How we were crowned the Glockner Kings

We took part at the Glocknerkönig Light. It's a one of the series of climbing competitions open to professionals as well as amateurs.

We arrived two days early to get familiar with the picturesque region. Although it was the first week of June (the competition is held annually on the first Sunday of June), the mountain peaks were covered in snow caps and the air was very fresh. Despite the recurrent rain and storms, we managed to squeeze in a few easy rides.

We also rode around the Zell am See, which is a town in the Salzburg region, named after its glacier lake, Zell See. It lies beneath the famous Kaprun Glacier, which is a popular tourist destination in summer and in winter, too.

On the night before, the rain turned in circles in the Zell am See Gletscher valley.

The event itself was pretty well-organized. The atmosphere was friendly, but the climb was not easy. We were armed with dry packs prepared the night before to keep us from freezing. At 3 degrees Celsius, that is not such far-fetched scenario.

This was the start of the grueling climb. Don’t get too fooled by the beautiful view--from this point on, we rode uphill. Legs scream, the air gets thin.

We kept our fingers (legs, actually) crossed for a good outcome :) And got what we came and hoped for in the end!

Call us the new kings and queens of the Gloeckner.