Alps, August 2004 − Travels − Captain Tom

Alps, August 2004

And another time the Alps. After the July tour with Doris, Stephan and Frank I went with Max, Möni and Andreas to Kärnten to Lake Pressegger See.

On nine days (two of which without ride) I did 1921 miles and went over 31 passes. Top count is Windische Höhe. I went over it 5 times.

Here my travel diary complemented by pictures from Andreas

Day 1

Riding the Autobahn from Berlin to Regensburg. Then through Bavaria on fast country roads to Landshut, Traunstein and then into the mountains.

I did in total 596 miles of which 310 miles on Autobahn in 12.5 hours. I started in the morning at 7 am and was there in the evening at 7.30 pm ready for a swim
I went over the following passes
  • Steinpass 615m
  • Filzensattel 1291m
  • Dienter Sattel 1357m
  • Radstädter Tauernpass 1739m
  • Turracher Höhe 1783
  • Windische Höhe 1110m
The first mountains
View from the holiday appartment over Lake Pressegger See
Day 2

Relaxation after the exhausting ride the day before. A nice day for swimming in the lake.

Max and Tom on tour with the crocodile
Other swimmers
Möni, Max and the crocodile
Max prepares the rubber boat
Captain Tom and steersman Max on big tour
Day 3

Time for a ride with Andreas. Weather is great and we want to make the highlight of the week going to Großglockner.

We go over
  • Gailbergsattel 982m
  • Iselsberg 1208m
  • Grossglockner Edelweisspitze 2571m
  • Iselsberg 1208m
  • Kreuzbergsattel 1077m
243 miles
Tom at Franz-Joseph-Höhe with view to the glacier
Tom on top of Edelweißspitze
View from Edelweißspitze to Zell am See
View from Edelweißspitze to the southern ramp
In the evening a walk along lake Pressegger See
Max, Möni and I
Evening mood - Andreas had a good eye for the theme
4. Tag

A rainy day with heavy rain. We have looked for something and found a model train exhibition in Faak am See. So we went there and Max enjoyed it quite a lot. Afterwards he asked us what we wanted to do to entertain him after he has escorted us to the exhibition. Faak was focused on the largest European Harley Davidson meeting which was to start the next day there. Harley Davidsons all over the place in the rain. Must have been rather depressing for them.

Max and the model train
Tom needs to dry the dishes in the evening
Day 5

Sky is still overcast but rain has stopped and Andreas and I are up for a little loop to Slovenia and Italy. We meet Möni and Max on Nassfeldpass for a kids adventure land which we do not find. So Andreas and I continue the loop.

We go over
  • Wurzenpass 1073m
  • Vrsic-Sattel 1611m
  • Mangart-Stichweg 2055m
  • Predil-Pass 1156m
  • Sella Nevea 1184m
  • Nassfeldpass 1530m
  • Plöckenpass 1362m
  • Passo del Cason di Lanza 1552m
  • Nassfeldpass 1530m
222 miles
Anndreas on Virsic-Sattel (southern ramp)
Mangart
Mangart road was new to me. But views must be great. We had fog unfortunately almost all the time. But on top we were slightly above the clouds. Down in the beginning there are 900 feet gravel road due to a landslide. A good Harley filter. On top there are another 1500 feet gravel road. No problem for us
View from Plöckenpass (southern ramp)
Then we went over Passo del Cason di Lanza. No pictures there because we underestimated time and got late. The pass is rather an offroad pass. Not really suitable for us
But scenery was quite nice
Day 6

Möni want to have a ride and we do the Nockalm loop.

  • Windische Höhe 1110m
  • Nockalm-Strasse 2042m
  • Windische Höhe 1110m
117 miles
Weather is brilliant and we meet Harleys all over the place. Even here on Schiestelscharte (2024 m)
Möni observes the scene
Nice views and splendid road conditions on Nockalmstraße road
More Harleys at Eisentalhöhe (2042 m)
Max takes a sunbath meanwhile
Day 7

Andreas again. We do a loop to two toll roads: Goldeck-Panoramastraße and Maltatal-Hochalmstraße.

We go over
  • Windische Höhe 1110m
  • Goldeck-Panoramastrasse 1900m
  • Maltatal-Hochalmstrasse 2040m
  • Kreuzbergsattel 1077m
157 miles
Gorgeous view from Goldeck-Panoramastraße. The 5 Euros toll are really worth it
Tom enjoys the views
Andreas checks for more to take pictures from
View from summit of Maltatal-Hochalmstraße
Andreas takes pictures
Waterfall below toll station
And some shopping on the way back
Meanwhile Möni and Max took a tour to the other side of the lake
Day 8 Riding home

I need to go home. I do it in two sections in order to get some more riding fun in the moutains.

I go over
  • Windische Höhe 1110m
  • Flatnitzer Höhe 1045m
  • Soelkpass 1788m
  • Köpenpass 690m
403 miles
It is dusty in the morning and mountains are in the clouds. This is the view from Windische Höhe
On Sölkpass weather got better already
Sölkpass southern ramp
Northern ramp of Sölkpass. It is quite steep and this makes a gorgeous view
In the evening I reach the well known and well tried Hotel Schönblick and enjoy the last day of the tour
Day 9

Just getting home.

236 miles