Nine Days through the Alps

I'll be adding as I polish up the days and get all of the photos loaded.

Basically, two ladies decide that the time is right to hit the road, so we will go to the Alps because they are conveniently located 600kms south.

Two chicks, two F650s, and two big dreams. Katherine, on an F650GSa single with an ebay engine that was installed a whole three weeks before the start, and Sabine, on a F650GS twin that she has owned from new, off to ride the Alps in a nine-day pass-bagging adventure that would check off entire bucket lists for some people. What started as a wish to see the Sella Group (Sabine) and a burning desire to run Stelvio (Katherine) ballooned into a trip that eventually included 2600kms, the weirdest train ride ever, and 36 Alpine passes. The trip actually started on Day 0, when we boarded the DeutscheBahn AutoZug in Düsseldorf with 37.4 miles on the trip odometer. Lined up at 20.00 or so, we were in a group of roughly 40 motorcyclists and 30 cars bound for München. The train also included a section going to Innsbruck - the vehicle carriers were separated in Munich so that the Innsbruck-bound passengers would not have to wait for unloading. Among the cars going to Munich were a group of British Elise enthusiasts who we would see and speak with again, and a group of three riders who we agreed (with a smile) to meet in Bolzano, as we were all headed there at one point in our journeys. Funny how everyone had similar itineraries...



The AutoZug is not for the faint of heart. The carriers are two-level and motorbikes live on the lower floor. The clearance is 1.56m, shorter than me. Motorcyclists attach tiedown straps to prefered points on their bikes, ride them in, and ride out after the trip. I rode in with my chin bar firmly pressed to my tank bag, and was warned to remove my GoPro from my helmet. Rats, I really wanted that on video, too. The DB crew moved in and secured the bikes with cleats front and rear and tiedowns.






We book a compartment for ourselves - adding about 15€ per head to the ticket price. As we managed to get a pretty smoking deal on the tickets, this was a logical upgrade. 187€ total, including two passengers, two bikes, and two breakfasts. By booking the entire compartment, we did not have to deal with anyone else. Many groups had the same idea - the three guys were two cabins over. The changing in the hallway thing worked for them, but not us. On the other side was a group of five riders, also bound for the Alps, but east instead of west. DB equips the compartments with standard european power outlets, plenty of lights, good curtains, and these things that function as beds. It all adds up to a decent way to get some sleep and distance in, at least for what was going to be a transit stage anyway. I collected some additional items at the Bahnhof grocery store, and we tucked in for the night.





Getting off the carrier is no worse than getting on. If you're 2.2m tall and riding a GSA, it's clearly not fun, but for short people on short bikes, it's not that bad. Just don't lift your head up. You exit the carrier into a deployment lot where the riders assemble and build up their bikes for the big trip. Any luggage carried into the cabin is remounted, and then it's off on tour! We are the last out, as I wait for my riding partner to get her bike built.



Day 1 is planned to take us first to the Sudelfeldstrasse and Tatzelwurm, then to Kitzbühel, Saalfelden, and down the Grossglockener Hochalpenstrasse to Linz, Austria. We start off on the A8, southbound to the B307 and the Tatzelwurmstrasse. The Tatezlwurm consists of a few linked up Kehren, or switchbacks, but not much else. The scenery is pretty, though. I'll continue to use the words Kehren and tornante to describe these turns, depending on where I am at the time. From Kufstein, we head across the B173, B178, and B161 down to Kitzbühel over Pass Thurn, the first real pass we took. On the way, we stop for a bunch of decorated cows, the annual Almabtrieb in which the cows are driven down from the mountain peaks into the valleys for the winter. At this point, we run into the three guys from the train for the first time. At Pass Thurn, a tourist bus driver moves his bus for us so we could take a photo with the pass sign. From there, it is across the B168 and stopping for fuel (285.2kms on the odo, total 247,8 total), then up to Saalfelden for a quick shoppping stop and lunch at the Gasthof Frohnwies.









