5AL2402 - Peaks and Passes on Harley Davidson
Today is Sunday, and we as tour guides have the pleasure of meeting the riders of this tour. Two couples from the north west of U.S.A., Ron & Resa and Steve & Denise. We are excited to ride the mighty Electra Glides up and down alpine peaks, we give them some useful info and advices during the welcome briefing and we diner together awaiting tomorrow, the first day of riding.
Upon waking up we quickly realize that the day will be humid, better put on rain gear, But morale is high, and two drops of water certainly won't stop our Harleys. Here we are, without realizing it, passing into Germany by taking the toll road to Vorderiss along the Isar River to the Sylvensteinsee and then Achensee, excellent spots for souvenir photos. Before lunch there is also time for a quick stop to admire the Krimml Falls at the Gerlos pass, the clouds and rain giving this water colossus a mystical aura. After lunch we tackle the Grossglockner alpine road. During the ascent the fog deprives us of the pleasure of driving surrounded by the majestic views of Austria's highest mountain, but fortunately once we reach the southern slope the weather is milder and so we push on to 2400 m. at Kaiser-Franz-Josefs-Höhe to enjoy the view offered by the Pasterze glacier, the longest in Austria.
Today was a perfect day. It was dry, good temperatures and the first pass right ahead at start. After 30 minutes we already reached the Staller Sattel, which we used as our gateway into Italy and the Dolomites. After a nice coffee stop we went on to Bruneck and turned south to our morning passes, we did before lunch - Passo Valparola and Passo Falzarego. For lunch we went up to the Lagazuoi with the cable car and enjoyed the view. After lunch we continued with Passo Pordoi and Passo Sella. On our way to Bozen down from the Dolomites there was another pass accidentally on our route - Passo Pinei. So it was 6 passes and a great day with spectacular riding in the Dolomites.
Under a cloudy sky we ride up the Nigra Pass, north of Bozen/Bolzano toward one of the wonders of the Dolomites: Carezza Lake (Karersee in German), a small alpine lake at an altitude of 1,534 m, known for its rainbow-coloured waters, The limpid waters of Carezza come from groundwater springs on the summit of the Latemar. We all remain enchanted by its beauty. we then ride up through the Lavazé pass and we enjoy a wide panoramic view of Catinaccio and Latemar. This pass connects Val d´Ega to Val di Fiemme in the southern province of Trento. Reached the city of Trento, we visit the local Harley Davidson dealer for some souvenir. fun is not over, we ride to Mt. Bondone where we have lunch, along a winding road that once a year hosts an uphill race. After lunch it's time to go down to the famous Garda Lake, the biggest of Italy and one of the finest, our lakeside hotel awaits for well-deserved relax time.
Today our guests really enjoyed "La dolce vita" (the sweet life). We took the day off and everybody just enjoyed Lago di Garda. Nice views, nice food, nice drinks and very nice gelato.
We leave the crowded Lake Garda excited about the day ahead. We begin to drive up through the Adamello National Park to the well-known ski resort of Madonna di Campiglio. A quick coffee break and we are ready to approach the first pass of the day, the Tonale Pass. We have lunch on the Tonale. After lunch the fun begins. "When the going gets tough, let the tough get going", Ron, Resa, Steve and Denise must have been thinking this as they climbed the steep and narrow roads of the Gavia and Stelvio Passes, up to almost 2,800 meters above sea level. Despite not being accustomed to the narrow, winding alpine roads, they fared remarkably well, enjoying the spectacle of these mountains. The ride down to Livigno, with the next two passes of Foscagno and Eira were a walk in the park for our valiant riders. Definitely a day of motorcycling they will remember for the rest of their lives.
Today, we are starting our last riding day in Livigno, a nice little town in Italy next to the Swiss border. We are taking our route over the Forcola di Livigno, our first pass of the day, in to Switzerland and up the Bernina Pass. The beautiful Swiss roads take us by St. Moritz along the scenic views to our next pass - Ofenpass. After a short coffee stop we move down into the Müstair Valley to visit the monastery that was built around 775. It means, this place was first used over a 1.000 years ago. Back into Italy, we took a short ride through the medieval town of Glurns, which is still surrounded by a 10 m high wall for protection. Our tour continues up the Reschenpass, passing by Reschensee with the sunken church back into Austria. Along our way, we pass also the Finstermünzpass, Piller Höhe and the Kühtai, where we have our last ice cream stop. Quite some passes on our last day. After the motorcycles are turned in at the Edelweiss headquarters in Mieming and an adventurous taxi ride up to Seefeld, we had a very nice farewell dinner. Thank you for going with us on The Best Ride there is.