 |
| The rolling hills of the Sauerland |
 |
| The RTF riders underway |
 | ||
| The hill at Km. 75, warning of a maximum grade of 10% and saying we should envy cyclists riding triple chainrings! |
The scenery was marvellous but after our second food stop I realized that my legs were just not up to our planned 153 km route. I had not been out on a bike since July 21 but still...it was disappointing to turn off and follow the 113 km route as Tom and Rudiger bravely continued onwards. In the end, I made the right decision as I had terrible cramp attacks several times en route and had to get off the bike more than once to work out the spasms. I was taking care to drink a lot so I am not sure why the cramps were so extreme. At least I had some opportunities to take a few photos.
After staggering back to the elaborate sports centre after completing my ride and its 1500 m of climbing, I was able to enjoy a good cold shower and a few beers as I waited for the return of the others who arrived pretty quickly considering their extra 40 kms and 700 m of vertical gain.
We were all impressed by the region and will surely return as it has promoted itself as a cycling region but I hope that the kinks in my calf muscles and adductors will be long gone by then!
 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Burg Altena was constructed in the 12th Century and in 1911 became the home of the world's first Youth Hostel, which is still functioning. Just below the castle is the German Wire Museum. Cable was an important industrial product in the region for many years. |
