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.
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.
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!
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!
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.
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.
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!
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:
while going up the Timmelsjoch from the Passeiertal for the last time this trip.
Again I should say!
It was rather chilly.
On the A7 near Dettingen An Der Iller (D)
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment