RobertG
Registered user
NOT true. While I may be groaning about the weather I'm having a fecking ball. Even the wettest day I have ever had on a bike (that'd be today) is still better than work!!!!
And it can't rain forever.
Yours truly
Noah
Rob's Great Alpine Adventure
- Thread starter RobertG
- Start date
NOT true. While I may be groaning about the weather I'm having a fecking ball. Even the wettest day I have ever had on a bike (that'd be today) is still better than work!!!!
And it can't rain forever.
Yours truly
Noah
Loving this, very good. I hope the weather improves for you.
Alps etc
Excellent report Robert.
Awaiting your next chapter
Heff
Excellent report Robert.
Awaiting your next chapter
Heff
" Summary of the day
8.00AM breakfast (raining)
8.30AM briefing (heavy rain)
9.00AM on the road (heavy rain)
10.00AM on the road (torrential rain)
11.00AM coffee (torrential rain)
Well you get the bloody idea. ! "
8.00AM breakfast (raining)
8.30AM briefing (heavy rain)
9.00AM on the road (heavy rain)
10.00AM on the road (torrential rain)
11.00AM coffee (torrential rain)
Well you get the bloody idea. ! "
RobertG
Registered user
where does the train go to?
Under the Grossglockner. It just eliminates the pass. A 12 minute journey.
thanks i googled it and couldnt find it,nice to know for future use.
RobertG
Registered user
My goodness, you're not kidding. I know where it is and I could hardly find it.
GPX coordinates of North and South Stations attached and web links to the details are in the waypoints.
RobertG
Registered user
Day 7 Lienz (austria) to Bolzano (Italy) via the Dolomites
Last night was all about working hard to forget the day. We did this with some expert help from Mirko who had a particularly impressive technique for pouring beer, so we kept drinking it.
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/21baIiTvHXU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This morning the alarm went off at 7.00AM and I was almost afraid to look out. but hallelujah, we have the first time in three days that it hasn't rained.
So by 9.00 we were on the bikes heading out of Lienz.
Fairly quickly we get a look at the target for today in the distance.
A few nice roads with long sweeping curves settle us in nicely and its not long before we leave Austria and cross into Italy.
Pretty soon we have sight of the majestic Dolomites. The air is fresh and the excitement builds.
We route towards Cortina where the plan is to have a coffee.
The scenery around here is just breath taking. Every time you pass a spot for a picture you come across another 200 meters later. We have to be selective or we will make no progress. This one just shouted stop at us.
We arrived safely in Cortina and had a short walk about the beautiful town and then a small caffeine injection to stimulate our brains for the switchbacks ahead.
Fairly soon we were gaining altitude quickly.
It's a good sign that the roads ahead are likely to be exciting when there is a constant stream of bikes coming towards you. It makes it important to concentrate on the switchbacks because there is no room for positioning errors coming out, particularly being wide on the right hand exits as your opposite number tries to cut it!
We reached the Falzarego pass in no time and stopped to pick up a few stickers
Given the conditions of the past few days the roads are in excellent condition. There is plenty of snow on the sides, but the playing surface is clear. After a short break we head down to the stunning view of the valley.
Then it is straight back up again to the Pordoi pass. I love the Dolomites
We get the cable car to the summit for lunch and this gives a great look back down at the road we have just traveled. WOW.
We consider sliding back down the hill on a shovel, but think better of it.
So how much snow is there up here. Lots!!!
There is even enough to keep a few skiers happy.
While we are on the summit the weather threatens to turn and so we finish lunch and head back to the bikes. By the time we get there it is snowing lightly. This is the first snow that one of our American's in the group has ever seen - and he's not a youngster. The excitement turns to a bit of haste as the visibility drops with the temperature. It's below 5C when we leave. Nothing to worry about though, we carefully traverse some snow on the road and 1,000 feet lower the sky clears up.
We move through swooping bend after swooping bend onto Sella, the last pass of the day and then on into Bolzano where it is 22C when we arrive.
What a fantastic day. It is amazing how a few hours on great roads almost eliminates the memory of 8 hours in freezing rain.
