PYT2602 - Tour of the Pyrenees 13.09.26 – 20.09.26

Welcome to Barcelona Finally, the time has come – the Pyrenees are waiting for us! And what better way to explore this spectacular region than on two wheels? Our first day is all about arriving, getting to know each other and building the excitement for the adventure ahead. During our Welcome Briefing, the whole group meets for the first time. Even though everyone is probably already itching to get on the bikes and start riding, we take some time to properly introduce our guests to the journey ahead. Our riders receive the keys to their motorcycles and get a detailed overview of the days to come. We talk about the route, the highlights and the spectacular landscapes we will experience – as well as some important things to keep in mind when riding in Spain, Andorra and France. After all, the goal is not simply to rack up kilometres, but to enjoy every single one safely – and preferably with a big smile under the helmet. Then it’s time for our first dinner together. Over good food and a glass of wine, the first conversations quickly begin. Old Edelweiss stories are shared, memories of previous tours come back to life, new friendships start to form, and the anticipation for the days ahead grows with every minute. This first day may not feel like a great adventure just yet. But that’s exactly what makes it the perfect beginning.Tomorrow, the soundtrack changes: instead of luggage and introductions, there will be engines, our daily briefing and, most importantly, curves, curves and more curves. The roads of the Pyrenees are waiting for us. If you want to know what it’s like to explore Spain, Andorra and France on two wheels, follow us on our journey. We’ll take you along with pictures, stories and plenty of impressions from the road. And who knows – perhaps by the end of this blog, you’ll be ready to discover the Pyrenees for yourself. With that said: enjoy the ride with us! That was our first day. Tomorrow, the real adventure begins. Henning & Axel

Welcome to Day 2 – Our Journey Begins The day starts with perfect weather – and a fantastic breakfast gives us the energy we need to tackle the first challenge of the day. And that challenge is quite clear: getting through Barcelona’s Monday morning traffic as quickly as possible! But first, of course, we have our first morning briefing. We introduce the day ahead, talk about the highlights of the route – and then it’s time to get going. Heavy traffic and a little congestion are part of the start. But then, finally, it’s clear sailing! We head out on beautiful, winding roads towards Santa Maria de Montserrat Abbey, one of the most famous landmarks in Catalonia. The spectacular, almost sawed-off-looking mountain rises more than 1,200 metres above sea level and is especially famous for the Black Madonna. The history of the monastery dates back to the 9th century. I’d say that’s not a bad way to kick off the tour! We then take the funicular even further up the mountain, where we are rewarded with a magnificent panoramic view across the Catalan landscape. Afterwards, we head back down. Following a quick coffee stop, our journey continues to Cardona. There, an impressive medieval castle awaits us, perched high above the famous salt mines. The perfect place to enjoy lunch while taking in the fantastic views. From there, we continue towards Peramola, where we will spend the next two nights. Apart from the 33.5°C heat, it was a perfect start to our tour. The first curves have been ridden, the first impressions collected – and the anticipation for what’s still to come is definitely growing! So, what about tomorrow? Tomorrow we have our first rest-day ride on the agenda. And since the Pyrenees are practically right on our doorstep, there’s one thing we can promise: Curves! How many? You’ll find out tomorrow. Until then, enjoy the pictures – and for now, we’re off to get something to eat! Henning & Axel

While the bikes headed out for a 200-kilometer loop through the surrounding mountains, Denise and I made our way back to the motorcycle museum, which, unfortunately, had been closed yesterday. We finally got to have our visit. The exhibition was empty; we were the only visitors. But that made it a kind of hidden highlight for those of us who had originally planned just to stay at the hotel and wait for the others to return. The region around Paramola is full of charming mountain roads, lots of sweepers, and I’m sure the riders are having a blast out there. The story of their ride, though, that’s coming up next. Let’s Go – The Rest Day Ride Calls! It’s 9 a.m., the temperature is a heavenly 21°C, and ahead of us lies a beautiful motorcycle playground called the foothills of the Pyrenees. After our morning briefing, we set off towards Peramola and then headed straight up to Col de Boixols. One corner follows another, and we enjoy every single meter of it. If you’re still not a fan of the roads down here by this point, then there really is no helping you! Once we reached the top, of course, we had to make the obligatory photo stop to capture the moment. Then it was time to head down the other side towards Tremp. We could have ridden this section all day long – the road is simply that fantastic! But there was still plenty more to discover. Our route continued towards Sort, where we climbed back up into the mountains. Our next destinations: Port del Cantó, Coll del Cantó and Coll del Roc Picó. And even though we had already thought in the morning, “It really can’t get any better than this!” – the second half of the day was every bit as spectacular as the first. Endless corners, incredible scenery and pure riding pleasure. This is exactly what we came here for! All in all, this day was the real opening act of our Pyrenees tour – and what an opening it was! And tomorrow? Tomorrow, we’ll be crossing the Pyrenees! So stay tuned and let’s see what amazing places and experiences are waiting for us along the way. Until then, we wish you a wonderful evening – or a good morning, depending on where you’re following us from! Henning & Axel

