Day 5 - Stilfes
Tuesday 27th June 2017
The storm rumbles on all night and as the rain lashes down it is a real test for the tents. In the morning the camping ground is waterlogged in places but all our essential kit has remained dry and both bikes start up first time.
The rain eases off around 6am and has stopped by 7. A patch of blue sky appears. We have a quick breakfast of boiled eggs and bread. One french loaf we left out has a big hole gnawed out of it. Mice, rats weasels ripped my flesh? Who knows?
But for now the rain is holding off so it's time to get on the road. Our route today will takes us into the high Alps, across Austria and into northern Italy.
Our first alpine pass road of the tour is a run over Fernpass from Bavaria into Austria. The rain is holding off for the present but traffic is heavy on this busy road.
It is a relatively low pass so attracts the heavy lorries and caravans.
The next section is quite fast as we head across Austria and find the road up to Timmelsjoch.
This is a high pass over the Otztal Alps peaking at 2,474 metres (8,117 feet above sea level).
I attempted this pass twice before I finally made it over in 2014. The first time was with Charly Kaller and we were beaten back by rain and mist. The second time I was warned that the snow was getting deep up at the top so wisely changed route to go over the much lower Reschenpass to the west.
My third attempt, and first successful one, was with Mick a couple of years ago. That time it was in heavy cloud and today is no different. I still haven't actually seen the view from up here, but it's a hell of a road to ride.
The
Austria-Italy border is at the summit. There is a €14 toll on the
Austrian side and since my last visit a big new motorcycle museum has
been constructed alongside fancy new toll booths. It is another €10 for
the museum and since we object to the toll already we decide to give it a
miss.
We stop for coffee at the rifugio at the timmelsjoch summit for coffee along with a bowl of excellent goulashsuppe, central heating for the Alps. Then we begin winding down the spectacular Italian side.
We turn east as the weather clears and head towards Jaufenpass. We are making good time, the roads are dry and the riding is exhilerating.
On
the way down the pass we stop at a Gasthof where I stayed once before
but are told they have no rooms. We try another place across the road
but it is dowdy and when we inspect the offered room we decide we can do
better.
The mercurial weather in the Alps now takes a turn for the worse and soon the rain is lashing down again. We stop to don the oversuits and continue until I see a side road to the village of Stilfes. not been there before but it looks attractive, and sure enough it is home for the Hotel Wieser.
It
is lovely. We book in and have a large room, in a new block to the side
of the old hotel. There is a swimming pool and saunas and a big dry
barn to park the bikes in. The view from the terrace is stunning.
We have spaghetti bolognese with salad and weissbier before turning in for the best night's sleep of the trip so far.
Südtirol (South Tyrol) is a strange region. Before the First World War it was a part of the Austrian Tyrol but as Wikipedia states "...the Allies promised the area to Italy in the Treaty of London of 1915 as an incentive to enter the war on their side."
It remains a part of Italy to this day but 62% of the population speaks German, all the places have a German as well as an Italian name and the cuisine, media and education system are predominately Germanic. So if you like spaghetti with your weissbier ot white wine with your bratwurst then it's the place for you.
Oh and the passes and the mountain roads are some of the most spectacular in the Alps.
The storm rumbles on all night and as the rain lashes down it is a real test for the tents. In the morning the camping ground is waterlogged in places but all our essential kit has remained dry and both bikes start up first time.
 |
| Drying out after the storm |
But for now the rain is holding off so it's time to get on the road. Our route today will takes us into the high Alps, across Austria and into northern Italy.
 |
| Misty morning start |
 |
| Into the clouds on Timmelsjoch |
It is a relatively low pass so attracts the heavy lorries and caravans.
The next section is quite fast as we head across Austria and find the road up to Timmelsjoch.
This is a high pass over the Otztal Alps peaking at 2,474 metres (8,117 feet above sea level).
I attempted this pass twice before I finally made it over in 2014. The first time was with Charly Kaller and we were beaten back by rain and mist. The second time I was warned that the snow was getting deep up at the top so wisely changed route to go over the much lower Reschenpass to the west.
My third attempt, and first successful one, was with Mick a couple of years ago. That time it was in heavy cloud and today is no different. I still haven't actually seen the view from up here, but it's a hell of a road to ride.
 |
| Old snow drifts at the summit |
 |
| The new toll booths and motorcycle museum |
 |
| Made it! |
|
| Old snow drifts at the summit |
We stop for coffee at the rifugio at the timmelsjoch summit for coffee along with a bowl of excellent goulashsuppe, central heating for the Alps. Then we begin winding down the spectacular Italian side.
We turn east as the weather clears and head towards Jaufenpass. We are making good time, the roads are dry and the riding is exhilerating.
 |
| It's misty up here - Jaufenpass 2094m |
 |
| always time for cake in Tyrol |
 |
| Down into Italy |
The mercurial weather in the Alps now takes a turn for the worse and soon the rain is lashing down again. We stop to don the oversuits and continue until I see a side road to the village of Stilfes. not been there before but it looks attractive, and sure enough it is home for the Hotel Wieser.
 |
| hotel Wieser in Stilfes. |
We have spaghetti bolognese with salad and weissbier before turning in for the best night's sleep of the trip so far.
 |
| Bikes tucked in for the night |
It remains a part of Italy to this day but 62% of the population speaks German, all the places have a German as well as an Italian name and the cuisine, media and education system are predominately Germanic. So if you like spaghetti with your weissbier ot white wine with your bratwurst then it's the place for you.
Oh and the passes and the mountain roads are some of the most spectacular in the Alps.
 |
| View from Hotel Wieser terrace |
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