Hochsauerland 2023

Up next: Hel van Klimmen and Hochsauerland 2023.

Last year, I participated in the Hel van Klimmen for the first time in its new format.

This is a cleverly organized “Gran Fondo” where you are never far from start/finish and (thus) there’s no need for extra refill/stop stations along the route, since you pass it 3 or 4 times.

As last year, I’ve opted for the long course – duh – but this year it’s 10 kms longer.

If I do not feel up to the task halfway – or whenever – it’s only a short struggle to get back to where Paula will be waiting in the team car 🤣

The Hel(l) is a great training for our 4th trip – a week later – to one of Germany’s cycling mecca’s of “midrange hills”, the Hochsauerland.

There’s also the Eifel and the Black Forrest, the former with slightly lower hills, the latter with some over 1,000 meter ones.

The Hochsauerland hills will bring you up to 800 meters and it has one of the best websites to plan your trips: Bike Arena Sauerland.

Once again, Medebach will be our base camp and this time we even stay in the same apartment as last year.

I’ll have to look at the site myself to see if there are any new interesting routes, but I can do as last year and just cycle parts or combinations of tours I’ve done before.

One thing that does need better planning is my Epilogue: that ended in a complete cluster fuck last year…

I will almost certainly have to ride my Giant Revolt, as my Émonda will not be available yet.

The trip to the Hochsauerland 2023 is meant as a training for my Tour de France 2023 – I hope the Émonda will be delivered by then.