The bad news this evening is that the Stelvio is currently closed due to an avalanche. So tomorrow we will play for the day on other passes in the Dolomites and hope the Stelvio is cleared while we do
Last night was all about working hard to forget the day. We did this with some expert help from Mirko who had a particularly impressive technique for pouring beer, so we kept drinking it.
<iframe width="640" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/21baIiTvHXU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
This morning the alarm went off at 7.00AM and I was almost afraid to look out. but hallelujah, we have the first time in three days that it hasn't rained.
So by 9.00 we were on the bikes heading out of Lienz.
Fairly quickly we get a look at the target for today in the distance.
A few nice roads with long sweeping curves settle us in nicely and its not long before we leave Austria and cross into Italy.
Pretty soon we have sight of the majestic Dolomites. The air is fresh and the excitement builds.
We route towards Cortina where the plan is to have a coffee.
The scenery around here is just breath taking. Every time you pass a spot for a picture you come across another 200 meters later. We have to be selective or we will make no progress. This one just shouted stop at us.
We arrived safely in Cortina and had a short walk about the beautiful town and then a small caffeine injection to stimulate our brains for the switchbacks ahead.
Fairly soon we were gaining altitude quickly.
It's a good sign that the roads ahead are likely to be exciting when there is a constant stream of bikes coming towards you. It makes it important to concentrate on the switchbacks because there is no room for positioning errors coming out, particularly being wide on the right hand exits as your opposite number tries to cut it!
We reached the Falzarego pass in no time and stopped to pick up a few stickers
Given the conditions of the past few days the roads are in excellent condition. There is plenty of snow on the sides, but the playing surface is clear. After a short break we head down to the stunning view of the valley.
Then it is straight back up again to the Pordoi pass. I love the Dolomites
We get the cable car to the summit for lunch and this gives a great look back down at the road we have just traveled. WOW.
We consider sliding back down the hill on a shovel, but think better of it.
So how much snow is there up here. Lots!!!
There is even enough to keep a few skiers happy.
While we are on the summit the weather threatens to turn and so we finish lunch and head back to the bikes. By the time we get there it is snowing lightly. This is the first snow that one of our American's in the group has ever seen - and he's not a youngster. The excitement turns to a bit of haste as the visibility drops with the temperature. It's below 5C when we leave. Nothing to worry about though, we carefully traverse some snow on the road and 1,000 feet lower the sky clears up.
We move through swooping bend after swooping bend onto Sella, the last pass of the day and then on into Bolzano where it is 22C when we arrive.
What a fantastic day. It is amazing how a few hours on great roads almost eliminates the memory of 8 hours in freezing rain.
The bad news this evening is that the Stelvio is currently closed due to an avalanche. So tomorrow we will play for the day on other passes in the Dolomites and hope the Stelvio is cleared while we do
Interesting stuff.
We hit major tailbacks going into the Gotthard Tunnel today, 10-15 miles of stood still traffic.
We were heading for Florence and didn't have time to join the party so I filtered. Ironically everyone, including the Germans, actively moved across so we could get past.
Everyone that is except the flucking Swiss who did their very very best to block our way.
A quick blast of Daniel O'Donnell on the RT speakers soon had them relenting though.
Us too
Heading home tomorrow via Geneva. Just trying to plot a route avoiding the Mont Blanche tunnel. Can't be doing with more queues after another potential 8 hours in the saddle (including photo/coffee stops).
Good to see Rob's finally found the weather.
Good to see Rob's finally found the weather.
Glad the weathers improved for you. Your pictures and words describing the Dolomites provoking some grand memories . Thanks for posting.
Andrew
Andrew
RobertG
Registered user
Day 8 Rest day in Bolzano.
Today was a planned rest day. Two nights in the same fine hotel in Bolzano. So a decision to make - what would one do on a rest day during a bike tour.
We could go an see Otzi, the frozen mummy in Bolzano museum.
The second option is to take the train to Venice and relax on a Gondola.
Well, after long consideration I decided to give the bike a small drink of oil (0.8 liter used in the 2500KM so far) and then take it out and thrash it across the Dolomites again. This oil decision was, as it turns out, the first action in a series of small misfortunes today.
