Wild Allgäu Panorama Tour – nature biking in the Allgäu

Nice route, partly tarmac, but mainly forest paths and farm tracks, some of which were very rough, washed out and blocked... and paths that had been patched up with broken bricks (not good, sharp edges etc.)

Today's circular tour started from the Hochgradbahn car park. The tour had quite a bit of elevation gain and offered several opportunities for refreshments at many points. It also offered incredible panoramas time and again. The tour wound its way uphill on small, narrow roads, always with a gentle incline. After a while, it took a sharp left turn and climbed steeply in many hairpin bends. Once you've successfully negotiated the hairpin bends, you'll be rewarded with a magnificent view of the Allgäu mountains. The first "WOW" crossed your lips. On a signpost, we found the sign "Naturfreundehaus," our destination. We were running late; it was already around 5:00 p.m., but the hope of a snack was always there. It had rained heavily the previous days, so the paths were quite muddy, but still easily rideable, and the soft ground also added a certain charm. Arriving at the Kempten Naturfreundehaus, we enjoyed a delicious snack. Swiss sausage salad and a freshly tapped beer. The clouds in the sky didn't bode well; it was already 6:00 p.m., and we were still halfway there. From the Kemptener Hut onward, the tour could only be described as breathtaking. The variety, the magnificent views, and the magnificent natural surroundings certainly lived up to the name "Panorama Tour." Unfortunately, my phone's battery didn't last until the end, and so the last few kilometers of the tour are missing from the recording. Thanks to good signage, you can still find your way to the cable car valley station. In conclusion, all that remains to be said is: This tour truly deserves the name "Panorama Tour."

On the last day of our Allgäu trip, we chose a panoramic mountain bike tour suggested by the Oberstaufen Tourist Association. Starting at the parking lot at the valley station of the Hochgratbahn cable car, the route immediately shows its grit, winding uphill along a tarmac road with a gradient of up to 18%. From the Unteregg Alp, the terrain changes and leads to natural, rocky forest paths all the way to the highest point of the tour, the Kempten Nature Friends House. Almost halfway through the tour and after the first 700 meters of ascent, it's ideal for a rest. The only proper trail of the tour (S1) follows, but it quickly turns into a forest path and a tarmac descent. Conclusion: The tour delivers on its promise, with repeated, fantastic panoramic views of the front peaks of the Nagefluh range and the Alpsee. Gravel and tarmac enthusiasts will certainly enjoy it. The route shows that even descents on loose gravel and tarmac can be challenging; it all depends on the gradient. 😉. It was still fun, though. 🤩and the weather held up, too. Only after we returned to the car did the heavens open with a torrential downpour.

From 1100m onwards there was completely deep snow - the whole thing was impassable. So the ascent to the Naturfreundehaus became an endless carrying and pushing passage through 20cm of snow including wet feet and cold toes! The planned route via Rosshütte and Seifenmoosalpe up to the Kemptener Naturfreundehaus was therefore generously omitted 😉