Another MOT certificate

Dropped of ‘t Kreng for her (still) annual visit at the MOT workshop this morning. Contrary to last year I decided to give the car a more thorough check in preparation and it paid off, she passed without comments. But there were a few issues that needed sorting before she could get her certificate;

With last year’s MOT failure still fresh in my mind, all bearings got a thorough check. But I needn’t have worried, they were all fine; The same could be said of all the brake parts; But the right hand track rod is on the way out. When I checked it yesterday I also found out that the mounting of the track rod to the steering rack was a little loose. Easily sorted with a 38mm spanner. Will need new track rods sooner rather than later, but first I’ll check if I have some lying around somewhere. And the upper UJ from the steering column had a bit of free play, but that was fairly easy to rectify.

Another part that needed some attention was the bearing from the fan pulley and the bearing from the viscous coupling. They decided it was time to retire together. Which meant I had to fit the last pulley assembly I had in stock. Time to invest in some new parts to replenish my stock.

And the last Item that needs some more attention is the RH headlight. The headlamp itself sits rather loose in its pod. No idea how this can happen as all the screws are still tight. Also this lamp's pivot point has developed a fair amount of play. But that’s no MOT failure.

So with the MOT for 't Kreng sorted I can first switch my attention to the DHC, and the final preparations for the 10CR. Plan is to start looking, which of my spare gear boxes can be used for the DHC. I have two pretty low mileage ‘boxes in mind at the moment, will give that some attention this weekend.

Into the Mountains again

Last year’s Alpine tour was hampered a bit by an oil leak from the water pump. So I decided to give the DHC a second chance to prove herself in the mountains of Austria and Süd-Tirol. And this time with more performance orientated tyres on a set of original banded steel wheels.

 Day1: Towards the Ötztal

The outward journey was rather uneventful. And as most of the driving was Autobahn and the weather forecast across Europe wasn’t brilliant either, I decided to keep the hood up. But once across the border into Austria (Bundesstraße B179 near Reutte) it was time to lower the hood and enjoy the fine summer weather.

Though there was not much weather to enjoy inside the the 3168m¹ long Lermoos tunnel 😏

And by the end of the afternoon we arrived at our place to stay for the following two nights. Hotel Stern in Längenfeld, halfway down the Ötztal. Time for a few well deserved beers, a good meal and a short evening stroll through the village of Längenfeld.

The Sankt Katharina parish church of Längenfeld.

Day2: Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße

First full day in the area we spent driving up the Kaunertaler Gletscher Strasse. Literally a road to nowhere, but a very nice driving road. And that included the country lanes hugging the higher valley slopes we chose, to get there and back again. And with traffic conditions being very light it was very good fun going up (and down) the Gletscher Straße. And with lots of sideways action. This was mostly caused by salt on the road to prevent icing at the higher altitudes ... but not entirely 😇 The sometimes very fine views from these local lanes over the various valleys were an added bonus.

Typical rural country lane up the slopes of the Inntal near Mühle Roppen.

The Inntal seen from the Kauner Landesstraße near Kauns.

Near the top of the Kauntertaler Gletscherstraße, close to the Weißsee

The Kaunertaler Gletscher.

View across the Gepatsch-Stausee (=reservoir)

from its Southern shores near Maria im Schnee

Kauntertaler Gletscherstraße hairpin #24, Maria im Schnee

(top marks for the original hand brake set up!)

We returned back to the hotel from this lovely trip early in the afternoon. Enough time to put on the walking boots, and explore the area on foot for a few more hours.

Looking towards the southern end of the Ötztal, Brandalm Oberlängenfeld.

Mariahilfskapelle, Brandalm Oberlängenfeld.

Haystack poles, Brandalm Oberlängenfeld.

The Bichlkirche or plague chapel in the woods above Oberlängenfeld.

 Day 3: Into the Passeier Tal in Süd Tirol

The car in the parking area of Hotel Stern, Oberlängenfeld.

The next day dawned sunny. But to reach our final destination, Sankt Martin in Passeier, we had to cross a very familiar pass, the Timmelsjoch, into Süd Tirol. And as is often the case it again was rather foggy at the top. So I only slowed down a bit for this moody shot.

