Zwitserse, Italiaanse en een klein beetje Oostenrijkse Alpen

Heb je met je MINI een mooie vakantietrip gemaakt of heb je ideeën om met je Mini op vakantie te gaan. Plaats dan hier je verslagen/voorstellen.
iDarkDesign
Transformer
Locatie: Amsterdam
Berichten: 5201
Lid geworden op: 15 mei 2006, 17:22

Zwitserse, Italiaanse en een klein beetje Oostenrijkse Alpen

06 aug 2013, 16:32

(Moest het van Marcel ook hier plaatsen!)
Tripje gemaakt! cross-post in 't Engels!

I started a thread on the 20th of juli here to ask for some advice for a possible Stelvio route and trip. I got a lot of great routes and advice as well as some friendly reminders about tolls and apparently shift knob apparel…

After a few days of planning I decided to just gun it on friday the 26th (Full map below!)

Day 1
Route: Amsterdam (NL) - Chatel (FR) 12 hrs. (±06:00 - 18:00) 1.012,3 km (I took a couple of wrong turns…) ave. consumption 10,83 km/l

http://goo.gl/maps/YbFty

I wanted to start in Chatel, France because I always go snowboarding there in winter. Friends own a cabin and I had been complaining last january that everything is always so white and grey, even in the sun. They invited me to come over during the summer and see how beautiful the place actually was.

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It's a looooong dreary drive from Amsterdam to Chatel but it started out nice and sunny. So the top was off and with everyone in the Netherlands on holiday I had the roads to myself. Soon I crossed into Belgium and when I just passed Antwerp I had to find some shelter FAST! It started to pour down and I had to put the soft-top on. I managed to pull of the highway and find a spot under a bridge just when it got bad. Put the top on and found my way back onto the highway.

It rained all the way from Antwerp to just before Strasbourg. This strained my eyes and body (as I'm no hero in the wet…) But thankfully the rain stopped, the sun came out and I decided to take the top down again. After that I missed my exit twice (not on the same instance!) and while buying the road-vignet at the Basel border a red Elise blast past me in opposite direction. Surely I was on the right way! Finding my way then was nice and uneventful. I eventually found my trusted 'Pass de Morgins' roadsigns. I was almost there and my first pass of the trip!

The last couple of occaisions I drove the Morgins pass it was frozen over. White and dark at night. This was a very welcome change. I was able to blast through it in no time and the smile on my face was set. (and this was still at the start, where I would drive carefully… )

Pulling up into the garage is like coming home. That night I dined at restaurant 'Fiacre' Pretty much the best pizza in Portes du Soleil.

Day 2
Route: Chatel (FR) - Innertkirchen (SW) (±09:00 - 19:00) 451,7 km ave. consumption 10,45 km/l

http://goo.gl/maps/nDTPB

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I took my time to buy a new GoPro the next morning. The Hero2's top button was stuck on record and when on would just wildly start snapping pictures or film. I asked around and I found a shop (Switch5) who sells GoPro. Decided to just get it over with and get the Hero3 Black edition. (and obligatory 32GB Micro SD card…) Stopped at the super market to get some breakfast and I was off exploring Chatel. I discovered that there was a road up de Plaine Dranse I had never even known existed. Went up to the top where a gravel and boulder road would've taken me into Morzine I guess… I didn't want to chance getting stuck with the Exige. Next time I'll bring the land cruiser ;)

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I headed back to Chatel and went on my way to Chamonix

http://goo.gl/maps/cZkXy

It hadn't dawned to me before but there it was! The Mont Blanc! In all it's white magnificence. I'd seen it on a clear day from other mountain tops but never this close. I didn't even know Chamonix was at the base. It was a clear day the sun was out (as well as a million tourists…) but I had coffee with a view of that beautiful white snowy mountain. (Also this is where the expensive cars came out to tour… )

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It was such a leisurely drive going through the bends and in the sun that I was just going with the flow. And then I got to Martigny. Where all my map-skills, my navigational skills, my sat nag (both of them) failed… all at one! I ended up at the same roundabout 4 times within a one hour timeframe. I got frustrated. Pulled over, reset all the systems, cooled down, switched shirts yet another time and I set out again. Finally I found the right way out towards the Nufenen pass.

The road to the start of the pass is what I'd refer to as "standing in line at an amusement park before going on a great ride"

But then the fun started again! Bends, bends bends! Second to third, back to second, to first… It was still very easy going but I was getting the hang of it. (I live in the Netherlands, everything is flat and straight!)

