The Alps--roads at or above the tree line

[Daniel Kalal]

This is where the weather can close in on you--no matter what the month.  But, it's also where you really feel that you've reached someplace special.  All those trees are no longer obstructing the view.

Switzerland
















Austria








 
Italy





















France

[azguzzirep]

picture upload sites


Yup. I left Arizona and  get to ride those!!

[PJPR01]

Superb!!!  Love the pics!

[Daniel Kalal]

That looks right.  Whenever I've been over Splügen, that same Italian flag is practically pulling the flag pole over, the steady wind is so strong.

[chuck peterson]

o m g

[oldbike54]

 Spectacular Deke 

 Dusty

[johnr]

Those are great pics Daniel (again!)

A couple of contributions from NZ. (took them on a bike trip too, but not the Guzz)

Lindis Pass


You can just see the road in the top right quadrant.


Actually when you get lower on either side of this pass it is equally treeless. This is because the Maori burned off the forests. (they just followed the fire picking up their Kentucky Fried Moa as they went)

[groundhog105]

Great pictures Daniel.  I was on a lot of those roads this summer.

[Daniel Kalal]

A couple of contributions from NZ. (took them on a bike trip too, but not the Guzz)

Nice ones, John!

I took this one on your Crown Range road (which I believe is the highest paved road in NZ).  I don't see any trees, so I believe it qualifies.  In any event, these mountains are called the "Alps", right?


taken while riding one of Dave Gale's Guzzis

[johnr]

Yes the Crown Rd is definitely above the bush line Daniel. I have an almost identical pic.  Those hills though are not really part of the Southern Alps which are further West. What you are looking at across the valley is the Northern end of the Remarkables range.

The first time I rode up there the road was gravel and I was on my plunger frame BSA A10 with the girlfriend on the back. We stopped at that very spot for a breather and to look at the scenery. 

When a commercial airliner flew by below us the girlfriend was disturbed to the point of tears!  Mind you, said airliner was a DC3 on it's way to Queenstown.

The Remarkables as seen from the West (Lake Whakatipu) You can just see Lake Whakatipu in the valley ahead of the road in the pic above. (I pinched this one off the web.)


The Eastern side of that range is not nearly so precipitous but has a road that traverses it which goes quite a bit higher than the Crown Range. It's not much of a road though.  We are looking north and that's Cromwell down below.   I was a passenger in a LandRover this time and got seriously worried about the brakes on the way down.


And that's the road I mentioned that you can see.

[Huzo]

Yes beautiful Daniel. I haven't taken many stills, only Go Pro but yours are great. Have you done the Transfagarasan  in Romania ? More rural than Stelvio, but also spectacular.BTW is that shot in Switzerland, the mountain pass on the road from Como to Lake Lausanne and Geneva ?

[JJ]

Fabulous photos!!    :1:      Back in the day, I completed the Edelweiss "Best of Europe" 10-day motorcycle trip on a rented BMW R1150RT through many of these passes.  It was fantastic!

[Daniel Kalal]

Yes beautiful Daniel. I haven't taken many stills, only Go Pro but yours are great. Have you done the Transfagarasan  in Romania ? More rural than Stelvio, but also spectacular.BTW is that shot in Switzerland, the mountain pass on the road from Como to Lake Lausanne and Geneva ?

I'm considering Romania for this summer, but I've not been yet.  There are eight shots of Switzerland.  Which one are you looking at?  I'll let you know exactly where it's at.

[Lannis]

When I lived in Colorado in 2013, I was lent a BMW sport motorcycle and guided through some of the most spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery by a former member here (who has gone somewhere, don't know where).   

I was constantly agape every time we went around a turn, having spent many miles in the Appalachians and Adirondacks but no riding in the Rockies, at the sheer scale and size and "Rockiness" of the scenery.   

At the end of several rides, when I expressed my amazement (and appreciation) at the ride, he opined "Yes, this is nice, but I've ridden extensively in the Alps, and the Rockies can't hold a candle to the Alps for a 'WOW' factor ..."

I'm going to have to go and find out if I have the same opinion ...

Lannis

[azguzzirep]

When I lived in Colorado in 2013, I was lent a BMW sport motorcycle and guided through some of the most spectacular Rocky Mountain scenery by a former member here (who has gone somewhere, don't know where).   

I was constantly agape every time we went around a turn, having spent many miles in the Appalachians and Adirondacks but no riding in the Rockies, at the sheer scale and size and "Rockiness" of the scenery.   

At the end of several rides, when I expressed my amazement (and appreciation) at the ride, he opined "Yes, this is nice, but I've ridden extensively in the Alps, and the Rockies can't hold a candle to the Alps for a 'WOW' factor ..."

