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EUROPE SIX HIGHEST PASSES - 2012

Year 2012, although not so rich of pleasant adventures as the 2010 to Nordkapp with the“Twin sisters” and  “Coast to Coast” with Vespas, gives us a wonderful journey through the Alps. Aim of the trip is to bring our bikes on top the six highest passes of Europe. In the following sentences a brief report of our trip,  that comes out to be easy to comply and rich of pleasant landscapes.

The beginning of the journey sees Giorgio and I living from the Iseo Lake toward Gavia Pass, the lowest of the six, but the most challenging for the narrow dimensions and the slopes of the road. After Gavia we have the most picturesque and mythical climb of the six: Stelvio Pass, whose curves remind us the king of the mountains, the cyclist Fausto Coppi. After the shaded roads of Trentino and Veneto, we come back to Padania valley to meet Alfredo, our old fellow of Coast to Coast, who joins us with his Honda scrambler. The company reach France trough the Piccolo San Bernando Pass, not very high, but impressive, especially on the descent to Val d’Isere.

The route winds mainly following the Route de Grand Alps. The first destination in France is the highest pass of Europe: the Col de l’Iseran, characterized by a nice and panoramic road. On top the mountain, prod of our  overfourty “Twin Sisters”, that very well behaved, we look down the new bikes ridden by young martians wearing gaudy leather suits.  After a while, we too must bow to a living legend, whom we have to pay homage to: the british Noel Whittall. Noel, strong for his 76 years, reaches the top of the pass with his sputtering 1918 Triumph model H. Our journey continues southbound and we reach Col du Galibier, mythical pass connected to many enterprises of the Tour de France. Having climbed the “low” Col de l’Isoar, we touch the Passo dell’Agnello; sunny pass bordering Italy and France. The last pass is the bare Col de la Bonette, where the highest road of Europe departs toward the 2.802 meters of the top of the mountain.

Left behind the Alps, our bikes proceed, after a quick passage at the Gorges du Verdon, toward the conclusion  of our trip: for us completely pleasant and successful.

SOME CONSIDERATIONS

1. •whether conditions came out to be very favorable, a part few drops of rain and some snow on top La Bonette;
   

2. •impressive the number of motorcyclists and cyclists over all the passes;
   

3. •any malfunctions experienced during the 2.500 kilometers of the trip;
   

4. •at the end of the trip, we realized we missed the higher dirt road of Europe: the Colle del Sommeiller with its 2.993 meters. It will be for the next time!!!
   

THE SIX PASSES

1. •Col de l’Iseran 2.770 mt: highest asphalt pass of  Europe;
   

2. •Passo dello Stelvio 2.758 mt: highest asphalt pass of  Italy and second of Europe;
   

3. •Colle dell’Agnello 2.748 mt;
   

4. •Col della Bonette 2.715 mt; from the pass departs the highest asphalt of Europa, that reaches 2802 meters, making the round trip of the Cima de la Bonette;
   

5. •Col di Galibier 2.646 mt;
   

6. •Passo di Gavia 2.621 mt.

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