As always, the trip there is a bit of a hassle. I’m coming from Berlin and am heading first to Susanne’s place near Stuttgart. Thomas is also driving from Berlin to the Munich area. The next day, I continue on through the Swabian Alb and Switzerland. Thomas meets up with Marcellus, and the two of them pick up Beat; Klaus is coming from the Black Forest, Marcus from the Ruhr region, Hartmut from the Baltic Sea coast, and Wolfgang is also coming from Switzerland. We’re all meeting up south of Lake Geneva in Champéry.

Elbe Ferry at Aken

Tom and Susanne

Thomas at Lake Zurich

Swiss border

Chillon Castle in Montreux, behind high-voltage power lines

Lake Geneva

Lake Geneva

Gorgeous weather.
We head straight into France, winding our way over a few smaller mountain passes before continuing south toward Chambéry. In the morning, we enjoy a magnificent view of Mont Blanc. In the afternoon, we take in the view from Mont du Chat.

Departure

One of the first mountain passes is the Col de la Ramaz

Short break

Mont Blanc

As always, the market in Onion

As always, our first morning coffee at the Col du Feu

A bike race is holding us up

Lunch at the exit of Gorges du Borne

It wants to play, but doesn't want to be touched

The Col de la Croix de Fry

View from Mont du Chat

The two of us on Mont du Chat

Modern Hotel in Chambéry

Dinner together in Chambéry

It rained overnight, and the roads are still wet. Our first viewpoint, Le Revard, offers us a view of the receding clouds. Then we took small roads toward Grenoble and on into the Isère Valley with its walnut orchards. Then came rugged cliffs and faster roads through breathtaking scenery. Now we’re in the Vercors. The final pass, the Col du Menée, is fun with its loose gravel - but it’s not too bad. After all, dinner at Hotel Le Châlet is calling.

A French-style construction site. Oncoming traffic, single lane - no problem

The glass-bottomed observation deck at the Le Revard lookout point

Le Revard

The other group is on Mont du Chat

Morning coffee for us at the Col du Granier

Morning coffee and éclairs for the other group in Saint-Pierre-de-Chartreuse

Walnut orchards in the Isère Valley

Lunch in Vinay

Maintenance work

Gorges du Nan

Gorges du Nan. It never ceases to amaze me how you drive toward a rock face and then, just minutes later, find yourself standing at the top of it.

Rugged cliffs

Maintenance work again

The Cirque de Combe Laval is always impressive.

View from the Cirque de Combe Laval

Cirque de Combe Laval

Col de Rousset

Marcellus discovers an old tunnel

The tunnel still seems to be working

Col de Rousset

The Harley group is holding us up a bit at the Col du Menée.

Mont Aiguille greets us

At dinner at Hotel Le Châlet, we first have to figure out how the menu came to be. “Half-board menu” became “retirement menu.”

Appetizer

Main Course

Cheese

Cheese

I especially like the little gherkins - pickled with a touch of anise - and I get a jar to take home.

Dessert

Yes, the food here is good.

Another beautiful day today. We’re continuing south. In the morning, however, we first faced the challenge of the low sun shining directly in our faces and gravel on the road. But we were rewarded with many views of Mont Aiguille, which stands in the scenery as if it had fallen from the sky. Then came many fast roads, including the Col du Cabre, Col du Festre, and Col du Noyer. That one is particularly magnificent. We ended the day in the Ubaye Valley with the very beautiful Lac de Serre-Ponçon, which glows a deep turquoise-blue in the sun. We’re now in a ski resort at an elevation of 1,600 meters above Barcelonnette.

Birthday cake in the morning

Birthday cake

The sun is still low in the sky

Mont Aiguille

Mont Aiguille

Pont du Brion

Gorges des Gâts

Gorges des Gâts

The other group is being held up by horses

The morning coffee in Châtillon-en-Diois isn't very good. Next time, we'll keep going.

Klaus, Tom, and Marcus on Col du Noyer

Col du Noyer

Col du Noyer

We find a place to have lunch

Burgers for lunch

Marcellus also finds a good lunch

First view of Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Viewpoint at Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Lac de Serre-Ponçon

Lac de Serre-Ponçon

In the evening, we'll check into a hotel in a ski resort

Marcellus is changing tires in Barcelonnette

Then dinner together

We’re planning a round trip south. The weather is again great for riding. First, we’ll head over the Col d’Allos and the Col Saint Michel. Then we’re supposed to head west on the national highway. It’s closed, so we look for a detour. The detour takes us down a road reserved for residents only, and shortly after that, the cops are standing there collecting a "recreation tax". Five times 90 Euros (Klaus wasn’t with us). Then we had to find a new route and headed east. Great roads - especially the Gorges du Cians. Then we rode through Roubion twice and returned via Valberg and the Col de la Cayolle. In the end, it was over 400 kilometers.