After lunch, we head on to the Grossglockener Hochalpenstrasse, one of the original Alps passes and the highest in Austria. It consists of beautiful ascent and descent ramps and two actual passes, the Fuscher Törl and the Hochtor. The Fuscher Törl is in the clouds when we ascend, on the other side, the Hochtor is in the sun. Not bad for our fist big ascents. We avoid the Edelweisespitze as it is not only in a dense cloud, but paved with cobblestones, a surface neither of us love. At the Fuscher Törl, we find cars being tested for braking function.









We wind down the day by heading to Linz, and just past there, find a small pension that offers us room and board for the grand sum of 35€ a head. Including a garage for the bikes, not so bad! On the way there, I have to make an ugly uturn and my bike takes a nap, but no damage and those Vario boxes are a lot tougher than they look.

If I'd guessed that I would end up sleeping on top of the Alps at one point, I would have never believed myself.

The sunrise in Linz is beautiful. Tucked into a mountain valley, we watch the sun fall over the farmyard prior to taking off from our feathery nest. We head west on the 100 toward San Candido, and in the process beginning a day that would end with nine passes surmounted. We cross into Italy, and on the Stata Stradale 52 (SS52), meet the first pass of the day - the Kreuzberg Pass. For the most part, a basic pass that is surmounted without event. Turning off onto Strada Provinciale 532 (SP532), we ride over the Passo San Antonio and, on Strada Regionale 48 (SR48), the Passo Tre Croci without stopping - nothing to stop for, as the signs are almost invisible and there are no souvenier huts to buy stickers at. Yes, we collect stickers for every pass we can get them for. The fun really starts further along SR48 with the Passo di Falzarego, where we photobomb a bunch of Swiss guys trying to take a group shot at the pass sign.













From Falzarego, we head west on the north side of the Marmolade Group, to better see the peaks. Stunning from the road, for sure. We have our first experience with Italian fuel stations, which are not open normal hours and require use of an automat. 252,3kms for a total of 500,1kms. Figuring that out is so exhausting that we have to sit down and eat lunch. We turn south on SR203, then onto SP641. Next up is Passo Fedaia, with a beautiful view of a Stausee (retention lake) high up in the middle of the group. From Fedaia, we briefly rejoin SR48 and enter the venerable Sella Group on SR242, and meet the first real traffic of the trip.





The Sella Group offers some of the most profound scenery of the entire trip. The terrain varies from gently rolling meadows to Martian landscapes. The first ascent is to Passo di Sella (Sellajoch), and is miserable with tourist busses. The traffic is very heavy and very unfun. When we halt at the top, we wait for a gap in busses before beginning the descent. We ride the rest of the Sella circuit clockwise, turning onto SS243 to ride through the Grödner Joch (Passo di Gardena), where we encounter a group of elderly tourists with an endless parade of questions, starting with "Why do your motorcycles have BMW stickers on them?", "Are those real BMWs?", "Did you ride those here all by yourselves?" and continuing on. After a few more, I inform the small crowd that all info on the bikes is available at their local BMW dealer.







We ride on to SP244 over the Passo Campolongo (nothing to stop for), and finish the day on SR48 on top of Passo Pordoi after a quick 33 tornante ascent that counts as one of the highlights of the trip due to the absence of traffic, the road character, and the unusually curious cows penned at the roadside. We hole up in the Hotel Savoia for 50€ a head including breakfast, garage, and a four-course dinner. We highly recommend this hotel. Excellent service, food, and accessibility.

The landscape around the Hotel Savoia (which we highly recommend) is positively lunar as the sun rises. We are greeted by fog burning off outside, and a surprise guest inside – a fully-dressed Harley has joined us in the garage overnight. The garage functions as a ski rack in the winter time, when the mountains are covered with white stuff and skiers descend on them like flies on pigs. The openness to motorcycle tourism came about as the thousands of small guesthouses in the Alps discovered that the “off season” can also be profitable – riders flock to the passes as long as they are open, and with open wallets. Breakfast at the Savoia is well-covered, and we can’t say enough about this overnight, it will define accomodations for us for the remainder of the trip.