Day 4 – Today Is THE Day! We Cross the Pyrenees! Today is THE day of the tour! The Pyrenees are right in front of us – and today, we are crossing them. With the sun on our faces, we set off into the morning. After around 65 kilometers, we reach the border with Andorra. Following a short stop at a motorcycle shop, we continue straight on, leaving the morning traffic of the little “metropolis” behind us and heading into the mountains. Our first highlight of the day: Col d’Ordino. If you have never ridden this road before, you have definitely missed something! An incredibly twisty road winds its way up to 1,981 meters. Once we reach the top, we are rewarded with a magnificent view over the mountains of Andorra. And since the view is simply too beautiful to rush past, we naturally take the opportunity to enjoy a coffee. From there, we descend back into the valley before shortly afterwards taking on our next major climb: Port d’Envalira, at an impressive 2,408 meters. But then comes the catch… A tiny-looking cloud slowly moving over the mountain ridge suddenly turns out to be a massive wall of clouds. Within a very short time, the temperature drops from a pleasant 20°C to just 10°C. But what can you do? We don’t let it stop us! Our journey continues down into the valley and towards the French border. The thick clouds allow us only a glimpse of how spectacular the landscape up here really is. But you can’t always be lucky with the weather. After crossing the border, it is time for a little refreshment. A small bakery right along the road provides us with exactly the energy we need to tackle the final major highlight of the day. Port de Pailhères – 2,001 meters. A true classic and a permanent part of the Tour de France. Unfortunately, the weather doesn’t really cooperate here either. The pass itself is once again a fantastic ride, but the views are unfortunately hidden behind the clouds. A little disappointing – because we can only imagine what spectacular panoramas would normally open up from the top. Finally, our route takes us through the impressive Gorges de Saint-Georges and onwards towards Carcassonne, where Henning is already waiting for us. Looking back at the day as a whole, I would say it was a classic 50/50 day: Dreamlike weather and magnificent views on one side – thick clouds, dropping temperatures and limited visibility on the other. But that’s exactly what a journey through the Pyrenees is all about. You can’t choose the weather – but you can choose the curves. And today, we certainly had plenty of those! That was Day 4 of our Pyrenees Tour. We’re already looking forward to tomorrow! Henning & Axel

Day 5 – Two Options, One Perfect Rest Day It’s the second rest day of our tour – and somehow, it makes deciding what to do both difficult and incredibly easy. Sounds confusing? Here’s the explanation: You could stay in Carcassonne and explore the beautiful medieval old town and its impressive fortress. Or you could jump on your motorcycle and head out for our rest-day ride. In the end, we did both. The rest-day ride isn’t too long, which meant there was still plenty of time afterwards to explore Carcassonne, with its countless little bistros, cafés, and restaurants. But first, let’s talk about our ride. We set off at 9:00 a.m., and the weather was noticeably better than yesterday. It was a little chilly at first, but temperatures quickly started to rise as we made our way into the mountains. Our first destination: Montagne Noire. At around 1,200 meters, it might not sound particularly spectacular at first. But the roads are something else! They are packed with corners, winding through gorges and tiny villages where it feels as if time has simply stood still. And apart from the roads that make every motorcyclist’s heart beat a little faster, the landscape is simply beautiful. We passed countless vineyards and dense forests, an area also well known for its truffles. Once we reached the top, a pretty strong wind was waiting for us. So after taking a few photos, we quickly got back on the road and continued deeper into our little cornering paradise. The route took us through dense forests until we reached our coffee stop. And what better to accompany a fresh coffee than a delicious Tarte Tatin? Honestly, finding a great coffee and a freshly made Tarte Tatin in what felt like the middle of nowhere is pretty hard to beat! But of course, the road was calling again. We continued down into the valley, where Minerve was waiting for us. This ancient stone village in the Languedoc hinterland is famous for its fascinating history, spectacular setting, and, of course, the wine produced throughout the region. After a relaxed walk through the narrow streets and around the village, we eventually made our way back to Carcassonne. We spent the late afternoon enjoying the city before meeting up again in the evening for dinner. With good food and a glass of wine, we brought another fantastic day to a relaxed close. And just like that, Day 5 of our Pyrenees Tour comes to an end. Tomorrow, we continue southwards – and there are still plenty of kilometers and adventures waiting for us. Stay tuned to find out what tomorrow brings! Henning & Axel