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The roads where empty as it was getting 'late' so I decided to charge the Furka pass and head toward the Grimsel pass. Just a lonely cyclist or a couple of tourist in my way. Most traffic was in the other direction anyways. While I started my descent from the Grimsel pas I noted the dam-lake and the nice mansion on top of the cliff. I drove past it and in a flash I saw the sign 'hotel' I drove up to the hotel and asked for a room… too bad. Should've booked in advance… weeks in advance… and the nice lady told me that in the valley the big hotels were also fully booked :( Even dinner was out of the question.

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Now I was a little tired, and 'low' on gas but the next bit was fantastic. While I was driving down the road I came across a crazy band of cars. 2 Lambo's flying by, an old man in that crazy Morgan three wheeler with a smile as wide as his goggles, the great sound of Aston Martins and then it got a little quite… until the sound of laughter and cheering came up the roads as well as a whining engine. Two lads in a Caterham! Having the time of their life. Immediately I felt in the presence of like-minded. Thumbs up and gooooooo….

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I got over taken by a local guy on a motorcycle and I took a leap of faith and started the chase. Man he was fast and he knew the roads. I thought that if his bike can take on these bends that quick I have to be able to do so too! I shat my pants at least twice as the walls of a tunnel or the drop of a canyon came really close. We stopped at a gas station in the valley and chat a little. He was a young local guy on a very old (but taken care of) 30 horsepower motorcycle. He just never let go of the throttle! Compliments about driving skill, the car/bike driven and the sounds went back and forth and he pointed me towards a hotel.

Day 3
Route: Innertkirchen (SW) - Passo del Tonale (It) (±09:00 - 19:45) 439,6 km

http://goo.gl/maps/nSu1a

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I woke up that today was the day! The day I would slay the Stelvio pass! The first hour from Innertkirchen to Wassen was nice and quiet. Sometimes I felt alone on the road with just the wind, the sun and that thunderous sound coming from that little engine. The Albula pass was another beautiful road. Although the amount of motorcyclists increased they were never a 'nuisance'. (Leave that to the Dutch SUV drivers… ) I however was…. The blast from the day before had awakened my right foot again. Whenever I had the chance; shift down rev up and gooooo! I had so much fun.

But traffic increased as I got nearer to the Stelvio pass. Busses started showing up and more and more VW golf clubs. (Some awesome to see!). I came up to a junction. Straight on would mean Stelvio + single file traffic or swing right, empty roads and the Umbrail pass. I made a judgement call and took the right turn… Roads got tight very quick but I was alone! Well almost, a threesome of styled for show imprezas came down the mountain on a slow crawl. The Umbrail pass is a great drive. Though halfway there was construction on the road. That's 10 minutes chipping away at the paint. Battle damage!

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Once I got at the top I was kind of confused. I was off map on my paper map and no working nav. connection. But the signs said 'left - Passo Stelvio' All right then! I was really busy at the top with motorcyclists and cars parking everywhere. But the road was clear. I decided against stopping and picture time and for gunning it down!

It was epic. Overtaking everything in my way. Brake, into first, corner, pedal to the metal, second, sometimes even third! Magnificent.

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Once I got down I was feeling the adrenaline flow away and I needed a coke. I took a break and fired up the nav. again. What now? I'm on the wrong side of the mountain you say? You mean I get to go UP the Stelvio pass?! WOOHOO! Of course i got stuck behind a line of Golfs after the first 5 hairpin turns but I eventually got past them and had the whole road to myself again. I blasted up with the same fun and adrenaline I had coming down. I couldn't say no to the photo-op on the top now. While I was there a Swiss grey Elise was blasting towards the top. Wheel spin and everything. He didn't stop and just raced by the crowds.

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Now someone on Seloc told me the Stelvio is great and all but the real fun is on the Gavia pass. Just over the Stelvio pas and head south. He was right! While I was in the second or third bend in the ascend two motorcyclists showed up on my rear. Immediately they pushed through. One on a Ducati another on something equally powered. MAN they were fast. Like before I felt confident enough to start the chase! The road was bad, the drops were steep, the view was magnificent and you never needed to come out of second gear! I managed to keep up with the slower one (the guy on the ducati was just too fast). They met up with some other bikers on the top. I drove past them to another spot to take a nice picture of the view and take five minutes of rest.

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Not soon afterwards the bikers started their descent and I got to follow them down. Higher up it's a fun drive but it's too risky to just gun it. So we stuck together and enjoyed the drive until suddenly the road widened up a bit and the bikes went for it. I felt part of the group so I once again put the pedal to the metal! Crazy turns and winding roads and sudden hairpin bends (Tornante!) EPIC! On the foot of the mountain high fives, thumbs up and metal-horns were exchanged.