We head out on SR48 and rejoin SS242 to go back over Passo Sella, this time with less traffic. The mountain views are breathtaking and we spend plenty of time checking out the peaks that bring so much fame to Sella.







From Sella, we stay on the SS242 west to Ponte Gardena, where we pick up SS12 heading south to Bolzano. We join SS22 and find the three guys from the train and cows – some honking and waving and total shock that we actually did meet up go on. West of Bolzano, we pick up SS42 to Passo Mendola. The approach to Passo Mendola is one of the most striking stretches we ride, with a stunning view of the valley below. For a long stretch, the narrow road clings to the side of the rockface and the mood is entirely surreal. The final group of tornante bring us to the town of Roen at the top of the pass, where we stop for coffee and to admire the views.





In Fondo, we tank up (250.3kms, 750,4km total) and are berated by a Bavarian Ducatisto who wants us to know that there is no passing in Italy. Perhaps he should have told the Italians? We ask him to speak German as his dialect is so thick. We pick up SS238 north to Merano crossing the Passo Palade. I expect more from Merano, the spa no connisseur of spas can miss, but it is quickly past and we are into a transit stage that will take us up and west on SS38 to Prato. We have been riding parts of the Italian Wine Road since Bolzano, admiring the fruit orchards that line the road to within two meters of the fog line. We stop for a quick lunch, then ride on with SS40 and SS41 (becomes 28) to the Ofenpass, where it is actually too warm to remain fully dressed.









We finish the day at the top of the Flüelapass, where we discover Swiss prices. The Flüela Hospiz is as old as the pass and offers timely accomodations. This is a euphemism for out-of-date – we get a room with “washing possibility” – a sink – for 87€ each, including breakfast. Aside from the price and the warning to fully unpack the bikes and bring everything inside for the night, it is uneventful. Dinner is a welcome mix of traditional swiss Röstis and salad.

Sunrise on the Flüela Pass is just as eerie as on Pordoi. We kit the bikes after a nice breakfast and set off on the 28 again towards Davos Dorf. Dörfli, actually. Davos is convinced it is not a famoous or exciting place. From Davos, we follow the Landwasserstrasse to Tiefencastle, where we join the 3 and begin the ascent to the Julierpass. We stop on the way up at the Marmorerasee, a retention lake that controls water flow down the assorted mountains and is filled with stunningly clear blue water.







From the Marmorereasee, we continue to the Julier Pass. The ascent to Julier is beautiful with rolling scenery and gentle curves that lend a sense of fulfillment to the viewer. We arrive at the top and find a bicyclist willing to take our picture together. We join the 27 at Silvaplana and the 29 at Pontresina, then it is on to the Passo del Bernina, where I work hard to get the perfect shot. The mountains surrounding the Berninapass are very photogenic.











Just past Baracon, we turn off onto the Forcola di Livigno, and proceed to the pass. We collect some cheese for later lunching from a tax-free shop at the pass, and while walking back up the hill, snap a postcard shot of why we ride GSs. Following the pass road, we make our way to the town of Livigno, where we tank up again and add a further 235.9km, for a total of 986,3km. We pick up SS301 southbound for the next planned pass: Passo di Foscagno.







On the was to Passo di Foscagno, we are surprised by a small sign for Passo d’Eira. Not famous, not loved, but still counts!



From Passo d’Eira, we continue to Passo di Foscagno, and on to Bormio. We want to be fully rested and ready to attack Stelvio in the morning, hoping to beat the tourist traffic. Bormio has a spa and appears to have nice restaurants. We find many medieval buildings and small grottos as we search for food. Alas, Bormio has the day off on Tuesday, and we end up at the only open restaurant in town, the Bar Nuovo. The staff are quite helpful and happy to have customers. We spend the night at Hotel Therme, where there is time to relax, but, alas, no spa. It’s also closed. For Tuesday.

