As of: February 8, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Veronika Ahn-Tauchnitz
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A million meters in altitude on the bike: Heinz Brill (76) from Tölz has achieved his ambitious goal and has immediately set himself a new one.
Bad Tölz - When Heinz Brill and his wife moved to Bad Tölz in 2008, he discovered cycling as a hobby - and immediately set himself a big goal: he wanted to cycle a million meters in altitude.
Now the 76-year-old has done it.
Heinz Brill (76) from Bad Tölz cycles a million meters in altitude - and still hasn't had enough
Brill used to live in Hamburg.
When he gave up his small IT company, he and his wife moved to Upper Bavaria.
Bad Tölz was chosen because of the “Alpamare”, he says.
“In the beginning I went there after every bike ride.” He still finds it disappointing that the pool no longer exists.
He has always been very sporty, says Brill.
However, he only bought his first bike here in Bad Tölz.
“The environment is really beautiful for cycling.” But just taking leisurely rides wasn’t enough for him.
“I’ve always been very goal-oriented,” he admits.
So Brill set goals.
He wanted to drive 6,000 kilometers a year and achieve one million meters in altitude.
In order to reach the number of kilometers, “I have to drive in winter” – and that’s what he did.
Around 100,000 kilometers in the saddle: a pensioner from Bad Tölz makes eight Alpine crossings
The 76-year-old has ridden a total of 100,000 kilometers since moving.
He gained altitude on smaller and larger tours in the area.
His favorite route takes him via Wackersberg and the Höhenweg to Wegscheid.
From there it goes back to Bad Tölz on the other side of the Isar and Grundern.
Incidentally, Brill drove the tour so often within 90 days that it earned him the title “Local Legend” in the app he uses to record his routes.
But the tour via Gaißach to Tegernsee with a short detour to the “Bräustüberl” is also one of his favorites.
Heinz Brill has crossed the Alps eight times.
The route over the Pass da Costainas demanded a lot from him.
© Private
But there were also long journeys where Brill sat in the saddle for several days.
“I crossed the Alps eight times,” says the Tölzer.
Although he always cycles alone, his wife is at his side on the long tours.
She drives the stages in the motorhome and waits for her husband at each destination.
On some long, very steep passes it definitely had a bit of a bite.
The Pfitscher Joch in the Zillertal Alps, for example, “is extremely difficult,” he says.
He also remembers the “Pass da Costainas”, which connects the Engadine with the Vinschgau, as very strenuous but also “beautiful”.
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Heinz Brill only fell twice - if there was an incident, “I almost died”
Other tours took Brill across Germany.
He cycled from Bad Tölz to the Dutch North Sea coast.
“My most beautiful trip” took him around 1,650 kilometers from Tölz through the new federal states to the Baltic Sea.
“Thuringia and Brandenburg are really wonderful,” he says.
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While there were a few punctures to be repaired over the years, fortunately he only fell twice.
“I injured myself once, but nothing was broken.
The second time was harmless.” The incident a few years ago was less harmless.
While Brill was on a mountain stage, he felt a heartache.
“I almost died on the journey.” His wife drove him back to Tölz.
He was immediately transferred from the city clinic to Großhadern.
A bypass operation followed.
“Today I’m totally fit again,” he says.
In general, he can only advise people to move around a lot and do sports as they get older.
"There is nothing better."
After a million meters of altitude, the first e-bike was rewarded
As a reward, Brill bought his first e-bike after reaching his altitude goal.
“Now I want to drive a little more comfortably,” he says.
The next tour in spring is already being planned.
He wants to drive over the Reschen Pass to Lake Garda.
In order not to get rusty, the man from Tölz also bought an indoor system on which he mounted one of his bikes, which is powered by pure muscle power.
“You can display tours on a screen and follow them.” Of course, he has set himself a goal for this.
He wants to ride 150 minutes of intensity - for which he has to reach a certain heart rate - per week.
(va)
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