This mountainbike tour starts from home in Schwende and rounds the Gottesacker plateau, on everything from smooth tarmac to steep footpaths on broken ground. It's a physically challenging tour, not least with all the carrying required, and over Gerachsattel also technically difficult. But most of all, it's a magnificent circuit with the best of low alpine scenery.

We start by climbing on the tarmac road to Hörnlepass, a favourite restaurant near the mountain pass with the same name. We won't try to cross this mountain pass, pretty though it is, knowing the path must be very muddy after recent rains. Instead, gravel and tarmac roads takes us further east, and then north between the hills Kackenköpfe and Engenkopf (not far from the alluring spot "In der Ewigkeit", trans. "In eternity"). A pleasant tarmac downhill follows, ending in the beautiful Rohrmoostal.

The lefthand side of the valley is bordered by the lowest extensions of Untere Gottesackerwände, creating a dramatic frame to the rural scape. Continuing west along the small road we eventually reach the comely little town Sibratsgfäll. It's a quiet idyll worth a visit in itself, especially in summer with all the flowers in blossom and children playing in the gardens.

As we are now at some height over the river Rutbach, we must loose height meters again to cross the river, only to immediately regain them on its southern side. The tour continues south, most of it uphill. Soon the gravel and forest roads take over. As we join course with the river Subersach, the uncultivated vistas becomes characterized by the great precipices above and around us; steep rock faces of Hohe Ifen and its neighbours.

We steadily gain altitude. At the bottom of the waterfall of Subersach, the path finally narrows and becomes considerably rougher as it steepens toward Gerachsattel. We have hiked here before, and know what awaits us. Several hundred height meters of pushing, lifting and carrying our bikes. It is an ordeal for fit fools... Yet somehow we keep our good moods, eventually, after much transpiration, reaching Hochgerach. We welcome the sight of the tranquil river creeks on the grassy plateau. For once, some easy biking! A short but a much appreciated break from carrying. Across the plateau remains the last, thankfully short, ascent of the day.

We reach the cross at Gerachsattel in an elated mood, but there is little time for celebration. Within minutes, Markus has prepared a small mountinbike training course over trails and tufts of grass. A perfect GBTS (Girlfriend Bike Training Session). Ah, that's right, today should really be about training! You see, the descent to Schwarzwassertal, although manageable for a born mountainbiker, is wonderfully, brutally demanding for novices. Like Sandra. Noone yet knows if today will end as a good day out, or if in the wake of disaster she will never click into the pedals again. We circle the GBTS a few times, and when the trials are barely managed, we move on to the serious stuff.

The Gerach plateau offers quite some distance of technical broken ground. Although carrying here and there, we are both happy with the progress - the GBTS has really helped! We soon reach the Schwarzwasser hut, Sandra by pushing over the last rough meters, and Markus, of course, enjoying the ride. At the hut our water bottles are partially and with difficulty refilled, and soon it's only downhill all the way to Melköde, which marks the end of the technical terrain.

The last trial of the day, getting down to Melköde from the Schwarzwasser hut, turns out to be the most technically difficult. Incredibly, we both get down in one piece (each). No single cow was hurt along the way, and we are filled with awe to have finally gotten to try this great tour.