The bikes are in a secure underground car park, so I head down a few minutes before the others to top her up. Oil cap key, check; remove oil cap without skinning knuckles, check; add oil carefully to avoid spillage, check; wipe off tiny spillage with cloth, check; agree with passerby that it is indeed a big bike, check; put oil cap key safely back in storage, check. Start engine and rev. Bollox. Bollox. Bollox. Bollox.
The observant of you will have recognised the missing step. You forgot to put the oil filler cap back on 
Oil fcuking everywhere up the side of the bike. The only positive is I spotted it before seizing the engine 
So clean up the oil and set the Sat Nav. Oh crap, the bloody Sat Nav is frozen. Won't even turn off. 5 years of perfect service and it decides that now, in the middle of my biggest trip ever, to give me grief
. Well thank you. no really THANK YOU, to however talked about this before on the forum, because being a good boy scout I had packed a 2mm Allen key to take the battery out. As it turns out it got used later in the day when I get asked by another rider - do you know how to do a hard reset on a Zumo... well actually I do . Chatting with yet another rider later in the day he told me he gave up on the Allen key and just sticks the battery in with gaffa tape.
So, technicalities sorted we are off on the main event - riding. The great thing about the Dolomites is the proximity of passes and great roads. We are just out of the town and the roads improve greatly. Lovely straights
are followed by sweeping lefts
then sweeping rights
Then it is up the beautiful Mendelo pass.
We reach the top
and decide to be less rushed than usual and stop for a coffee and a few photos.
After that we bimble around the fantastic surroundings, more making our way to lunch than any particular destination. There are no shots from the GoPro from this point on because it started locking up. The good news is I found the problem this evening. The bad news is the MicroSD card is dead!
We find a fantastic spot for lunch overlooking a lake and relax in the garden.
while the chefs prepare the BBQ. This is the life! It's 23C and slightly overcast. Perfect.
Stuffed to the gills we head off for the afternoon following brilliant road after brilliant road, most of which came with a postcard view. Then we decide to do Mendelo going the other direction. One, because its on the way back, and two, because we liked the coffee at the summit.
This time we have a little gelato as well.
We sort of have the energy for one more pass, but decide to head home anyway. A few bikes are low on fuel and who could be bothered trying to find an open petrol station around here on a Sunday. Tomorrow is another day.
So Stelvio is still on the wish list for tomorrow. Reports are not good and temperatures suggested at the top are -7C. Let's see.
A little clip from yesterday ...
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z6t_v7cdD8w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Today was a planned rest day. Two nights in the same fine hotel in Bolzano. So a decision to make - what would one do on a rest day during a bike tour.
We could go an see Otzi, the frozen mummy in Bolzano museum.
The second option is to take the train to Venice and relax on a Gondola.
Well, after long consideration I decided to give the bike a small drink of oil (0.8 liter used in the 2500KM so far) and then take it out and thrash it across the Dolomites again. This oil decision was, as it turns out, the first action in a series of small misfortunes today.
The bikes are in a secure underground car park, so I head down a few minutes before the others to top her up. Oil cap key, check; remove oil cap without skinning knuckles, check; add oil carefully to avoid spillage, check; wipe off tiny spillage with cloth, check; agree with passerby that it is indeed a big bike, check; put oil cap key safely back in storage, check. Start engine and rev. Bollox. Bollox. Bollox. Bollox.
The observant of you will have recognised the missing step. You forgot to put the oil filler cap back on Oil fcuking everywhere up the side of the bike. The only positive is I spotted it before seizing the engine So clean up the oil and set the Sat Nav. Oh crap, the bloody Sat Nav is frozen. Won't even turn off. 5 years of perfect service and it decides that now, in the middle of my biggest trip ever, to give me grief
. Well thank you. no really THANK YOU, to however talked about this before on the forum, because being a good boy scout I had packed a 2mm Allen key to take the battery out. As it turns out it got used later in the day when I get asked by another rider - do you know how to do a hard reset on a Zumo... well actually I do . Chatting with yet another rider later in the day he told me he gave up on the Allen key and just sticks the battery in with gaffa tape. So, technicalities sorted we are off on the main event - riding. The great thing about the Dolomites is the proximity of passes and great roads. We are just out of the town and the roads improve greatly. Lovely straights
are followed by sweeping lefts
then sweeping rights
Then it is up the beautiful Mendelo pass.