But going down the Italian side was good fun, chasing some bikers down the southern slopes. Safe for a Belgian asshole with a racing bicycle on the back of his wide arsed Renault that is. We called him Remy, because he really thought he was alone in the world. Needless to say he was dealt with quite satisfyingly!

On arrival at our hotel we first settled down for lunch and a nice pint of locally brewed beer! After which we enjoyed a lazy afternoon’s stroll through the village of Sankt Martin in Passeier and its surroundings.

The rural hamlet of Flon.

View of Sankt Martin in Passeier from the hamlet of Schlechten.

Lazy afternoon indeed! A barn in the Steinach Straße,

on the outskirts of Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Schmiedgasse Sankt Martin in Passeier.

We even got a free concert from the local wind orchestra while dining outside that evening,

Dorfstraße Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Day 4: Into the Kalmtal

From past experience we knew that it was better to leave the car locked up during the weekends (including Fridays), as the roads tend to be swarming with bikers and mouse grey Euro boxes. So we put on the walking boots and headed for the mountains instead. The first walk took us into the secluded and quiet Kalmtal.

View across the Passeiertal from the Hamlet of Gruber.

View into the Kalmtal, from Kälbl.

One of the many personal memorials in the area, Gruber.

The, at places steep, slopes of the Kalmtal near Bach.

We ended the walk with a few beers from the hotel’s bar. And from their terrace we not only enjoyed the beer but also the sight of some nice Italian machinery at the local fuel station in front of the hotel. Much nicer than the modern Italian exotica (Ferrari/Lamborghini) that crowded there a few days later!

 Day 5: Exploring the Waltental

On the first Saturday of our stay we decided on a longer walk. From Sankt Martin in Passeier towards Sankt Leonhard in Passeier, and into the Waltental. Here we walked a few stretches of the old pathway from the Jaufenpass. But only as far as the small village of Walten, which we reached around lunchtime. After lunch we crossed the valley to return to our hotel through the wooded south easterly slopes of the Waltental and the Passeiertal

The early morning sun reaching the meadows above Pfeiftal.

View from Sankt Leonhard towards the small village of Stulz on the slopes of the Jaufenkamm,

with the Timmelsjoch looming in the back ground.

Ancient wooden barn on the outskirts of Sankt Leonhard in Passeier.

Derelict water mill near Unteregg, above Sankt Leonhard in Passeier.

Still wondering where it got its water from!

Ancient homestead in the small village of Walten.

The small parish church of the village of Walten.

Typical signage for the hiking routes in the area, in the woods of the Waltener Nörder.

In the woods of the Waltener Nörder.

Free range goat in the woods near Larcher.

Small field barn and meadow above Sankt Leonhard in Passeier, Larcher.

Floral shed decoration, Gander.

 Day 6: A lazy Sunday

Early on the Sunday morning we went for a quick blast up the southern slopes of the Timmelsjoch just for fun of driving and to enjoy the views. And as expected, being quite early on a Sunday morning, traffic conditions were fairly light.

The rest of day was spent exploring the village of Sankt Martin in Passeier, and it’s various pubs and restaurants!

Day 7: Touring the Dolomites

With the weekend over we spent a day with the car in the Dolomites, driving over several of the very nice mountain passes in the area, including the Passo Lavazè, the Grödnerjoch, the Passo Pordoi, the Sellajoch, and a few “minor”passes. And enjoying the views and the food of course.

Grödnerjoch.

On the Passo Pordoi, looking towards Arabba.

A short rest for the car near the top of the Passo Pordoi,
with the Sass Pordoi in the back ground.

A view on the Sasso Lungo from the pass road of the Sella Joch.

 Day 8: Touring the Sarntaler Alpen

The car did get another opportunity to stretch her legs on this short tour around the Sarntaler Alpen. The tour included the Passeiertal, the Sarntal, the Penser Joch and the Jaufenpass.

On top of the Penserjoch.

Wild horse peacefully grazing near the top of the Penser Joch.

Even in the mountains the car managed to draw admirers.

