Another morning begins with a steep climb up the densely forested ridge. Breathing heavily in the fresh morning air, I look across the undulating farming heartland of the Schwarzwald and begin to push my pedals round...
I cross this mountain plateau and then descend to the touristy focal point of the Titisee. It is bitterly cold, so I layer up as I contour around the lake, ahead the imposing silhouette of the Feldberg. At 1493 metres the Feldberg is the highest mountain in Baden-Württemberg, and the highest in Germany outside of the Alps. It is taller than Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in the British Isles, which only stands 1345 metres high.
On the picturesque, slow and steady ascent of the Feldberg, I feel a sudden, sharp, stabbing pain in my right knee. I hobble off my bike and double over, feeling nauseous from the pain. I pause for a moment, wondering how I can solve this problem and continue my journey. I simply drop the saddle slightly and tentatively begin to pedal...
As I begin the ascent in earnest, I no longer feel pain in my knee. I guess that I have one leg ever so slightly longer than the other, which means I have been over-extending my right leg for the past four days. I am surprised that my leg has lasted this long!
Just below the summit, I rest and eat some soup at the ski station. Feeling a little refreshed, I contour around the summit and maintain height until I am above Todtnauberg. I descend gently to my accommodation for the night. On the descent, the pain returns to my knee along with the sickening feeling in my stomach as start to worry that this could be the end of my adventure...
So near, yet so far?
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