Fabulous ride and pics!! Thanks for taking us along to some of the best riding on the planet!

I was in Lugano, CH last summer and to give inmates a universal idea of prices, I was walking by a Burger King and stopped to look at the prices: All sandwiches were either $14.50 or $17 for just the burger / chicken/ etc.. sandwich. I then spotted a McDonalds close by, so I walked in to look at prices; a Big Mac was $14.50. :huh Free tip: If you're in a Swiss restaurant and ask for tap water, be sure to ask if there's a charge for it, or you may get charged $8 for a glass of water.. DAMHIK

From the cozy Hotel Therme, we head south for about 20km to warm up. The route, the Strada Statale dello Stelvio (SS38), takes us through a series of long avalanche tunnels that protected not only our bikes, but our eyes. To return, we try the road running along side of the Flume Adda, the river that brings water down the mountain through Parco Nazionale dello Stelvio. This is far brighter and we get to see the small towns that dot the riverside. Once back through Bormio, the ascent begins. The big day is officially upon us. I’ve planned a shorter stretch so that we have maximum time to soak up the whole Stelvio experience.

The southwest ramp of Passo dello Stelvio is unjustifiably overlooked. While it is nowhere near the technical challenge that the northeast ramp is, it is still a beautiful, curvy road with plenty of visual interest and technical offering in the form of 39 tornanti and beautiful avalanche galleries cut into the rock of the mountain. Near the top is a long flat run featuring uninhabited buildings and livestock. It is surprising to see the livestock at that height, but there are small grazing herds of more very curious cows.





We crest Stelvio and find the circus that is the top of the pass – several hotels, gift shops, and restaurants cater to the visitors braving the ascent. Surprisingly, the hotels charge only 45€ per night, both of us expected much higher prices due to location, and are slightly disappointed that we did not choose to stay up here. We do, however, spend nearly that on stickers and postcards.





After orienting myself at the top, I identify that Umbrail Pass is only 1.5km and ten tornante away – I split off and ride back to find the pass marker. I’m also disappointed to find that the descent is closed. The gravel stretch of the pass is quite famous, but not accessible, thanks to the closure for road work.







As we prepare to descend, we find two brand new F800GSs next to my bike, and two attending freshly-geared riders. Twittering away in German, we attempt to find out where they are from, as the bikes are clearly rentals. After a few minutes, we give up, and I switch to English. The two guys are from Grand Rapids, MI, and are quite familiar with my employer, having done work at both of our Michigan plants. Such a small world.



The first step of the descent is looking down.



A movie crew is filiming on Stelvio, and there are periodic closures. We are not affected, as we begin our descent prior to the most favorable light. After a rather unsettling miss with a lane-intruding Audi above the tree line, I decide to pull off and relax at the 46th tornant, forgetting there are only two more to go. I’m tense and unhappy with my riding, but in a good mood as I am still in one piece and so is the bike. My riding partner joins me a bit later and we decide to spend a bit of time in the attached park for lunch. We meet several Opel engineers doing engine testing, and ask one to take a photo of us with the sign for the tornant.



Once we are finally down the pass safely, we make our way over to SS40 and up to the Reschenpass in Austria. The approach to the pass is beautiful, wide open, sweeping Kehren, but the pass itself is a certified “meh” after Stelvio. Prior to arriving at the actual pass sign, we stop at Lake Rescia to photograph the tower of a submerged church.





We proceed north, finding this lovely stone arch, and continue on to Tönsens, a small, quaint town, where we find the Gasthof Wilder Mann. Wondering aloud why there is never a Gasthof Wilde Frau…. With dinner, we spend 54€ for the night.

I'm wearing an HJC RPHA Max, she's wearing whatever the new BMW System Helmet is - they are made by Schubert.