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I needed to find a hotel for the night (I had planned to stay in Bormio, but I was far past that) and ended up in a hotel on the top of the Tonale pass (Passo del Tonale)

Had some food, drank some beer. Overlooked some crazy Italians that looked like they were fighting but turned out to just have a friendly conversation…

Day 4
Route: Passo del Tonale (It) - Obergurgl (Aus) - Amsterdam (NL) (±09:00 - 01:30) 1.137,6 km

http://goo.gl/maps/f2iGL

When I started up the Exige this morning I immediately noticed that she was bruised a bit. Shifting sideways felt very heavy and second to third need a blip of the throttle. I had to stop for gas anyway and I called my Lotus dealer (vanderkooisportscars.nl) Probably a worn rubber caused by excessive heat. And boy was it HOT the day before (all my luggage was steam cleaned and sterilised I reckon). He assured me that I would be able to drive home. Worst case scenario it would get stuck in third…. for the entire trip back. Nothing of the sort happened. After the engine was properly warmed up again shifting got easier again and no throttle was needed in between.

I'd never before been to Italy before so I was enjoying the scenery, the towns and the people out on the street. The difference between Italians and the Swiss (or Austrians) are amazing. Immediately on the Italian side of the border everyone looks the part! Most of the road was lined with houses and people on the sidewalk so it was an easy drive. I got to drive through the city of either Bolzano or Vipiteno and I was getting waves and thumbs up everywhere. (Especially when I stopped for zebra crossings!)

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Then it was time for some real fun again. I tackled the Jaufen pass fairly quick and I was surprised by the amount of Dutch cars that were here. While I was having coffee on the top the fog came… I was literally in the clouds. And with the clouds the rain came. It was time again to put the top on. I had to creep down the other side of the Jaufen pass because of the total white out. Once I got out of the clouds more rain started falling from the skies and I just needed to take it easy for a while.

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I've never been the hero in the wet. I spun out of control once on a wet circuit and I didn't want to repeat that with actual people around to hit or mountains to tumble down. Although while I was coming up on the Rombo pass/ Timmelsjoch pass (which close between 20:00 and 07:00!) I started to feel a little more confident again. Started to push in the throttle more and more.

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After I crossed into Austria I head up to Obergurgl. Still in the rain. It was afternoon and I decided I would keep going on to see how far I could get. In my initial planning I wanted to do 2 laps of the Nordschleife on my way back to Holland. So instead of having to drive 6 hours to get there and then do two laps and then another 4 hours to drive home I could maybe sleep near Stuttgart or even Nurnburg.

The road through Austria was boring. Proper boring. As it was cloudy and rainy it wasn't much to look at and it was a full traffic 80 km/h road. I would not recommend this road. I had to stop halfway to clean my windshield of all the grime that was stuck on it that the wiper refused to clean off again. I took the tunnel into Germany and there is where it got really bad. A torrential downpour is how I'd describe it. I couldn't see anything in front, left or right from me. I was driving blind, at 80-100 km/h while getting flushed down the highway. And even in this weather there are Germans that just blast past you with 150+ km/h. That really requires an extra set of balls.

Somewhere near Ulm the weather calmed down a bit and during a coffee break I checked the forecast for Nurnburg. 50% chance of rain the next day… damn. I decided I would just head on home then. Maybe if I felt tired I would've gotten a hotel along the way. I never got tired! As the weather cleared I popped the top off. Jammed some earbuds in my ear and started to gun it. "Let's see how long you will hold up baby!" It's amazing that it doesn't matter if you are doing 180, 220, or 240 km/h there is always a German Skoda, BMW station, or Mercedes Transit that needs to pass you. As it got dark the stars came out and the Exige kept it together managing long runs of 200 km/h between 'Baustelle' I had to put the top on one more time for a thunderstorm and took it off again as soon as I was through. I crossed into Holland at Arnhem and dropping the speed back to 120 km/h felt like not getting me anywhere. It was night and I know the road fairly well. So for one last push I gunned it towards Amsterdam. I touched down on my bed at 02:00.

Wow what a trip! I could not have done this without the help of Seloc members. Thanks for the route advice and all the nice threads. I hope to maybe cross the Alps again with some members next time! I'll post some GoPro footage as soon as I wade through them.

iDD

Full route map here :
here
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Kees en Annet
Racende reporter
Locatie: Maarssen
Berichten: 5539
Lid geworden op: 27 mei 2007, 20:45

Re: Zwitserse, Italiaanse en een klein beetje Oostenrijkse A

08 aug 2013, 11:10

Mooi verslag.
Leuke passen ook. En een hele mooie omgeving.

Jammer van de regen, maar ja je zit in de bergen he, ook dan blijft het mooi.
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