ADVriding the European Alps

[glitch_oz]

Europe being Europe and totally different to NZ/ AUS…finding unsealed roads/ tracks to string together the gob-smacking cultural, historical, natural and “foreign” bits with a healthy dose of local contacts is a major detective job!!

Who said it can’t be done…just hasn’t got a clue! Basta!
It’s also something, no commercial operator would ever put together…for a whole swag of reasons, not knowing most of the places just being the start.

With 2 of the group fluent in German and passable in French, Spanish + Italian as well as dozens of local dialects, things took a while to come together…to turn into some mind-blowing 3-week bonanza without equal.

Here’s a short blurb with some thumbnail sized pics…hit the link near the end for the king-sized version, text and stumping graphics!
No surprise there’s a queue of takers every time any of those rides “hits the boards”… ready to go, $$ in hand!!.

Having put together and run 3 “Tornanti”rides (tornanti = Italian for Hairpin-bend) I’m now working on a Balkans version for 2018….3 weeks of backroad-adventures in the former Yugoslavia, Albania, Romania, Montenegro, etc, from Southern Austria to the Greek border.

Lets go back to 2013…..Tornanti_3 teaser

It’d taken another 4 years to get cranked up for the sequel, but time was good, the Aussie-$$ flying high, the September-October time slot perfect as ever after a wet European summer…and the third “Tornanti” ride rumbled away in its usual haphazard style.
(following the 2007 + 2009 exploits)

This time is was the backblocks of the western half of the European Alps, discovering the southern parts of Switzerland, then follow the Main Alpine Ridge south to the Mediterranean Coast, bouncing back and forth across the Italian-French border on the smallest and most scenic roads and tracks to be found.

And in general, have the time of our lives.

From historical fetes at Swiss castles…

to delicious single-laners after some fresh snow high up…

Breathtaking vistas of the Main Alpine Ridge

Some weird rocks you can ride through

A bit of getting lost here and there

Cruising above Lake Geneva

Snoozing in some incredible digs in the vineyards oif the Lower Valais, own wine-cellar included.

Looking at the Roof-of-Europe…

…to being ON the Roof-of-Europe.

Oh yeah….and there were a few bends here and there.

Some awkward encounters…

…and lunches

Laughs and guffaws until the tears came

Some “soul-food”

A 3-week Tour-De-Force…. from bumpy goat-tracks…

….to tiny, local micro-breweries

and places too impressive for words

Staying in tiny hamlets…

…with awesome food…

…and excellent vino….

…some local wildlife

Stunning shots from stunning locations

Sometimes things turned to shyte…

…or soaking wet

Places

…and gobsmacking roads.

3 weeks, 4000k’s….and these two had enough… wonder why?

The whole “10 yards” with over 1750 stumping pics is right here:
Tornanti #3….ABRACADABRA

http://www.austouring.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4857

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