Day 6 – Goodbye Carcassonne, Hello Pyrenees! It’s time to say goodbye to Carcassonne and head back into the twisty paradise of the Pyrenees! Welcome to Day 6 of our tour. As soon as we leave the city behind, we find ourselves on dreamy, winding little roads heading straight towards what can only be described as a motorcycle playground. And yes, that is probably the best description of today’s ride, because riding straight was definitely not on our to-do list – probably 90% of the time! One corner follows another, and the scenery along the route is simply breathtaking. You could probably take 1,000 pictures today, and every single one of them would be good enough for a postcard. Of course, the obligatory espresso stop is part of the program. And today, we really need it! You definitely want to be wide awake and on your toes when riding these narrow, twisty mountain roads. Highlights such as Château de Peyrepertuse and the Gorges de Galamus showcase the incredible beauty of this region. And as an extra surprise, we even had a picnic planned for today. So, the morning was already absolutely spectacular – and honestly, pretty hard to beat. After our picnic, it we are back on the road. We enjoyed what felt like more than 3,000 corners, getting closer and closer to the Spanish border. Because today we were heading back into Spain, where we’ll spend the final part of our tour. Of course, we didn’t want to miss any of the highlights mentioned above. But if you ask us what the real star of the day was, the answer is easy: The roads, the scenery, and our group – flowing from one corner into the next. It was a long and intense day, but definitely one that will stay in our memories. And tomorrow, it’s already time for the final riding day of the tour. But don’t worry – it certainly won’t be any less twisty than today! Until then, have a wonderful day, morning, or evening – whenever you happen to be reading this. Henning & Axel

Unfortunately, the time has come – our final riding day is here, and our journey together is slowly coming to an end. But before we park the motorcycles for the last time, there is still plenty to see – and, most importantly, plenty of riding to do. Around 275 kilometers are waiting for us today. Our first stop takes us along a fantastic, winding little mountain road to Beget. We park the motorcycles and then take a little journey back in time – roughly 200 years, it feels like. This beautiful stone-built village hidden in the mountains is a highlight in itself. Old stone houses, narrow streets, and an atmosphere that makes you forget for a moment which century you are actually in. Afterwards, we get back on our motorcycles and continue along our little mountain road towards the coast, crossing the Pyrenees once again. Corner after corner, the riding fun keeps building, and somehow we simply continue where we left off yesterday: 10 kilometers of road = what feels like 250 corners. In short: pure riding pleasure! Along the way, we enter a region that was unfortunately affected by a major forest fire not too long ago. Parts of the landscape look almost surreal – as if we had suddenly landed on another planet. Burnt hillsides alternate with the first signs of green vegetation, showing both how powerful nature can be and how vulnerable this beautiful landscape is. And then, suddenly, we can smell it – our first hint of sea air. There can only be one explanation: We must be getting close to lunchtime! To celebrate the final stretch of our tour, we enjoy lunch in the harbor of Sant Feliu de Guíxols. The town has more than 1,000 years of history behind it – but honestly, the best part of the history lesson was the paella we enjoyed there. Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper final riding day without one last special highlight. And that highlight has a name: GI-682. One of Spain’s most famous coastal roads. Steep cliffs, turquoise-blue water, and around 360 corners in just 20 kilometers. A true roller coaster ride along the coast, with spectacular views around almost every bend. And then, sadly, it was over: Our final riding day. I would say it was the perfect ending – not only to the day, but to our entire tour. Over the course of this week, a group of motorcycle riders became a small motorcycle family. And that is exactly why it already feels a little strange knowing that tomorrow we will wake up without a morning briefing, without starting our motorcycles, and without heading out together to discover more of Spain. Henning and I simply want to say THANK YOU! Thank you for an incredible week, for all the kilometers we shared, the countless corners, the laughter, the adventures, and most of all, for all the memories we created together. We are already looking forward to seeing you again someday, somewhere on this little blue planet we call Earth. We wish you all a safe journey home! See you soon Henning und Axel