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Grand Alps Tour CGA2201 - Die einzig wahre ;-)

Tuesday, August 9, 2022 | Gregor Schütz | Europe

Our inglorious 4 riders, that get to ride this beautiful Grand Alps Tour with the best mountain passes ever - anywhere.

Day#1: Welcome to the best ride there is -ever.
What a great tour. Didn't fit on one paper.

On the first day of this tour we had a major thunderstorn and we managed to get the bikes in a cosy place just in time. All tourmembers were on time and we are ready for a great ride after a thourough briefing of The Grands Apls Tour. On the traces of the Tour des Grandes Alpes Tour we enter in France lateron we will travel on the best mountain passes of the alps. After watching the newest movies of Edelweiss youtubechannel everybody is now very keen on going on the tour. We'll keep you updated.

Tourguide bike in front of Hotel The Eden (name is progam)
Bikes are ready to roll.
Edelweiss movie time
After the briefing everybody downloaded the Edelweiss app - mission accomplished!

Day#2: Seefeld to Galtür - Gateway to the Alps
The morning briefing for the first day. Even though Ted and Dominik from our scouting team seem to be quite successful, we thoroughly prepare for our first ride over the Kühtai and the Hahntennjoch.
Does Trey have doubts about the brand new Harley Davidson Panamerica?
Off we go, to Kühtai. Bye bye Hotel The Eden, see you in 15 days again.
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Filesize: 4 MB
So, first we have to get by Bessie to reach the famous Kühtai.
Trey, Rick, Jo and Rick on their first pass on this tour. Don't they look happy?
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The famous Hahntennjoch, with a nice food truck with real coffee. There we met other tour members of Edelweiss groups, riding on their own.
So, this is the famous groundhog stuff, everybody was talking about. They take the the oil only from the run over groundhogs, they promised .
Cuuutie ! (supposedly groundhog)

Day#3: Galtür to Andermatt
Which one would you rather ride, 2021 or1959? Especially on Klausenpass, home of the famous vintage car mountain race every year.
A nice Ice-coffee at the famous Schattenburg at Feldkirch, Austria. Nice relief after hitting 100°F today!
Guess were we are? Yes, the Klausenpass is just stunning with its waterfalls, tight switchbacks and perfectly shaped curves. They even put a little bit of Gotthard in it, the cobblestone part of it al least.
Liquid sunshine with a nice rainbow close to Andermatt. It's doesn't affect Rick's concentration on fueling at all (don't pump diesel, don't pump diesel ).
Dinner at the fabulous and brand new Radisson Blu Andermatt, where we stay for 2 nights.

Day#4: Andermatt (Rest day)
Whats so funny today? The 4 most famous passes around, the fact that they filmed James Bond Goldfinger here in just 4 days, or what?
Famous Belvedere Hotel on Furka Pass from the movie Goldfinger.
Nice stop at Nufenen Pass. I wonder what all the mountains back there are.
Ah, there you go. Ok, I cheated, its the Peak Finder app. Trey didn't mind.
The Gotthard (90% cobblestone) pass with unusual vehicles on. I wonder who plastered all these switchbacks. Awesome
Beautiful countryside , wonderful flowers and untouched mountains stretches

Day#5: Andermatt to Chamonix
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Filesize: 59 MB
A little 3d-video of our morning-tour from Andermatt to Thun.
Where are my riders ? Lost in fog or up in clouds?
Moist sunshine ☀️ on Sustenpass. Zero visibility and 9 Degrees C really attracts your attention. But when riding down to Interlaken and Thun it got better very quickly.
The famous wooden locks of Thun, you can even surf on their swell.
A fresh-fruit stop in the French part of switzerland. The peaches were very tasty, the seller not.
Arrival at the tour hotel in Chamonix. After a 300 km-ride and a stunning view of the Mont Blanc its nice to have a charming hotel, too.

Day#6: Chamonix to Briancon: Tour des Grandes Alpes
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Good morning MontBlanc. Its the highest mountain of Europe and just beautiful. The whole group managed to get up early and catch the cable car at 6:30(!). But it was worth it.
Sunrise over the Mont Blanc, stunning
Thin air really is an issue when visiting this place. But it adds to the awe of this gigantic mountain and glacierfield.
Today the Grandes Tours des Alpes is our special topic. Many beautiful passes with the Col du Madeleine being only one of them.
Rick just loves the KTM . Or was it in the way for the pass picture?
On the Col du Telegraph (another awesome pass of the Tour de France), we had a tasty surprise.
Anastasia prepared a spectacular picnic in a spectacular location for us. Yummy! And it was her first one, too.
Just awesome, to have good food in such a stunning location.
Almost sad to say, this was the last pass on this day. But what an amazing one. On Col du Galibier you feel like you're on Mars. The rock formations and vast views are not of this world. Oh, by the way it's one of the highest mountain passes in Europe.
Is that our van down there? Did he sneak through the Galibier tunnel which is just below the pass sign? Yes.

