Bike 2 Boat – Biking and Kayaking through the Alps

With bike & boat from Cannes to Venice– After last year’s Bike2Boat trip through Norway, Olaf Obsommer, Jens Klatt and Philip Baues decided to step up the game: Between Cannes and Venice they traipsed round the wild waters of Central Europe — and still could have used rather a sledge then the kayak once in a while…

5 countries, 2000 kilometers, 22.000 meters of altitude, 18 rivers, 52 days on the bike and in the boat. There are not many ways to travel the Alps more intense then by bicycle and kayak. Stop where you want, sleep where you fall over and paddle as much as you can.

The big journey has come to an end

The plan was ambitious, the route was long and the mountains were high: With their kayaks on a bicycle trailer Olaf Obsommer, Jens Klatt and Philip Baues took off to travel through the entire European Alps, from river to river and in a constant search for the best whitewater. On July 9th 2013 the three adventurers finally reached their designation Venice — sweaty and exhausted but rewarded with one-in-a-lifetime experiences from their two-month trip. Olaf, Jens and Philip had everything they needed on the road in panniers or stuffed in the kayaks: Paddling equipment, sleeping bag and mat, tent, stove, food and all the photo and video equipment to document this unique journey. From the starting point in Cannes on the Côte d’Azur they traveled through the French Maritime Alps over to Italy, via Piemonte to Swiss Ticino further to Graubünden, over the Austrian border down the Inn and up the Ötz valley, over the Timmelsjoch to South Tyrol, from there onwards to East Tyrol, further to the Soca in Slovenia to finally discover the Venetian channels with the kayak.
This trip was not about the highest waterfalls but about the journey itself: the scenery, the people and about discovering simplicity.

The Route

From Cannes via Route Napoleon across the French Maritime Alps, along the Durance, by Briançon to Italy. From there to Lago Maggiore and Ticino to Graubünden, on over the Albula pass towards St. Moritz, down the Inn and up the Ötz valley over the Timmelsjoch. Then via South and East Tyrol and Slovenia back to the Mediterranean to Venice.

The Mountain Passes

Col de la Cayolle (2327 m), Col d’Echelle (1766 m), Lukmanier (1915 m), Albula (2315 m), Timmelsjoch (2509 m), Jaufen (2094 m), Klammljoch (2288 m), Gailbergsattel (981 m), Predil (1156 m).

Why doing this?

Everyone is talking about the climate change, burnout and globalization. But how far can you really get with nothing than your own power? Is it possible to travel the Alps without any CO2 emission even with a kayak on board? Can you manage to escape your daily routine? Bike2Boat is plea for slow movement.

Athletes: Jens Klatt, Philip Baues
Production Company: Big-O-Productions