11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

The black art of moving from A to B on foreign soil
BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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Day 43 - 14/06/10 (Part 1)
End Location: Goshenen, Switzerland
Days Mileage: 169
Total Mileage: 6314

Rough nights sleep so I spent a half hour sat outside the local co-op sat in the sunshine waiting for the ibuprofen to kick in. The satnav took me any way but the direct route to Interlaken but the journey round by the lake was gorgeous in the bright morning light.
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The road up to Grindelwald was impressive, but like Gavarnie, it got better the closer you got. I rode up, right through the town, and up to the top of the road. I parked in the Wetterhorn Hotel car park and saw a sign directing me to the foot of the glacier. Remembering my provision free hike up the Ordesa gorge I chucked a banana and some water into my rucksack and set off.
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After checking out the remains of the old Wetterhorn cable car station (oldest in the world!) I followed the path to the foot of a rough sequence of rickety wooden ladders leading up out of sight over the rocks. Very dodgy looking, but solid enough, I estimated there were 800 steps in total, ending at a small cafe and a bridge suspended on a cable that was strung across the chasm where the river of meltwater ran. It was no longer possible to walk to the foot of the glacier as it had retreated so far ( demonstrated by historic photographs on a board) but worthwhile and impressive all the same.
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BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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http://BearingsUnlimited.blogspot.co.uk
BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

Post by BurningGiraffe »

Day 43 - 14/06/10 (Part 2)
End Location: Goshenen, Switzerland
Days Mileage: 169
Total Mileage: 6314

(Continued . . )
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I retraced my steps and had a chat to a couple of British women who had taken an interest in the bike. Suited up and moving on towards Chur in awesome scenery when I spotted an immense and dramatic waterfall tumbling over the sides of the glacial valley I was travelling along. I thought of the Reichenbach falls where Holmes and Moriarty plunged to their deaths(?) and then spotted signs for it about two miles down the road. Unfortunately the funicular had closed an hour before I arrived so I just pushed on again. I stopped for fuel and supplies so I could push on until I found a campsite so I started riding up towards the Sustenpass in bright but sporadically cloudy conditions. The most visually interesting pass so far with glaciers visible below me through wispy cloud from the top.
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However the journey down was drear and cold out of the evening sun and the mountains ahead looked like a black wall. Quite a sense of foreboding but after quizzing some reticent locals I was directed to a campsite up the next valley. Climbing into light mist I soon found a very barren looking campsite but loads of caravans so I guess it must be okay. I booked in with the two guys in reception who looked surprised to see me.
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Immediately I paid up they shut up the kiosk and drove off leaving me with the realisation that I appeared to be on my own here. The caravans were all uninhabited permanent fixtures and were strapped down with huge ratchet straps which tells you somethung. I had to ride the bike through a stream to get to the camping field but it was okay. I set up my tent and then bumped into a middle aged lady called Caterina with a camper van who offered me a hot chocolate as the sole other camper in the place. We ended up sitting and chatting for the evening. It turned out that she was Dutch and was retracing travels from her youth - and this was a place that she had great memories of.
Link to my travels webpage:



http://BearingsUnlimited.blogspot.co.uk
BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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Day 44 - 15/06/10
End Location: Mustair, Switzerland
Days Mileage: 144
Total Mileage: 6458

Woke early to horrid rainy conditions so I just snoozed, waking properly at about 11am. Struck camp and rode back across the now twice as wide and somewhat deeper river and parked up. Had a coffee with Caterina and then set off up to the dam at the top of the valley for some impressive views down on the campsite below.

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Tagged along with a couple of German BMW riders down to Flims where I peeled off over the Oberalpass and the Ambulapass which was stark as fuck and very cold. Just a bare classic u-shaped glacial valley ending up on a wooded plateau. Had a small amount of harassment by two total dick BMW driving boy racers, highlighting the close proximity of Italy perhaps. Trying to impress me with their speed and skill but just being dangerously inconsiderate, leading to a mutual exchange of obscenities!
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Eventually found a campsite at Mustair literally on the Italian border, with a gang of German bikers. Washed some clothes and retired for the night. Another mostly grey and unappealing day!
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BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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Day 45 - 16/06/10
End Location: Selva di val Gardena, Italy
Days Mileage: 86
Total Mileage: 6544