I'm going to have to go and find out if I have the same opinion ...

Lannis

Lannis, i rode some in CO also. Very beautiful. But here you can stop at a castle and have some apple strudel with vanilla sauce . Ganz  lecker !

[Testarossa]

I've spent a lot of time in the Alps, but only in winter -- In 1983 I skied the Haute Route from Chamonix to Zermatt. At the top of my bucket list is to ride (a Guzzi!) from Geneva to Maribor, crossing and recrossing the spine of the alps via about a dozen high passes. Maybe in the summer of 2018. Who wants to go?

Check a possible route: https://www.google.com/maps/dir/Geneva,+Switzerland/Maribor,+Slovenia/@46.3073084,8.9347938,7z/data=!4m79!4m78!1m70!1m1!1s0x478c650693d0e2e b:0xa0b695357b0bbc39!2m2!1d6.1431577!2d46.2043907!3m4!1m2!1d6.6910438!2d46.1882245!3s0x478c1d17a8e1308 f:0x31da489b9cead7d2!3m4!1m2!1d7.3666315!2d46.2249093!3s0x478edc216d82609 f:0xef02368480c069f0!3m4!1m2!1d8.2770045!2d46.0664685!3s0x4785f098d111722 3:0x51e9d7f951329554!3m4!1m2!1d8.7905795!2d46.1656776!3s0x4785c831643595d d:0x19d5c1cf31776fae!3m4!1m2!1d9.6329462!2d46.3540919!3s0x47847c64aac2824 9:0x89d4facddb043151!3m4!1m2!1d10.1884609!2d46.6538717!3s0x47836a3b643cf53 f:0xd9eead66739f24a4!3m4!1m2!1d10.2929504!2d46.4887923!3s0x47830dda3f919d1 1:0xcb5e19582c18aaab!3m4!1m2!1d10.4237208!2d46.4584567!3s0x478305a59db89d2 9:0xfabb37091afd3358!3m4!1m2!1d11.1467963!2d46.6562828!3s0x4782bea4dbe44a6 d:0xe8b5efd8af4fef70!3m4!1m2!1d11.5084656!2d47.010038!3s0x479d574996b02a2 3:0x4dd7dfc94e31da93!3m4!1m2!1d12.4857749!2d46.7322163!3s0x4779d7a4c8abdda 5:0xc7339323ca371263!3m4!1m2!1d13.3011491!2d46.4951112!3s0x477a11c3b834d57 b:0xcd37e16c4a4a0167!3m4!1m2!1d14.2838981!2d46.3988581!3s0x477aa32bc90d117 7:0x17205ce83feeb815!1m5!1m1!1s0x476f77a44f09022 5:0x734b1e69a0ee6162!2m2!1d15.7156253!2d46.4781749!3e0

[Huzo]

I'm considering Romania for this summer, but I've not been yet.  There are eight shots of Switzerland.  Which one are you looking at?  I'll let you know exactly where it's at.

The very first one

[ScepticalScotty]

2018 eh Testa??? I could meet you there if my employment situation works out.  Maybe even talk my freind Geordie Jeff into it too on his Norge/Cali. Have never ridden in the Alps but wanted to for 16 years. Just dipped my toe in the Pyrenees a few months ago and thats a place worth visiting.

[Daniel Kalal]

The very first one

That's the road over Flüela pass.  It's in eastern Switzerland in the canton of Graubünden.  You won't see much traffic on this road.

[Huzo]

That's the road over Fl�ela pass.  It's in eastern Switzerland in the canton of Graub�nden.  You won't see much traffic on this road.

Ok, thank you Daniel. I was in Switzerland on the Norge in July and was on the road to Geneva from Como, but I've made the mistake of thinking it was that one. I guess heaven looks the same from any angle ! 'Just checked on Google Earth, it's pretty damn close though if I'm reading it right.

[Daniel Kalal]

...if I'm reading it right.

Fluela and Geneva are on the extreme opposite ends of Switzerland.  Perhaps you rode over Simplon Pass?  (it's probably the shortest/fastest route between Como and Geneva).  In any event, there are plenty of nice ones to choose from, no matter which way you go.

[Huzo]

Fluela and Geneva are on the extreme opposite ends of Switzerland.  Perhaps you rode over Simplon Pass?  (it's probably the shortest/fastest route between Como and Geneva).  In any event, there are plenty of nice ones to choose from, no matter which way you go.

Yes! Simplon Pass is the one, well done. I should stop looking at Google Earth imagery through one eye on an i phone half asleep in bed !