Day#7: Briancon (RestDay)
Today was our restday at Briancon and actually all tour members decided not to rest. One group did the Col de L'Izoard and the other went downtown ups uptown to see the fortress.
After the Col de L'Izoard pass
And also today we had a birthday child, turning into a fresh 70 on this very tour. Congratulations Jo, happy birthday
luckily, Jo didn't have to eat it all alone, so we helped him.
..and a really special present from the other guys. Awesome

Day#8: Briancon to Aosta
With a chilly 8 Degrees C, we thought we leave the helmets for this 1st pass picture of this day. And what spectacular ones were still to come..
Mount Cenis Lake with Trey on his BMW S1000XR
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Spectacular ride up the Col De L'Iseran. What a vast country. Not one but two going back and forth between France and Italy
what to say, just look in the faces
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Rick wants to show the folks at home, that even the dogs in the Alps are bigger than at home
Pass picture on the Little St.Bernhard
Wow, made it up here, somehow
Proof that the Mont Blanc can still be seen from the Italian side, even if the French would maybe not agree .

Day#9: Aosta to Lugano
Beautiful lunchplace in Varallo , nice and shady
Bananensplit without banana for Jo, our ice cream specialist.

Day #10: Lugano to Livigno
Aquafraggia Waterfalls near Chiavenna, stunning even with the major draught in norther Italy currently
the famous Morteratsch Glacier
nice Ducatis without dry clutch
Dinner at the Lac Salin, 4*-Hotel with beautiful Spa+Wellness area at Livigno, Italy
Wonderful picturesque Livigno, taxfree zone in Italy with borders to Switzerland. Shopping paradise. Fuel is only 1,50€!

Day#11: Livigno to Bolzano
daily briefing for one of the most spectacular rides, going over Stelvio and Gavia
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Filesize: 70 MB
The whole day's ride in a 3D-animation, Passo Stelvio, Passo Gavia, Passo Tonale and Passo Mendola in 1 day! Incredible ride
Lago di Livigno, water reservoir for Northern Italy and reason for Livigno to be an tax exempt city
the famous Ofenpass, nice curvy roads with swiss finish on them, just awesome
Famous Bruno's Würstelstand
Yeaaah, Rick survived the Stelvio. He was so happy, after all the stories he heard about it
Group picture on the Passo di Stelvio, stomach full, nice ride to Bormio ahead, how could life get any better...
Rick with his Panamerica in front of the famous Livigno lake , ups dried out Livigno lake
also Rick with his BMW S900XR, same place
Jo riding his KTM 890 Adventure R for about 1600 miles already
Trey is having lots of fun on his 160 HP BMW S1000XR
finally gelato, Coppa di Pistachio, what a treat
Famous Mendola Pass with the Dolomites in the background
Dinner in Bolzano, between the 2 football fields

Day#12: Bolzano Restday
Hotel Lewald was our host for 2 nights at Bozen and had very charming staff and a nice outdoor pool
the rainbow colored Karer Lake in the Dolomites, a beautiful spot for lots o fairytales
Can you spot the little mermaid (Bergfee) in the water? She wouldn't turn around for us.
wonderful dinner at the Waldgasthof Vögele in the middle of Bozen. The food was extremely good and the Aperol Spritz is called Venetia here
Bozen by night

Day#13: Bolzano to Kaprun
This is the fabulous Misorino Lake, where we had one of the famous Edelweiss picnics.
another special treat from Anastasia on the Lake Misorino
our glorious 4 with the Grossglockner in the background. It was not easy to get on the Edelweissspitze. Very narrow road with cobblestone and very tight switchbacks.
Rick and Rick, anxious to keep on going.
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Filesize: 90 MB
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wonderful spot on the Grossglockner High Alpine Road, that they named after a famous motorcycle tour operator at Mieming
Famous Edelweissspitze with Zell am See in the background

Day#14: Kaprun to Mieming/Seefeld
not another briefing, were done . Oh we are done, it's the last riding day on the marvelous Grand Alps Tour. So sad, that it is our last ride today. So we will enjoy every second of it.
the famous Krimml Waterfalls. Can you spot them in the background?
Yet another delicious picnic at the Sylvensteinsee, Germany. What a great job, Anastasia.
Yummie !
the vast and rich Zillertal, a well know ski area in winter times. And a hot place in the summer, today at least. My KTM showed 33°C/91°F ambient temperature and over 100 on my butt .

Day#15: Seefeld to ?
It was an awesome tour. Almost 3000km /1800 miles, 60 passes and endless curves and switchbacks. So sad its over, but after the tour is before the next tour. And I bet all tourmembers and tourguides as well are already planning the next tour.
Thank you all for being such great travel companions, disciplined bikers and fun people to talk to. I hope to see you soon on one of our fabulous Edelweiss Bike Travel Tours again.
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Add a comment Rate this post
Chiara Van Doorn
Friday, August 5, 2022 at 10:57
Looking gooooood!
Gregor Schütz
Friday, August 5, 2022 at 18:13
Thank you, Chiara.

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