Absolutely chucked it down all night - I knew it was a mistake to hang my washing out!! Full waterproofs and then backtracked to the road to the Umbrailpass in very low cloud. Was followed up by a large convoy of Porsches and BMW sportscars that I let past given the shitty conditions. I bet they were very impressed when the road turned into muddy shale track for 4 miles where it was being resurfaced and more impressed when I overtook them all again!
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An extended set of switchbacks climbed into the clouds and the visibility dropped along with the temperature. The summit was like the arctic with high snow banks either side of the road. I started down the Stelvio pass in horrendously wet and cold conditions, with a string of classic jaguars coming up towards me, andcatching up with three Brit sportsbikers riding very gingerly indeed. I was on a roll though and passed them them like they were coasting. Naily trailie beats ZX10!! - who would have thought that!
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I reached the village at the bottom, thankfully below the cloud, and parked up. One of the jags had stopped here with an overheating problem. I suggested bridging the fan switch but he wasn't interested in listening. The three Brit bikes rolled in 5 minutes after me - they were on a 10 day tour and less than impressed with the Stelvio. To be fair the views and the weather weren't much!! Had a nice chat with the woman travelling with the jag owner who was obviously about as impressed with his 'I know best' attitude as I was.
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Had the rain return with a vengeance on the dual carriageway to Merano so when I saw the wall of cloud ahead as I entered Selva I checked out the tourist office who directed me to a very nice cheap B&B. This area is nominally Italian but really I am Germany! The accents, the architecture, the food; all clearly German. Was ceded to the Italians after the war apparently; just not sure which one.

When the rain stopped I went for a stroll to find the chapel and castle that were the main tourist attractions (apart from the skiing and mountainsobviously!) and then rode back as a most excellent sunset was gleaming over the Dolomites.
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http://BearingsUnlimited.blogspot.co.uk
BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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Day 46 - 17/06/10
End Location: Lienz, Austria
Days Mileage: 95
Total Mileage: 6639

Yesterdays decision to stay the night in Selva paid off as I was rewarded with a perfect cloudless view of the Dolomites in the morning sun. Had a leisurely breakfast and thanked my hosts for their excellent hospitality then back on the bike. Fabulous roads round the Sella circuit with loads of bikers. Held up a pair of hooligans on KTMRC8s on very loud pipes - I was riding like a hopeless tosser but what awesome roads. The run down to Arabba was probably the best of the trip so far. Easy to read, great tarmac and they just flowed for mile after mile. I wasn't holding anyone up on this one as I nailed all the turns.
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Heading on towards Austria I caught and stayed with two guys on KTM 990 Adventures until they peeled off so I followed and had a coffee then a look at the local castle. Habitable but tatty and locked up.
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Moving on towards Lienz when the weather took a real turn for the worse again!! Pulled off to re-plan and ended up watching TV in a local cafe for an hour or two. Located a campsite in town and booked in to find it overrun with British people! Apparently they were all there to compete in the European kayaking championships. Got chatting to a young lady resplendent in a tutti-frutti minidress and shiny black leggings who was invalided out of the competition then spent the rest of the evening in the bar.
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BurningGiraffe
Posts: 109
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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BurningGiraffe
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Re: 11th anniversary of Europe and Morocco trip - Review

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Day 47 - 18/06/10
End Location: Glanz, Austria
Days Mileage: 86
Total Mileage: 6725

Better weather in the morning with a fabulous view of the dolomites along the valley in the sunlight. Decided to hit the Grossglockner as I was so close. Weather deteriorated as I pulled up towards the tollgate where I tucked in behind a huge group of Italian bikers. No rush though - all very chilled. Got a map and a 50th anniversary sticker! I was afflicted by photo fever all day and had to stop just about everywhere I could to get some snaps. Not the best weather but what a phenomenal road! As I pulled through the tunnel at the highest point on the first climb I was presented with a magnificent vista along the valley. This truly is scenic alpine road!
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Checked out the sights and the museums, including one displaying the most awesome huge crystals I have ever seen! Single amethyst crystal over 18 inches high and a foot across. Beautiful. Did numerous runs and re-runs and watched lots of old bikes nailing it up the hill and then coasting back down.
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It was getting cold so I decided to drop back down to the Franz Josef Glacier on the other side but just as the rain/sleet started in I had a weird loss of power from the bike and it wouldn't pull up the hill to the high point. After some fretting and re-starting it ran enough to clear the crest and then as soon as I could coast it cleared and I was away again. Fucking heap of shit.
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Hit the visitor centre and then took the astonishing walk through the mountain along the glacier, emerging every few hundred yards to get a look from a fresh vista. Walked down but stopped short of taking the funicular right down to the glacier. The crazy thing was there was nothing to give any sense of scale. The start of the glacier was over 7miles away but it looked so close.

Spotted some ibex and then decided to go down the way that I had come and continue towards Slovenia, rather than Berchtesgaden. Lovely campsite with a, great cafe/bar and a good night.
Link to my travels webpage:



http://BearingsUnlimited.blogspot.co.uk
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