I suppose it would be pointful to review the equipment.

Bike: one fully-factory-farkled 2004 BMW F650GS, 66K kms on the frame, ~25K on the 2006 GS engine purchased from ebay and installed a month earlier

Luggage: One Held tank bag with rain cover, three small Streetline drybags, and two BMW Vario boxes, one extended

Clothes: Three sets of functional liners - one warm polypro (Anzoni), one light polypro (Maier, star of the trip!), and one nylon running set with no leg zips (Nike/Alex). Six pair assorted socks, nine pair nylon underwear, six tshirts, one pair jeans, two fleeces, one pair shorts, one pair Nike Free original, one pair pyjama bottoms, one neoprene vest

Gear: Hein Gericke Grace GoreTex jacket and pants, HG City gloves, Louis silk glove liners, Polo Road warm gloves, Oxford hi-vis vest, Dainese GoreTex ladies boots, HJC RPHA-Max helmet

Electronics: Garmin nüvi 1435 navigation unit, GoPro Hero3 Silver camera, BlackBerry Torch smartphone, Nikon CoolPix S3000 camera, Midland BTNext commset, Hexcode GS911 interface, LG phablet thingy, assorted USB cables and chargers

Comments: The bike was great, only issue was a siezed centerstand pivot that caused a tipover and resulted in a seat tear. The luggage was just right. Too many socks, should have gone for fewer pairs but all synthetic. The Falke ski socks were perfect, three pair would have done it. More lighter-weight tshirts would have been better - the skinny hipster cap sleeve ts were the best ones. I could have gone without the heavy polypros, a second pair of the Maier set is being sought out now. Very light weight meant very washable and dry within hours. This alone could cut the space required quite a bit. The jeans were a must-have. Not having to wash underwear was nice.

The GoreTex outer gear worked perfectly. Absolutely the best decision of the planning phase was to go with textile over leather. Flexibility was fantastic thanks to the easily removeable liners. The (old) City gloves paired with the silk liners made the normal cold-weather gloves unnecessary. Even in heavy rain.

The Garmin nüvi unit worked (and continues to work) well, even for motorbiking. The routes were developed in BaseCamp and uploaded to a microSD card in the device, then installed as needed. One issue was identified with routes having multiple loops from a single point, the unit would attempt to shorten the route by cutting out loops. This should be minded by users. The GoPro (helmet-mounted) produced good, if not publishable, videos, due to the rider talking too much in her helmet. Thankfully, the GS911 and little LG phablet were not required, but took up so little space that it would be silly not to bring them. The BlackBerry had connectivity in nearly every place we went, allowing at a minimum email and BlackBerry Messenger communication. The little Nikon produced characteristically good pictures in all light levels. The BTNext unit was unused.

Overall comment would be to refine the clothing packing and the tool packing. I made a custom tool roll to pack only the tools I felt would be useful, but even this was likely too much. In a less redneck bike (see swapped motor above), I would be much more comfortable traveling with fewer tools. More GoPro locations will be explored.

Ah Stelvio..... its motto is "durchgängig asphaltiert" - paved completely :huh

The back (Bormio) side of Stelvio is light riding, as far as passes go. The switchbacks are generally open, the pavement is newer, and the entire ramp is in good condition with reasonable visibility. It's almost a modern road. Frankly, it makes you wonder what all the fuss is about.

The front (Prato) side of Stelvio is the stuff of horror movies. Unchanged in layout since the pass was first laid out ~200 years ago, it's not really steep, but it is really tight. The funny thing is that overall, it's not that bad. The turns are beautifully banked, the road surface is patchy, but not in terrible condition, and visibility is great thanks to the nearly non-existent guardrails - blocks of stone about 0.75m high, most of which are still there. The problem is that there is so much of it. You've got 48 tight turns in 16kms. That's about one every 400m, but some of them are only about 150m apart. Over that same space, you descend 1500m. It's a relentless 10% grade that doesn't stop any time soon.

