Hi from India!

[motoGrapher]

From the land of the high Himalayan peaks here is a hello to all the Alpsters. I am planning a sojourn to the Alps end of this month on a KTM Adventure which I will pick from Salzburg or Vienna in Austria. From there I plan to cover as many Alpine passes as possible in 12 days and return back to base in Austria.

I hope that I can find the best advice here for the best route possible without missing out on the most fantastic stuff in the Alps.

And rest assured I will treat you to some of the most fantastic photography you will ever see!

I will post some of my pictures asap here!

[Rasher]

Try and grab a copy of the book "Motorcycle Journeys Through The Alps and Beyond" it lists about 80 trips (from a few hours up to a long day) and there are over passes on these trips, they are also rated and heights listed.

I have not been to Austria (yet) but from the areas I have visited I can highly recommend a visit to Andermatt (Furka, Susten, Grimsel, Nufenen, St Gothard - which can all be ridden in a day) The Stelvio is on most peoples list, and I would also highly recomend the Splugen Pass.

[tim]

If you want to go straight into the mountains, get the bike from Salzburg if you can. Strait to the Grossglockner via the Dientner Sattel.
Alternatively, Vienna is only an hour away from some great mountain roads around Maria Zell and Kalte Küchl - Probably the actual biking best roads of you like curves. And it'd be a good warm-up for the bigger passes. Spend a day riding across Austria, down to Slovenia, Vrsc pass and over to the Dolomites... Switzerland (Stelvio, Splügen)and the French/Italian border(the two St Bernhards, Iseran, Roseland), then come back filling in the passes you've missed (Furka, Grimsel, Susten, Arlberg, Nockalm, Grossglockner) whichever way you go, have a look at my and Martin's personal favourite list (http://www.alpineroads.com/toproads.php) and the individual high-points in each area.

Can you make it down to Rencurel, near Grenoble for the AR meet? It would be nice to meet you

[GiorgioXT]

Motographer .... I remember your excelent pics from last year on Advrider.com , since this time seems that you will be on an Adventure , if you like I would give some hints about scenic places in Dolomites to reach by dirt roads ... old mountain huts, WW I fortresses ...
and too in western alps , Sommeiller (highest place reachable 3044 metres in Alps) , col Assietta etc.

[GiorgioXT]

Some places ...

[kbada]

Georgio - where is that?
We leave on monday for the Alps and that could be a new one for us

[Michael J]

Giorgio - is that road finally open? The last two times I went there it was closed.

[Michael J]

Georgio - where is that?
We leave on monday for the Alps and that could be a new one for us

Forcella Lavardet - 46 deg, 32 min N, 12 deg 36 min E

Access from the town of Campolongo near Santo Stefano di Cadore (about 35 kms due east of Cortina (straight line distance))

Approximately

[Torque]

Just don't forget that the part in the photo is about the only part with asphalt, al the rest of the aprox. 12km climb from Campolongo is a stone and dirt track. Just so you know it

Grtz, Philip!

[Michael J]

I just looked at your pics from Tremalzo - they certainly brought back memories. I especially liked your comment on one of them: "This is one of the better sections, I couldn't stop at the bad sections, I'd never get moving again."

It precisely explains my lack of photos of the road It was my first ride on a rented GS (and I really wasn't used to the bike) and about 35 degrees C that day. Of course, I had absolutely NO water with me. That hasn't happened since.

[GiorgioXT]

Giorgio - is that road finally open? The last two times I went there it was closed.

Yes , last autumn they have rebuilt the first bridge - officially is still closed (and will be forever, since its still classified as a "National" road even if unpaved..)
but nobody will bother you..

Even before it was still possible to make a detour, but it needed some local knowledge..

[ChrisN]

I know that road well!
I rode it last year on my way back from AR2010.
The paved section is in the middle of nowhere with very rough tracks leading to it, particularly the upper section.
It was too rough to stop the bike and photograph the worst sections!
Managed it ok on my "road-going" Tiger

click the photos to open

[KR1S]

I want to do that road! Would it be doable on the Blackbird? (The sections in the photos don't look as rough as the roads in Romania!)

[ChrisN]

I want to do that road! Would it be doable on the Blackbird? (The sections in the photos don't look as rough as the roads in Romania!)

Hi Chris,
Its about as rough as I'd like to ride on the Tiger. I came down the valley from Forcella Lavardet and just pressed on although I did consider turning around more than once. It's far rougher in places than my photos show - the choice is yours. From memory I think the most "Blackbird-friendly" route to the interesting (paved) bit would be from Campolongo and head up the valley. I'd be reluctant to continue up to the junction with Forcella Lavardet. Maybe take off the fairing and leave it in the forest

Check it out on Google Earth

[ChrisN]

Great aeriel shot here: http://v20.lscache1.c.bigcache.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/1496185.jpg

God only knows why they built this in the middle of nowhere ?