Grand Alps 2015 (CGA-1502)

Innsbruck City Tour / a trip to the origins of Tirol's capital  Before starting our motorcycle tour, one member of the group and I made a jaunt to Innsbruck. We visited one of Europe's most renouned Bell-Foundries, the old-town, the ancient City Tour - last remains of a medieaval castle, the Hofburgkirche and took the cable-car ride to the top of Innsbruck's famed and noted North-Face-Ridge. First Riding Day: Seefeld to Galtür A small but lively group is raring to go, and already the OOOOOOHs und AAAAAAAAs were rumbling through the ranks as we arrived at Hahntenjoch. "If this is just the start, how can it get any better" they asked as we reached the first pass of a tour that hardly sees a day with less than a half a dozen pinacles of this or grander quality? / "It will get even better..." I promise them." Here a few shots of our first impressions. Riding Day 2 / Galtür Austria to Andermatt Switzerland Cruising the Silvretta Road past a string of 10.000 foot peaks (including the famous Piz Bruin) we wind our way to Feldkirch, Lichtenstein, Wallensee, Altdorf und eventually reach the place where the Rhine and Rhone rivers find their humble start.  Riding Day 3 / A loop of 3 impressive passes and a 20 year anniversary In Andermatt we are surrounded by towering peaks, challenging passes, and a deep long history of travelers stopping here; a realization that takes us all the way back to Roman times. The trick is picking what to do in this mountain playground...  Riding Day 4 / Andermatt to Chamonix To start the day we saved the anniversary flowers to the van for a smoother ride to our next destination, for the group is planning to take the old coblestone road over the Gotthard Pass. Then the day will bring them to Zermatt, the Matterhorn, cruise through the Rhone valley and finally to the base of the imposing Mont Blanc. Riding Day 7 / Briancon to Aosta We leave the tour-de-France region for the north-west region of Italy know as Aosta-Valley. Here is some of Europe's most famous skiing in Val d'Isere. The pass near there, Col de l'Iseran, is one of the highest in the Alps. Riding Day 8 / Aosta to Lugano Traversing the Aosta Valley we glimps a whole string of castles and fortifications dating all the way back to the middle ages. To the south of us the bread-basket of northern Italy, the river Po and its surounding fertile valley. With a jot across the water we are back into Switzerland and that pleasant city on the lake - Lugano Riding Day 9 / Lugano to Livigno Three highlights today: Splugen Pass, Via Male, Albula Pass Riding Day 5 / Chamonix to Briancon in the south of France This is the Tour-de-France part of the trip through the French "Alps Maritim" where we share the roads with aspiring bicylist traing for competitions grand and small. Col de Madelaine, Col de Telegraf, Col de Galibier. Infamous routes that ring of champions and searing athletic feats. Riding Day 6 / Around Briancon in the south of France A short run through the mountains to visit some of the famous fortresses conceived and build by that 18th century genious - Vauban