Dark Places

The Danube is getting narrower, the cliffs steeper and the road clings to the sides as best it can. This requires a series of tunnels - 21 in all, they conveniently number them - which for cyclists are a test of bravery. The short ones are fine, even a bit of fun, it's the long ones that scare me, those over 200 metres.

(Honest, there are real tunnels - this is just to show the 'cling to edge' bit)

They are not lit and so with a bend or two in the middle you have no daylight. It's pitch dark and dripping water. Bicycle lights may help you be seen but they don't help you see. So for about 100 metres in the middle you are steering blind.. You can't see the centre of the road, but the biggest fear is being hit from behind. The rushing wind roars through the tunnel and stops you hearing any approaching vehicle. Then headlights appear so you grope your way to the side, your bike lights hopefully giving them a chance to see you. But if two vehicles pass alongside you then there's not enough width for three.

Tomorrow I face Tunnels 1-5. I hope they are little ones.

Update (March 25th):

Oh no they weren't... Tunnel 4 shown was 371 metres long but luckily it did not have a bend in the middle so there was always daylight.

And another picture of road cut into mountain...