Roland's Alpine Adventure
Trip report
Our Yamaha 850 TDM holiday-trip – June 2000
From Sunday, June 11th – Thursday, June 22nd
Route: starting at Amstetten – direction Gesaeuse – Hohe Tauern (Styria) – Villach (Carinthia) – Kanaltal (Italy) – Southern Tyrol – Northern Italy direction – France (Alpes Maritimes, south eastern Alps region of France – parts of Route Napoleon, Cote d’ Azure, high Dauphine mountain area – High Savoyean mountain area) – Swiss Alps – Northern Tyrol (Austria) – Motorway home to Amstetten.
1st day, Sunday, June 11th: from Amstetten direction Admont, Gesaeuse – Kaiserau –Trieben, Triebner Tauern – High Tauern, 1265m – Judenburg – Scheifling – St. Veit/Glan –Villach – Arnoldstein (Austrian border) – Tarviso (Italy) – (Kanaltal) – Pass di Mauria, 1295m – Cortina d' Ampezzo – Pass di Falzarego, 2105m – Pass di Valparola, 2192m – Stern – Kurfa – Groedner Joch, 2121m – St. Ulrich. Heavy rain starts at Cortina d’ Ampezzo, 600 kilometres – staying at St. Ulrich for 4 nights.
2nd day, Monday, June 12th: from St. Ulrich to Bolzano (Bozen) – Mendelpass, 1360m – St. Leonhard – Timmelsjoch, 2447m – St. Leonhard – fast ride up to Jaufenpass, 2099m – Sterzing – Penser Joch, 2215m – Sarnvalley direction Bozen. Weather fine, 340 kilometres.
3rd day, Tuesday, June 13rd: from St. Ulrich up to Groedner Joch, 2121m – Kurfa – Pass di Campolongo, 1875m – Arabba – fine race up to Pordoijoch, 2239m to the limits of our Metzeler Z4 tires – direction Canazei – Seller Joch, 2244m – Canazei – Pass di Fedaia, 2057m – Caprile – Selva – Pass Staulanza, 1773m – Dont – Pass Duran 1601m – Agordo – heavy rain starts – trying to escape over Cencenighe - Pass di Pellegrino, 1918m – Moena – Vigo di Fassa – Karerpass, 1745m – Welschnofen – Bozen – St.Ulrich, 285 kilometres.
4th day, Wednesday, June 14th: from our accommodation passing Kastelruth – Tiers –Niger Sattel 1688m – Frommeralm – (light rain starts) – waiting in a little tunnel for about an hour – Karerpass, 1745m (bright sunshine) – Vigo di Fassa – Predazzo – (thunderstorm begun to raise) – Pass di Rolle 1970m – successful escape – Pass di Valles, 2033m –Flacade – Cencenighe – Caprile – Selva – Pass di Giau, 2236m – Pocol – Pass di Falzarego, 2105m – Andraz – Mga.Ciapela – private race up to Pass di Fedaia, 2057m – Canazei – Sellajoch, 2244m. Tricky weather conditions – part time sunny and heavy rain, 270 kilometres.
5th day, Thursday, June 15th: starting at about 10:00 hours direction Bozen – motorway to Verona passing Lago di Garda – leaving motorway at Mantova – crossing the river Po direction Parma – motorway to Piacenza – Alessandria – leaving motorway at Asti – direction Alba – finding a fine accommodation and having a fine lunch. Very hot and sunny. 545 kilometres.
6th day, Friday, June 16th: from Alba to Cuneo – Vinadio – in case of landslide our route to Col de Larche was closed – we found a route over the due closed Col de Lombarda, 2351m – to Isola in France (big adventurous, tricky and scenic) – from that town the route direction south to Nizza was also closed in case of landslide so we have to cross – Col de Ia Bonette, 2802m – Jausiers – Barcelonnette – finding an excellent accommodation at Hotel Aztekia for planned two nights. Very fine weather. 235 kilometres.
7th day, Saturday, June 17th: Barcelonnette – les Thuiles – CoI d' Allos, 2240m – Colmars – CoI des Champs, 2191m – St. Martin d' Entraunes – CoI de la Cayolle, 2327m – back to Barcelonnette. Very fine weather – heavy thunderstorm starts at we’ve arrived in our hotel. Afterwards the peaks where covered with hail (!!!). 145 kilometres.