Col d'Allos kicks things off

Col d'Allos

Col d'Allos - View of the southern ramp from above

Col d'Allos

We'll find a nice spot for our morning coffee

Morning Coffee

Road closed

No through traffic except for residents

This is where the minions catch us

In the meantime, the payment notice has also arrived in the mail (abridged and anonymized)

Entrevaux

Gorges du Cians

Marcellus finds a nice spot for lunch

Lunch

Lunch

We explore new streets and find a great place to have lunch in La Tour

Lunch

Another coffee in Valberg

A few people interested in the Ducati

The return trip goes over the Col de la Cayolle. Here's a video of the lower part of the south slope (uphill)

Col de la Cayolle

There is a beautiful gorge on the north slope of the Col de la Cayolle

The other group is riding back down the Col d'Allos - here's a quick glimpse of the south slope

And here's the ride down the north ramp

Dinner back in Pra Loup

Cheese and cold cuts. Very good

Tartiflette (potato casserole) is also very common here.

Today we’re tackling the big mountain passes - many of which are well known from the Tour de France. And once again, the weather is magnificent. After La Bonette and Col de la Lombarde, though, we’re heading to Italy. We’re tackling the Colle dei Morti. Absolutely stunning views, but a crumbly road. It was almost like an enduro ride. Not exactly the ideal terrain for the Superduke and Streetfighter. But the view made up for it. After Sampyere, we tackled Col Agnel, Izoard, Lautaret, Galibier, and Télégraph. We climbed 12.5 kilometers today alone. In the evening, we stayed at a ski resort near Col de la Croix-de-Fer and Col du Glandon.

Here comes somebody in need, begging for breakfast...

...and loves to be cuddled

The sun is still low in the sky as we begin the climb up the Col de la Bonette

Col de la Bonette

Thomas is coming

The motorcyclists on the Col de la Bonette

The climb up the Col de la Lombarde is reminiscent of the Tour de France

Col de La Lombarde

We're in Italy. First things first: a good cup of coffee.

While we're having coffee, we already spot the sign for Colle dei Morti.

Colle dei Morti

Colle dei Morti

Colle dei Morti - View back toward the south

Colle dei Morti

Colle dei Morti

Colle dei Morti - Pantani memorial

White cows at the climb up to Colle di Sampeyre

Colle di Sampeyre

Colle di Sampeyre

There's something for lunch here

Panini in Italy

The route back to France goes over the Col Agnel

Col Agnel

Fort Queyras

Col d'Izoard

Col d'Izoard

At Col du Lautaret

Col du Lautaret

On Col du Galibier

Col du Galibier

Valloire

Hotel Le Beausoleil in Toussuire in the evening

It’s the last day already. Another day of gorgeous weather and amazing mountain passes: the Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Glandon, the highest of them all, the Col de l’Isèran, and the Little and Great Saint Bernard Passes. All hell broke loose on the Isèran. There had never been so many cars and motorcycles there at this time of year. In Italy, we went exploring and found a beautiful route around Aosta. The Route des Salasses is very scenic and almost traffic-free.

Morning sun

First stop at Col de la Croix de Fer

The Iron Cross, from which the name is derived

Morning coffee on the way to the Col de l'Isèran

The other group is riding over the Col de la Madeleine

View of Mont Blanc from the Col de la Madeleine

Col de l'Isèran

Lots going on at the Col de l'Isèran

Col de l'Isèran

Val-d'Isère in the valley

Lunch at the usual spot on the Petit Saint Bernard

The other group rides past Lac de Roselend and over the Cormet de Roselend

Enjoy a delicious lunch with us

A good lunch for the other group, too

The Monument to Saint Bernard of Aosta at the Pass

On the Route des Salasses, there is a lookout point called Vista Mont Blanc

The Aosta Valley far below

From the Col du Grand Saint Bernard, we head back to Switzerland

Last Fill-Up

Tour completed

A group dinner with cheese fondue to wrap things up

Just like in previous years, I’m driving home in one go. That’s more than 1,100 kilometers.
First, I’ll take the highway through Switzerland, then 600 km on back roads through the Swabian Alb, toward the Haßberge and the Thuringian Forest. Then the rest of the way back on the highway. It’s very exhausting, but I can still manage it.

In the Danube valley

City gate in Haßfurt

Cranes are passing by

A severe thunderstorm before reaching Berlin

Back to Berlin

That was a long trip.