We reach the top
and decide to be less rushed than usual and stop for a coffee and a few photos.
After that we bimble around the fantastic surroundings, more making our way to lunch than any particular destination. There are no shots from the GoPro from this point on because it started locking up. The good news is I found the problem this evening. The bad news is the MicroSD card is dead!
We find a fantastic spot for lunch overlooking a lake and relax in the garden.
while the chefs prepare the BBQ. This is the life! It's 23C and slightly overcast. Perfect.
Stuffed to the gills we head off for the afternoon following brilliant road after brilliant road, most of which came with a postcard view. Then we decide to do Mendelo going the other direction. One, because its on the way back, and two, because we liked the coffee at the summit.
This time we have a little gelato as well.
We sort of have the energy for one more pass, but decide to head home anyway. A few bikes are low on fuel and who could be bothered trying to find an open petrol station around here on a Sunday. Tomorrow is another day.
So Stelvio is still on the wish list for tomorrow. Reports are not good and temperatures suggested at the top are -7C. Let's see.
A little clip from yesterday ...
<iframe width="853" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/z6t_v7cdD8w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
Glad to see you got drier riding weather 
We fcuked off over the Simplon for clear skies & temps in the mid twenties.
Currently in Maranello having spent the day doing all things Ferrari
We fcuked off over the Simplon for clear skies & temps in the mid twenties.
Currently in Maranello having spent the day doing all things Ferrari
Glad to see you got drier riding weather
We fcuked off over the Simplon for clear skies & temps in the mid twenties.
Currently in Maranello having spent the day doing all things Ferrari
We were there yesterday! Great craic!
RobertG
Registered user
RobertG
Registered user
The last few days have been busy. This socialising takes a lot of time! Internet in the Alps is slower than at home, which I didn't think was possible.
I'll try and catch up tonight or tomorrow,
One bit of news worth sharing - well two.
Grossglockner is open. There are still some small avalanches happening, but they seem to be able to stay on top of it now.
Stelvio is still closed. The roads are pretty clear, but apparently there is too high a risk of serious avalanches for it to open yet.
I found this neat little site with the status of the Swiss passes.
http://www.tcs.ch/de/auto-mobilitaet/verkehrsinfo/aktuelle-lage.php
I'll try and catch up tonight or tomorrow,
One bit of news worth sharing - well two.
Grossglockner is open. There are still some small avalanches happening, but they seem to be able to stay on top of it now.
Stelvio is still closed. The roads are pretty clear, but apparently there is too high a risk of serious avalanches for it to open yet.
I found this neat little site with the status of the Swiss passes.
http://www.tcs.ch/de/auto-mobilitaet/verkehrsinfo/aktuelle-lage.php
RobertG
Registered user
Day 9 Bolzano to Pontresina
This was the day planned for the Stelvio. I know, I know, I know - it's not the best motorcycling pass to do. But, it is sort of iconic and everybody really wanted that notch on the handlebar.
Well it wasn't to be (even several days late now it is still not open). We head off in the morning not knowing this for sure, still hoping that it might.
The plan is to head to Glurns for lunch, and then hope somebody with a snow plough has worked magic while we were on the road.
We head north out of Bolzano (or Bozen) to find the corkscrew road that rounds rather than switch backs on the mountain. A cracking little road it is too, complete with corkscrew tunnels.
Form there we head towards Merano, but follow the marvelous little GS roads along the side of the hills and through the forests.
The only problem is that every sweeping bend has you wanting to open the throttle and every view screams at you to stop for a picture. Each turn provides a new postcard and a glimpse of snow capped mountains.
The petrol in the veins kicks in and the immaculate road conditions lend them selves to a little bit of leaning in.
Even the straights could make a postcard scene.
Fields of weeds even look fantastic.
I am not sure whether the roads are a little more encouraging today, perhaps we are settling in better, or we just have our mojo, but boy are we making progress.
All the time in the distance is the tease of the peaks and the slim hope that Stelvio might accommodate us.
We get to Gluns and manage to have only the essentials necessary for a healthy diet befitting mountain pass athletes. That'll be spag bol and ice cream so.
