Alps, July 2003 − Travels − Captain Tom

Alps, July 2003

Result of a great trip to the Alps: Weals on the right hand from handling the throttle all the time.

We had 8 days which we intended to spend in the Alps. We that was Stephan, Frank and I. The travel to destination is not that easy. Its is about 430 miles so we needed one day for getting there and one for the way back.

1st Day

Riding the Autobahn from Berlin to Schleiz, then through Bavaria via fast country roads to Tettenhausen close to Traunstein to Stephan's brother

410 miles of which about 200 miles Autobahn.
2nd Day

We are in the Alps. We go from Tettenhausen to Techendorf at Weißensee Lake in Kärnten, Austria. And we hit the first passes

230 miles
  • Steinpass 2017 ft
  • Kniepass 1830 ft
  • Filzensattel 4235 ft
  • Dientersattel 4484 ft
  • Radstädter Tauernpass 5705 ft
  • Katschberghöhe 5383 ft
  • Nockalmstraße 6696 ft
  • Windische Höhe 3641 ft
Arriving in the mountains
View from Nockalmstraße
Bikes on Nockalmstraße
Stephan is excited about the Mountains
Hotel Moser at Weißensee is prepared for bike riders
I like the lake where you can jump in in the morning before and in the evening after a ride
Evening view over the lake
3rd day

We have a round trip through Slovenia and Italy and keep our base Hotel Moser at Weißensee

255 Miles
  • Vrsic-Sattel 5285 ft
  • Predilpass 3792 ft
  • Plöckenpass 4461 ft
  • Gailbergsattel 3221 ft
Break at Vrsic-Sattel
Break at the southernmost point of the tour
One women gas station without self service in Italy
4th Day

We go from Weißensee via Lesach Valley to the Sella Mountain Group in the Italian Dolomiti. There we get the serious passes.

160 miles
  • Gailbergsattel 3221 ft
  • Kartischer Sattel 5006 ft
  • Kreuzbergpass 5367 ft
  • Passo del Zovo 4842 ft
  • Passo Tre Croci 5912 ft
  • Falzaregopass 6945 ft
  • Pordoj-Joch 7345 ft
  • Sella-Joch 7362 ft
Break after Kreuzbergpass
Break on a random pass
Lunch break and the sun is shining
A photo at the pass (in German Passfoto means photo at a pass and photo in a passport)
Tom is excited about Mountains
View from Pordoi
Frank approaches the Pordoi Pass
Another photo at a pass
Accomodation is this time a very luxurius chalet at the southern ramp of the Grödner Joch pass
Chalet Gerard provides great cuisine. You have to book half board (breakfast and dinner). The dinner menue is defined by the house (no choice). There are several courses. But the price was ok. About 130 Euros for two nights.
The view demands terms like phantastic, breathtaking, incredible but even this does not describe what you see. The view shows to the right the Langkofel 10,436 ft - here in the morning sun - ...
... and the Sella Block (9563 ft) to the left - here in the evening sun
5th Day

We keep the base Chalet Gerard and to the master tour, THE Sella loop

180 Miles
  • Grödner-Joch 6958 ft
  • Campolongo-Pass 6151ft
  • Cereda-Pass 4491 ft
  • Rolle-Pass 6525 ft
  • Valles-Pass 6669 ft
  • Pellegrino-Pass 6295 ft
  • Fedaja-Pass 6715
  • Giau-Pass 7316 ft
  • Valparola-Pass 7191 ft
  • Grödner-Joch 6958 ft
Superb switchbacks
Stephan smells turns
Right. He looks at the Grödner Joch pass road.
View from Giau pass
We are not the only ones who are interested in the view
Lunch break at an Italian alpine hut
6th Day

We have to get back. We need to go north to the Lech valley in Austria to Geierwally in Elbingenalp

185 miles
  • Panider Sattel 7050 ft
  • Penser Joch 7267 ft
  • Jaufenpass 6722 ft
  • Timmelsjoch 8116 ft
  • Hahntenjoch 6181 ft
View to Bozen from faaaar above
Pass photo from Penser Joch
View down from Jaufen pass
And another pass photo
View from Timmelsjoch towards Italy (the pass is the border between Italy and Austria)
7th Day

Return home

We pass Plansee Lake and go via Linderhof, Oberammergau, Augsburg, Ingolstadt, Amberg to Fichtelberg
280 miles
  • Plansee Lake Road 3202 ft
  • Ammersattel 3549 ft
8th Day

Back to Berlin

We follow the B2 (B stands for Bundesstraße - I would translate it to federal country road. It is usually a normal country road but crosses several states - in this case from south to north Bavaria, Thuringia, Saxonia, Brandenburg and Mecklenburg) via Hof, Schleiz, Gera, Leipzig to Berlin.
In Schleiz we see a motor bike race at the Schleizer Triangle race track
217 miles
Summary

8 days
1926 miles
37 pass crossings
A lot of fun