CUA2501 Ultimate Alps
All tour participants arrived in Seefeld today and were able to explore the town on a nice walk. We all met up in the early evening to get in the mood for the upcoming tour at the welcome briefing. Afterwards, everyone was able to look at their motorcycles full of anticipation before we met again for dinner in the hotel restaurant.
After our first night in Seefeld and a sumptuous breakfast buffet, we did the morning briefing for the day ahead on the motorcycles. Everyone was very happy to finally get on the bikes and take the first bends. The absolute highlight was the countless hairpin bends on the Stelvio. “Nothing in the States can prepare you for that!” An impressive quote from one of the tour participants that shows just how special this pass really is. After the descent from the Stelvio, there was an unplanned stop due to a flat tire on one of the motorcycles. But after a quick job with the repair kit, we were able to continue the rest of our route to the hotel. In the evening, everyone arrived at the hotel with a satisfied tiredness, where we had dinner together after a refreshing shower.
Today takes us mainly through Switzerland. Short stages through Italy give us a taste of Italian flair. A never-ending number of bends, lots of Alpine passes and beautiful landscapes make this day unforgettable and incomparable. The happy faces of everyone at the stops make it clear again and again that this day is a complete success for every motorcyclist. A good lunch fortifies us for the rest of the day, on which we have ridden a total of 332 km through the paradisiacal Alps to Brunnen. After a refreshing shower for everyone, we rounded off the evening with a meal and get-together before everyone went to bed tired but satisfied and ready for the next day.
This morning began with a delicious breakfast from the sumptuous buffet at the “Seehotel” in Brunnen. Well fortified, we set off on the short journey to our first ferry ride on this tour. Being the first at the pier paid off, as everyone was able to spend some time taking photos of the wonderful scenery and getting in the mood for the day ahead. As soon as the motorcycles were loaded onto the ferry, we set off. Our winding route once again took us over beautiful mountain passes and through stunning scenery. R. the “VanMan” surprised us with an excellent picnic in the middle of nature, a really successful lunch break. After a short stage, we had the opportunity to visit the Rhone Glacier. A beauty made of ice. We then made our way to Zermatt, where we took a shuttle service to our hotel. An excellent evening meal awaited us in the hotel restaurant.
After the first strenuous days of driving, we all deserved a little break. The rest day in Zermatt was a little different for everyone. Some took the opportunity to take the cable car to the glacier paradise, while others went on a hike or relaxed in the hotel spa. The motorcycles were also given a break, as there was so much on offer that nobody felt the urge to get on their bikes. In the evening, some of us met up in a pizzeria to eat together.
Today's riding day began with a bus transfer from our hotel in Zermatt down to Täsch, to the garage where our motorcycles were waiting for us. After a short time, everyone was ready to go and we rode the first stage of the day to the Simplon Pass where we crossed the border into Italy. We had a wonderful lunch break with good food right on the shores of Lake Maggiore. The subsequent ride along the lakeshore offered a fantastic view, which was surpassed by the subsequent ferry ride across the lake. To cool off, we had a delicious ice cream on the other side. Thus fortified and prepared, we made our way to the Passo San Antonio, which was a very special highlight with its narrow road. Once we had conquered it, it was time for another relaxing stop at a café. Shortly before arriving at our hotel right by the lake, we crossed the border into Switzerland again. One special feature was certainly the elevator ride in the hotel garage, where the motorcycles were taken to the second floor.
After a restful night in Lugano, we set off early to catch another ferry. This time we cross the Lago di Como. Afterwards, the day is again characterized by narrow roads and passes. A real highlight was the Passo de Vivione, which at times became so narrow that even two motorcycles could only just pass each other. The stop at the top of the pass was also our lunch stop, where we had sandwiches and plenty of cold cuts. When we arrived at the hotel, our van driver surprised us with cold drinks in the garage. After this internal refreshment, an extensive shower also provided the necessary cooling from the outside. We ended the evening together over dinner at the hotel.
Our day today began with a very narrow pass that led through a forest. An indescribable experience. We made a short stop at the top of the pass before continuing on. This was followed by a beautiful stretch of road with long bends all the way to Lago Molveno. The Brenta mountain range in the background made this natural spectacle a perfect stop for some pictures. We then drove to the church of San Romedio, which we visited and had a coffee. Our lunch consisted of another picnic prepared by our van driver very close to the church, very idyllically situated by a stream. A perfect refreshment for the rest of the day. The beautiful curves of the “Passo de Mendola” brought us to the viewpoint of “Monte Penegal” from where we enjoyed the incredible view over Bolzano. After the heated city traffic in Bolzano, a final section full of bends led us to our hotel in Klobenstein. We had dinner together in the hotel restaurant before everyone went to bed, satisfied and tired.
Today's rest day was mainly about the main reason for our tour together: riding motorcycles, and lots of bends at that. Some of the group rode together over the beautiful passes of South Tyrol, while others chose a shorter route to have time for a short hike. At the end of the day, the most important thing had been achieved: everyone was satisfied with the day. For dinner, smaller groups came together and ate in different restaurants.
After our not-so-restful but incredibly satisfying rest day in Klobenstein, we made our way back towards Seefeld today. With lots of bends and passes, of course. Our first stop was at the Penser Joch, where we had a coffee and took photos of the beautiful landscape. We had our lunch break today at Timmelsjoch, where we were able to visit the motorcycle museum afterwards. An unbelievable number of historic and also some modern motorcycles. We also made a short detour to Kühtai, where everyone who wanted to could try some excellent Kaiserschmarn and apple strudel. As a surprise, we didn't go straight to our hotel in Seefeld but to the Edelweiss headquarters in Miemingen for a quick look behind the scenes. We had a cold drink while the bikes were being returned before taking a cab back to Seefeld. After a short break to shower and freshen up, we all met up for dinner. The barbecue buffet was very varied and delicious. We laughed a lot on this last evening and looked back on the tour together. Later, some of us sat together with a drink and let the evening and the tour come to an end.