Though this admirer decided that the car was no match for the lovely fresh meadow grass 😋

Coming down the Jaufenpass at speed. The brakes became a bit smelly (understatement!),

but worked absolutely brilliant.
I thought it was good fun, but the bikers I chased down didn’t like it.
And the front pads needed replacing when I got home!

As there were still a few hours of daylight left when we returned to our hotel in Sankt Martin in Passeier, I decided to explore the village in more detail with one of the cameras;

The graveyard surrounding the parish church of Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Side entrance of the parish church of Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Traditional wooden cottage.

Murals on the Turmhaus,  in the village square.

Farm house in the middle of the village.

Day 9: A short walk up the mountain

The shortest walk of our stay, with a total length of less than 6 kilometres. But it took us well over 6 hours to complete. Though that did include a nice lunch at the Pfandleralmhütte. Sadly though it was very wet that day so the camera was mostly kept in the bag between pictures. And that automatically meant it was used less!

Just follow the signs.
Though the estimated duration of one hour from that point was somewhat optimistic!

A typical pasture high up the Passeier valley’s slopes.

Outside the Pfandler Alm Hütte.

Typical local lunch at the Pfandler Alm Hütte.

 Day 10: Exploring the slopes of the Passeiertal

The early morning sun shining on some clouds hanging in the Passeiertal.

Serene view south over the Passeiertal from the small hamlet of Gander.
Just looking at this picture is relaxing!

An almost equally serene view from the small hamlet of Egger looking North-East.

Footpath near Thal.

The very rural Gasthof in Christl. 

Day 11: Stelvio

As we were in the area, we of course had to pay a visit to the Stilfserjoch (maybe better known as the Stelvio). As this pass usually is quite crowded we decided to use the back door to get up to the top, the Umbrail Pass.

As you can see, part of this pass is still unsurfaced, as a result of which it is much quieter than the Stilfserjoch itself. Reason enough to go up there twice so I could enjoy the Stilfserjoch in both directions. To start with a few shots taken while heading down the southern side. The first three pictures being shot near II Casa Cantoniera dello Stelvio, an abandoned roadman’s house on the southern flank of the Stilfserjoch.

Heading down the Stelvio’s Southern slopes.

Another highlight was the rather interesting mountain “pass” and border crossing between Italy and Switzerland,

the 3 kilometre long and narrow one way tunnel through the heart of the mountain, the Munt la Schera tunnel.
The driving direction is controlled by traffic lights and changes every 15 minutes.

A rest for man and machine at the top of the Pass dal Fuorn (or Ofen Pass) in Switzerland.

Fine views while heading down the Pass dal Fuorn.

Being chased while heading down the Pass dal Fuorn.

While driving the various passes I of course had to annoy some bikers and drivers of expensive cars, by chasing and/or overtaking them. But even I met my match in the shape of a this local guy and his Subaru Impreza. OK I managed to keep him behind me (just) but that wasn’t entirely legal 😈 But it was good fun nevertheless!

And that brought us back to the foot of the Umbrail Pass. This time there was a little more traffic but not enough to be a nuisance. Though one cyclist nearly won that price. He was coming down at speed and misjudged the grip in one of the hairpins in the unsurfaced stretch. While swerving wide he was left with two choices, a frontal collision with my car (and probably killing himself) or admit defeat and visit the bushes beside the road. Judging from the swearing that came from the bushes after his crash, I can only conclude that he chose wisely! Apart from this little incident the drive to the top of the Umbrail Pass and the Stilfserjoch again was good fun. Though this time it was much more crowded at the top of the Stilfserjoch.

So we decided to head for a small parking on the northern slope, just below the summit, instead. Here we could enjoy the views of the northern slopes of the Stilfserjoch in a much quieter environment.

The front wheels clearly showing signs of heavy brake use.

How much space do you need to pass an upcoming bus!

Views of the Trafoiertal (nearly) from the top of the Stilfserjoch, with the Bärenköpfl to the right.

Views of the Trafoiertal and the Ortlergruppe.

But the highlight of the day was a biker who literarily fell for the car. Being gallant (as ever), I stopped at a pedestrian crossing, in the village of Stilfs at the foot of the Stilfser Joch, to allow a pedestrian to cross the road. Sadly the biker behind me noticed it a bit late, resulting in a biker slowly disappearing sideways from my rear view mirror. Luckily the only damage was to his bike (some scratches) and his ego (...).