8th day, Sunday, June 18th: fine weather again – leaving Barcelonnette at around 9:00 hours – St. Vincent les Fons – CoI du Lamboret, 1240m – at Route Napoleon from Digne – Barreme – Castellane (Verdon) – Pas de la Faye – Grasse – accommodation at Hotel du Parfume – after getting rid of our luggage – we’ve started a short trip to Cannes – la Napoule (where Napoleon has landed after arriving back from Elba) – Frejus – back to Grasse at around 23:00 hours. Extra-fine weather - hot. 287 kilometres.
9th day, Monday, June 19th: from Grasse – via motorway to Monaco – pics in front of Casino Royal was not possibly – nice walk at the yacht harbour – driving along the Formula I racing track – using coastal road to Nice (short bathing our feet in the sea) – Antibes – Cannes – back to our hotel. Weather: much too hot. 170 kilometres.
10th day, Tuesday, June 20th: starting at around 9:30 hours at Grasse – via Route Napoleon to Castellane – St. Julien du Verdon – St. Andre les Alpes – along the river Verdone to Colmars – Allos – CoI d' Allos, 2240m – Barcelonnette – Jausiers – CoI de Vars, 2111m – Guillestre – CoI d' Izoard, 2361m – Briancon – le Monetier les Bairs – Col du Lautaret, 2058m – Col du Galibier, 2645m – Valloire – finding there our cheapest accommodation. Fine and hot weather. 330 kilometres.
11th day, Wednesday, June 21th: at 8:15 hours we started at Valloire – direction St. Michel de Maurienne – Modane – CoI de I'Iseran, 2765m – Val d' Isere (well known alpine Ski-Resort) – CoI du Petite St. Bernard, 2188m (leaving France) – Aosta (Italy) – Col du Grand St. Bernard, 2469m – border to Switzerland – Martigny – Sion – Brig – Naters – Gletsch – Furkapass, 2431m – Andermat (22:30 hours !!!) – Oberalppass, 2044m – Disentis – Musters – Chur – Vaduz (Liechtenstein) – Feldkirch – we are back home in Austria
12th day, Thursday, June 22th: crossing the Austrian border at 1:00 a.m. – having a short meal at a Kebab shop – at about 2:00 we’ve started direction east – using the Arlberg tunnel – to Tyrol – west of Innsbruck at a parking area at Telfs we was outpowered 100% - we fell into sleep for about 45 minutes – at about 6:00 a.m. we started our horses – leaving Austria at Kufstein – direction Rosenheim – Salzburg – Amstetten. So we’ve done 1126 kilometres in 27 hours. 400 kilometres in alpine regions. During the first 24 hours we’ve done 942 kilometres – back at home it was bloody hot – 36 degrees in the shadow – next day Friday its started to rain at noon, and its raining ................
List of Alpine passes plus altitude
Pass di Mauria 1295m Italy
Pass.di Falzarego 2105m 2x Italy
Pass di Valparola 2192m Italy
Groedner Joch 2121m 2x Italy
Mendelpass 1360m Italy
Timmelsjoch 2447m Italy
Jaufenpass 2099m Italy
Penserjoch 2215m Italy
Pass di Campolongo 1875m Italy
Pordoijoch 2239m Italy
Sellerjoch 2244m 2x Italy
Pass di Fedaia 2057m 2x Italy
Flla Staulanza 1773m Italy
Pass Duran 1601m Italy
Pass di Pellegrino 1918m Italy
Karerpass 1745m 2x Italy
Pass di Rolle 1970m Italy
Pass di Valles 2033m Italy
Pass di Giau 2236m Italy
Col de Lombarda 2351m France
Col de la Bonette 2802m France
Col d' Allos 2240m 2x France
Col des Champs 2191m France
Coi de la Cayolle 2327m France
Col du Lamboret 1240m France
Col de Vars 2111m France
Col d' Izoard 2361m France
Col du Lautaret 2058m France
Col du Galibier 2645m France
Col de I' Iseran 2765m France
Col du Petit St. Bemard 2188m Italy
Col du Grand St. Bemard 2469m Switzerland
Furkapass 2431m Switzerland
Oberalppass 2044m Switzerland
Total number of passes : 34 – 6 of them 2x
Grand total : 40
Total kilometres : 4421 kilometres
Litres of gasoline : 270 litres