. :
  In 1998 summer I spent a nice week in Salzburg county, on that I made 3 fine cycletour in between the mountains. On the first I went to Kitzbühel on a not to difficult area, on the second I climbed up to the 1740 m high Radtadter Tauern pass, then next to the Dachstein, into ramsau, and after 200km I had to cycle up on a 12% steep road to the 1270m high Filzensattel (pass), from where I should roll down 2 kms to home slowly because of the dark early night. The zenith of this week was the one and a half climb up to the Grossglockner road.
  Total: 588,89 km + 8493 m height difference

• 1998: High Tatras-tour:
  This tour was strange because we made it in the opposite direction than before. First we cycled towards the west side of the High Tatras. The first serious pass was the Certovica, but on the next day in rain should we get known an unnamed pass towards Zuberec. It was steep for long kilometers, but for me that was the saddest, that we couldn't enjoy the fantastic panorama to the Lake Lipto, because of the clouds. After waldking on a sunny day in the skanzen of Zuberec, we rounded the mountains, spent 1-2 days there, and then we made a large round in Slovaky. Bardejov was a very moody town, as Kosice, not too far from the hungarian border. Because of my wheel-failure I had to travel the last day by train.
  The travelogue of this tour in english is here ! Total: 1367,65 km + 11720 m height difference

• 1997: Bicycletour to Slovenia and to the lakes of Carinthia (in Austria).
  On my first several-day tour that I made alone I cycled from Budakalász (next to Budapest) through Slovenia to Villach, into Austria in 5 days. In that town I spent a week with my parents. On the first 5 days I slept at houses, so I didn’t have to carry a tent with me. Because of my too little experiences I hadn’t buy a new tire, so after a puncture-series 100 kms before Villach, I had to call my parents to come for me. From Villach I made one day biketours :
  My first tour took place in a little bit cloudy and on the passes froggy day. Tha climb up to the Nassfeld pass (1530m) was difficult. It was interesting the difference between the land / country of the two sides the pass. The south side is warmer, sunnier, and gives a southern mood. The second pass of thsi tour, the Sella Nevea climbed next to a big mountain, ski-center in a nice, calm valley, next to a clean stream. The top of my second tour was the 2042m high Nockalmstrasse. Another difficul ascent was the one from the height of Villach (500m) to the end of the Alpenroad of Vilach: 1732m IT lasted for about 18 kms. My trainingweek ended with the fine 180km long Karawanken Radmarathon.
  Össz.: 1586,28 km + 14550 m szint

• 1997: "Tour de Slovaky":
  The Great Trio again! or the three "Great-Tatras-cycler" dashed against the High Tatras. This year I had a big role in compiling the tourplan. My main goal was to discover unknown roads so I climbed from Krasznahorka through a tough climb to Dedinky, and next day we arrived at Nova Lesna after cycling through Spisska Nova Ves and the nice roads of the Slovensky raj. This year, in 1997 we not only looked into Polen, but we spent there a night and get rain. Biking towards our home choosing the Small and Big Fatra instead of the Orava-valley, we enjoyed beautiful areas and romantic valleys, mountains. The 2-3 pages long tour-report (english)
  Total.: 1412,53 kms + 9310 m alt.difference

• 1995: Tatras-expedition:
  After my halfway tour from 1993, in 1995 with joining to the tour of Zoltán Maráz and Rédei I succeeded to finish a nice tour. We met at Répáshuta, in the middle of the Bükk, where from we went on cycling through Roznava, Dedinky and the "Doghill", and Poprad. In our Tatras-history we biked to the polish town, Zakopane for the first time. I also left the Tatras by bike and arrived into Donovaly and back to Hungary for the first time. It was an experience! (in the tourplan the two Zoli took into consideration my tips for the first time.) My article about this tour (shown in the Pedal magazine in april 1996 - IN ENGLISH HERE !) you can read here in a 2-3 weeks time. I take here the version I sent, and not only that was published in the paper, because it was modified in some places, that wasn’t my style.
  Total.: 1152,9 kms + 10100 m heightdifference

• 1993: My first Tour of Tatras:
  My first packed-cycletour tour that went out of the borders couldn’t be perfect; it succeeded only half. I and my tourmate, Csaba get a stomach upset because of our lack of experience, so we arrived home with my parents by car after calling them. On the other side we could taste the slovakian roads, forests, flowers, mountains, and got aquainted with two guys from Szolnok (Hungary): Zoltán Maráz and Rédei. In the next years I repeated the Tatras-tour 4 times with them. In the year of 2003 it is the 10th anniversary of our first tour and also of writing this article: Here is it!
  Total.: 500 kms + 4200 m height.difference