Day 12&13: Around Sankt Martin in Passeier

As the last two days of our stay in Sankt Martin in Passeier were in a weekend, the car got a few days rest before the final journey home. So we spent the final days of our trip exploring the area on foot again. Or just enjoy the food & beer and taste the local atmosphere!

Modern road bridge of the SS44 over the River Passer, Scheiber.

View into the Waltental and towards the Jaufenpass from Scheiber.

Gasthaus Hubertus, Kohlstatt Sankt Leonhard.

The parish church of Sankt Leonhard, with the Passeiertal in the back ground.

Entrance to the parish church of Sankt Leonhard.

Traditional wooden barn in the grounds of Schildhof.Ebion, Sankt Leonhard in Passeier

Farmbuilding in the hamlet of Scheiber.

Traditional Sunday matinee in the village fairground of Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Grillstube, village fairground of Sankt Martin in Passeier.

Day 14: Going home

But all to soon it was time to head for home. Our original plan was to take some scenic routes through Switzerland and Germany. But the weather forecast for the next few days wasn’t to promising for open top motoring. So we decided to take the direct route home instead. And rightly so! The homeward journey, as seen from the passenger seat:

A few feeble sunrays breaking through the low clouds,
while going up the Timmelsjoch from the Passeiertal for the last time this trip.

Snow at the top of the Timmelsjoch.
Again I should say!

Heading down the Timmelsjoch and into Austria.
It was rather chilly.

A spot of sunshine on the German Autobahn.
On the A7 near Dettingen An Der Iller (D)

One of the many heavy rain showers we had to endure.
Less than 3 hours from home, on the A61 near Worms (D).

For those of you interested in the Süd Tirol area, have a look at this site http://suedtirol3d.it

Overall I drove 2812 km during this trip, including a total of 18 different Alpine passes, with a total ascent of 37580 meters. In driving order of their first ascent:

• Fernpass (A) 1212m¹ ASL (2x)
• Kaunertaler Gletscherstraße (A) 2870m¹ ASL
• Timmelsjoch (A/I) 2474m¹ ASL (3 times)
• Gampenpass (I) 1518m¹ ASL
• Mendelpass (I) 1362m¹ ASL
• Passo Lavazè (I) 1808m¹ ASL
• Grödnerjoch (I) 2136m¹ ASL
• Passo Pordoi (I) 2239m¹ ASL
• Sellajoch (I) 2218m¹ ASL
• Karerpass (I) 1745m¹ ASL
• Penserjoch (I) 2211m¹ ASL
• Jaufenpass (I) 2094m¹ ASL
• Umbrailpass (CH) (twice)
• Stilfserjoch (I) 2760m¹ ASL (twice)
• Passo di Foscagno (I) 2261m¹ ASL
• Passo d'Eira (I) 2208m¹ ASL
• Forcola di Livigno (I) 2315m¹ ASL
• Ofenpass (CH) 2149m¹ ASL

As for the car, she behaved quite well during this trip which lasted from Tuesday the 5th of July till Monday the 18th of July. The only issues being a very slight coolant leak from the thermostat cover gasket (sorted by tightening the bolts a bit) and a very irritant (smelly) leak from the fuel filler cap. And due to the steel wheels’ new powder coating, the wheel nuts needed to be retightened slightly a few times, especially the front ones. The (also new) tyres (Yokohama A-021R 185/70R13 86H) performed absolutely brilliant. Especially their cornering and braking grip during high speed descents was phenomenal! But their grip in the wet also impressed.

Also found that the shock absorbers need to be set a little firmer. And a check of the front pads might also prove rather worthwhile as they got quite a beating, especially in the downhill sections. But the biggest worry for the coming 10CR in September is the gear box. This has developed a bit of a rattle when hot, so I’ll probably change that next month as a precaution.

Edited 5th of July 2021: As it is 10 years ago that I started on this touring and walking holiday in Süd Tirol, I decided to freshen up the pictures using the original digital “negatives”. Also added a few extra pictures and edited the text where necessary.