As we eat the news we knew was coming sank in. Stelvio is out. So, rather than head to the hotel we decide that we could probably afford a coffee between us in St Moritz. It's a little bit early when we are finished our St Mortiz coffee (€15 for an Americano and a hot chocolate
). We chat and a few of the hardier group decide we have one more pass in us before diner.
Julier pass seems like the obvious choice - over and back - as Albula pass is closed - or is it? When we passed by on the way there was no sign up - neither open or closed. The internet says it is closed, but I hear that has been wrong on the odd occasion. We decide it is worth the risk. Was it. HELL YES.
We get to Albula (planning anti clockwise from St Moritiz - to Albula to Julier) and it is open. Just open it appears and nobody knows. That means we have the road to ourselves. Boy did we make use of that. In what turned out to be the best 90 minute ride I have ever had we blasted over Albula ( I won't be posting the video) so high on adrenaline we hardly noticed the frostbite.
We kept it pinned all the way.
Then straight back up to Julier.
If I look cold in that - I wasn't. I was wondering how long I had to wait for a change of boxer shorts.
By the time we got back to the hotel we were buzzing. The bar is closed. No problem buy a crate from the restaurant.
That blast was the perfect antidote for any disappointment about that other slow switch back what do you call it pass that they all go on about. We have a new favourite run
Day 10 will be a quieter day. Only about 200k planned, but back across Julier in the early morning and then on to Jageralpe where we stay up in a ski resort.
(and no rain since the failed Grosslockner assault - but that could change)
This was the day planned for the Stelvio. I know, I know, I know - it's not the best motorcycling pass to do. But, it is sort of iconic and everybody really wanted that notch on the handlebar.
Well it wasn't to be (even several days late now it is still not open). We head off in the morning not knowing this for sure, still hoping that it might.
The plan is to head to Glurns for lunch, and then hope somebody with a snow plough has worked magic while we were on the road.
We head north out of Bolzano (or Bozen) to find the corkscrew road that rounds rather than switch backs on the mountain. A cracking little road it is too, complete with corkscrew tunnels.
Form there we head towards Merano, but follow the marvelous little GS roads along the side of the hills and through the forests.
The only problem is that every sweeping bend has you wanting to open the throttle and every view screams at you to stop for a picture. Each turn provides a new postcard and a glimpse of snow capped mountains.
The petrol in the veins kicks in and the immaculate road conditions lend them selves to a little bit of leaning in.
Even the straights could make a postcard scene.
Fields of weeds even look fantastic.
I am not sure whether the roads are a little more encouraging today, perhaps we are settling in better, or we just have our mojo, but boy are we making progress.
All the time in the distance is the tease of the peaks and the slim hope that Stelvio might accommodate us.
We get to Gluns and manage to have only the essentials necessary for a healthy diet befitting mountain pass athletes. That'll be spag bol and ice cream so.
As we eat the news we knew was coming sank in. Stelvio is out. So, rather than head to the hotel we decide that we could probably afford a coffee between us in St Moritz. It's a little bit early when we are finished our St Mortiz coffee (€15 for an Americano and a hot chocolate
). We chat and a few of the hardier group decide we have one more pass in us before diner. Julier pass seems like the obvious choice - over and back - as Albula pass is closed - or is it? When we passed by on the way there was no sign up - neither open or closed. The internet says it is closed, but I hear that has been wrong on the odd occasion. We decide it is worth the risk. Was it. HELL YES.
We get to Albula (planning anti clockwise from St Moritiz - to Albula to Julier) and it is open. Just open it appears and nobody knows. That means we have the road to ourselves. Boy did we make use of that. In what turned out to be the best 90 minute ride I have ever had we blasted over Albula ( I won't be posting the video) so high on adrenaline we hardly noticed the frostbite.
We kept it pinned all the way.
Then straight back up to Julier.
If I look cold in that - I wasn't. I was wondering how long I had to wait for a change of boxer shorts
.By the time we got back to the hotel we were buzzing. The bar is closed
. No problem buy a crate from the restaurant.
That blast was the perfect antidote for any disappointment about that other slow switch back what do you call it pass that they all go on about. We have a new favourite run
Day 10 will be a quieter day. Only about 200k planned, but back across Julier in the early morning and then on to Jageralpe where we stay up in a ski resort.
(and no rain since the failed Grosslockner assault - but that could change)
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