If it wasn't so long and unending, it would just be another pass. But it is long and unending, and the low walls are kind of freaky - you can look directly down onto the lane below you, and it's not all that wide. There isn't a lot of wiggle room.

I would consider saving it for a second run at the passes. It's a wonderful ride, but make sure you're up for it. I would also consider going up the front side and down the back. This would be somewhat less nervewracking. Do Pordoi first to get an idea, it's like half of Stelvio and generally rated as severe. But it stops instead of going on forever.

Breakfast at the Gasthof Wilder Mann is the deciding factor, we choose to leave our side cases and return later in the evening for a second night. This day’s ride is the first of two “escape” loops planned into the trip to allow us to expand or contract the distance as needed. The ride begins with an airy sense of lightness – with no luggage, the bikes are each about 25kg lighter. We stop for fuel a few kms north in Prutz, adding 229,8kms for a total of 1216,1km. We continue north on 180 to L76, and pick up 171 in Landeck. Following the advice of the two guidebooks we have read, we turn south on 188 toward the Silvaretta Hochalpenstraße.

The ascent includes an 11€ toll for motorcyclists. The long, winding approach to the pass is easy, with a view of moss-covered rockfaces and small streams. At the top of the Silvaretta is a large retention lake, the Bielerhöhe, and the Piz Buin hotel. Piz Buin is a well-known European sunscreen brand, but we find no sun. We are deep into the first of two very rainy days that will challenge our gear more than ourselves.



Coming down the west side of the Silvaretta Hochalpenstraße, we find tree trimmers. The road is littered with tree branches and leaves, making the riding more interesting on this side. The scenery is a mix of deciduous trees and pines, with nearly all of the road edges forested. We agree that aside from the trees, the descent was far more fun and interesting than the ascent.

From Silvaretta, we follow the 188 to Bludenz and find the L82 that will take us to the Brandertal. The Brandertal is a dead end ascent that ends at the Lunarsee gondola lift. The ascent is technical and fun, until we encounter a cattle transporter that nearly forces us off the road. We keep our eyes up and ride it out, with 10cm of road to the right and maybe 20cm of space to the left. This becomes the new discussion topic. We stop at the top to admire the mountain and scratch around in the dirt. Shout out to the ADV crowd! On the way down, we stop at the Schattenlagenhütte for a light lunch. Conveniently, they have a lovely ceramic stove that serves as a helmet and glove dryer.













We return to Bludenz without encountering any more cattle transporters, and find the 913, as we hope to make our way to the Faschinajoch and …. Unfortunately, we find a sign indicating closure of the road from Blons to Sonntag, which means we will have to skip these two passes. We are disappointed, but not completely, the weather is cold and unforgiving, so we return to Bludenz to pick up the shortened version of the loop.

Following the L97, we proceed east. My partner chooses to return to the Wilder Mann, and has an adventure with the Autobahn. We have not purchased vignettes – the small toll stickers required in every country other than Germany – and have carefully planned to avoid all Autobahns. The only quick way back to the Gasthof is the Autobahn, and she sweet-talks her way out of the toll plaza at the end of the (very warm) Arlberg Tunnel and avoids the fine and vignette cost. I proceed on the L97 after my own Autobahn detour due to construction and pick up the 197, turning north on the 198 to Lech in pursuit of the Flexenpass. The ride up is beautiful even in the rain, with long rock-hewn avalanche galleries that are being renovated. Traffic delays of up to fifteen minutes are expected, but no more than five minutes for me. I ride into the gallery with a group of Swiss riders while we wait for the Touran behind us to flash us forward. Returning from the pass, I wait no more than a few minutes to descend through the tunnels again. I regain the 197 and stop at the Arlberg Passhohe to collect stickers and postcards.





We rejoin at the Wilder Mann for a second delicious dinner and sleep away the cold rain of the day.