Alps July 2013

[spoonman]

Was just looking through photos of the trip my wife and I took to the Alps last summer and thought I'd share a few.

We arrived in France with no plan and followed my weatherpro app. Managed to see 5 mins rain in two weeks!!

We blasted motorway to just beyond Dijon, then set the sat nav for twisty roads into Switzerland. We went over to Andermatt for 2 nights then headed back towards Mt Blanc, making it as far south as Briancon.

 

[spoonman]

First camp, south of Beaune

First pass in the Swiss foothills

Having a swim in Lake Thun

 

[spoonman]

Susten Pass

Campsite in Andermatt

Furka Pass

 

[spoonman]

Furka Pass

St Gotthard Pass

Grimsel Pass

 

[spoonman]

Grand St Bernard Pass

Mt Blanc in the background

Alpe d'Heuz closed for the Tour de France but enough room for a GS to squeeze by!!

 

[(RIP) andrewgsadv]

Spoonman ,some very good photos there,the weather was certainly on your side. The last time i did the roads round Andermatt, the views were spoilt by the rain and low cloud. Thanks for postiing.

 

[Rusty]

Lovely photos mate .. I understand the St Bernard Pass is not open much of the year ... one of my "tick off' places to go ... beautiful !

 

[sgtzara]

Wow, nice one! What dreams are made off. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Blackal]

Quality photos, and you did well - touring 2-up with tent, using Vario luggage!

I reckon that first photo was taken in your back garden, though!

Al

 

[Rasher]

Great Pics, but your St Gothard pass is actually the Tremola - you took the picture from the St Gothard I would guess.

The Tremola was the original road, still open but when I tried it on a Sportsbike the Cobbles were truly horrible so I turned around before all my teeth fell out, the St Gothard is the new road that sweeps up the mountain on stilts - luckily they have since built a tunnel so neither pass has much traffic

Going back this year to ride them both

Grand St Bernard, Grimsel and Susten are also favourites, the latter two I will also ride again this year

 

[shay]

Grand St Bernard Pass

beautiful photo !!!

 

[spoonman]

Great Pics, but your St Gothard pass is actually the Tremola - you took the picture from the St Gothard I would guess.

The Tremola was the original road, still open but when I tried it on a Sportsbike the Cobbles were truly horrible so I turned around before all my teeth fell out, the St Gothard is the new road that sweeps up the mountain on stilts - luckily they have since built a tunnel so neither pass has much traffic

Going back this year to ride them both

Grand St Bernard, Grimsel and Susten are also favourites, the latter two I will also ride again this year

Quite right, picture is of the old road taken from the new one. There's even a museum at the top about how the old pass was constructed! There's also a section of cobbled pass on the Swiss side that most seem to miss. We rode both, and actually I rode both solo in 2012 on my Yam Fazer, much more enjoyable on the GS.

 

[Rasher]

Been past it twice now, but this year have a lot more time to explore, there is also a road running off to a lake behind the museum I plan to check out, there looks to be a lot of dead end roads off all the Andermatt passes so will just try to ride up all of them this time.

Might skip the cobbles if it is wet though

 

[newboy]

I love Andermatt - been 3 times and never tire of what we find..

Lovely write up and pics too

Tremola keeps you alert in the damp!!

 

[Jockser]

You did well. I was there in early June and the Furka, Grimsel, Susten & Stelvio were all still closed
So we took the Simplon into Italy & had 10 days of sunshine before heading through the Dolomites to Austria & Germany.

It was bl00dy cold but at least the road was open

 

[spoonman]

I've been very lucky! When a friend and I went to the Alps in early June 2012 everything was open. Some pretty spectacular snow walls too.

Nufenen Pass 2012

If anything it was a bit too hot. We saw 37 degrees in some towns! I'll have get cooler textiles for next time, as much as I enjoyed standing on the roadside in my undies and jumping into every lake we passed!

Lac du Mont Cenis

 

[peterc]

Brilliant pics on this thread, the water is freeeeeeezing all year round tho, too cold for me anyway. Cant wait till I return to the alps.

 

[ossa eck]

My second favourite area of our planet,after the west coast of Scotland.
visited twice last year ,late may,early june and all the high passes were closed.
Early September and it was lovely ,I stayed in the hotel overlooking the campsite in Andermatt,nice family run hotel

Back again in 1st week of july this year,cant wait

 

[dave hendy]

beautiful photo !!!

+! top photo

What a great day, just what you dream of in the Alps!