Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Regional Forums > Europe
Highest pass in Europe Highest pass in Europe
Register FAQ Calendar Today's Posts
Europe Topics specific to Western and Eastern Europe, from UK to the Russian border, and south-east to Turkey.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland



Reply
Page 4 of 4 123 4
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #46  
Old 2 Feb 2009
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Feb 2001
Posts: 188
Thank you Vander, that's a great shame. I wondered if anybody was actually going to come of with the definitive answer. Is the ride up to the military installation worthwhile? If not, I'll spend another day in Granada before riding home.
Reply With Quote
  #47  
Old 3 Mar 2009
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London
Posts: 36
Quote:
Originally Posted by Paul Narramore View Post
Thank you Vander, that's a great shame. I wondered if anybody was actually going to come of with the definitive answer. Is the ride up to the military installation worthwhile? If not, I'll spend another day in Granada before riding home.
Cannot give a definitive answer but i did ride up the south side of the Pico de Veleta (not to the summit, just some way out of last town on south side) and eventually the road turned to gravel & pot-holes, got narrow and very slow going on a road bike. If you were going to get there, the quieter side to approach from would be the south side but as said, if you got caught i do not think they'd be very happy.

Also remember that even in the height of summer its cold at the summit (snow all year around, i think), and at the ski resort town on the north side on approach from Granada.
Reply With Quote
  #48  
Old 23 May 2009
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: London
Posts: 36
spoke to a german guy recently who had a friend - i know sounds a little far fetched - who drove up to the peak of Pico Veleta and had no problems although obviously it is not allowed there are roads going to the peak as there is a restaurant (not sure if its open in summer) and an observatory at the peak.

never saw any 'officials' and rode up and down without any trouble or angry looks from walkers
Reply With Quote
  #49  
Old 23 Aug 2009
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Marple Cheshire
Posts: 2
Highest pass in europe
See attacments La Bonnette at 2802M Also Mont Ventoux, the windiest place on earth I believe? We did the Liseran then found the Bonnette was higher so you have to go and do it eh!
Highest pass in Europe-holidays-2008-069.jpg

Name: France 2009019 - Copy.JPG Views: 624 Size: 37.4 KB
Reply With Quote
  #50  
Old 23 Aug 2009
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: aachen/germany and valence/france
Posts: 95
impressions of the col de la bonette
freunde landstrassen und schotterpisten,

i was up the bonette 2 weeks ago. it was a beautiful day.
a few cars, a few more bikes, hikers, runners, bicyclists and strange enough summer skiing tourists.

here some impressions:
YouTube - impressions of col de bonette
__________________
regards...
-=airhead=-
http://www.euroheads.org
Reply With Quote
  #51  
Old 2 Sep 2009
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: london
Posts: 7
Stelvio via Gavia
I was up Stelvio the other week and after reading a lot about how cold it would be I made sure I had a jumper to go over the leathers and a waterproof over that at hand and didn't need either. I was certainly fresh, but after being down in the valley for a while it was a welcome relief.

We rode to Stelvio via Gavia as we were down that direction to begin with. It was a lovely ride and gave some great views over the surrounding valleys.

Grossglockner, though a better quality surface, did not seem as much fun as some of the other passes. Probably because of the simplicity of over taking and the smoothness of the tarmac. But still worth the time to ride, if not the €18!

Earlier in the day we found ourselves on Passa della Foppa (or Mortirolo as the locals call it) It is only a tiddler at 1851m but the road was great fun to ride with 35 hairpins (tornante as they were labelled) I'm told it is part of the cycling tour of italy and seeing a 65 year old woman at the top getting a photo next to the plaque with her bike would testify to that. Kind of puts you in your place when you see that

simon
Reply With Quote
  #52  
Old 8 Sep 2009
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Apr 2002
Location: bizovac, croatia
Posts: 240
Not a pass, but still the highest OPEN road is Sommeiller. Pics are
from late July this year.



__________________
AnteK
Reply With Quote
  #53  
Old 18 May 2011
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2
Hello!

Ummm, sorry to revive such an old thread, I hope it's not frowned upon.


Could you provide some more details about this Sommellier road? Is is reachable from the French side or from the Italian side? I was looking on google maps and I can't quite figure it out. Is this the lake and buildings you are talking about? If so it means that it is from the french side...

Link to google maps

Thanks a bunch.
Reply With Quote
  #54  
Old 18 May 2011
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: aachen/germany and valence/france
Posts: 95
check this link for a report and pictures of the 2007 stella alpina.
https://picasaweb.google.com/gshelmu...eat=directlink
__________________
regards...
-=airhead=-
http://www.euroheads.org
Reply With Quote
  #55  
Old 18 May 2011
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
  
Join Date: May 2011
Posts: 2
Thanks airhead, now colle sommellier made sense to google and I found the place. Great pictures by the way.
Reply With Quote
  #56  
Old 20 May 2011
Registered Users
HUBB regular
  
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: South Manchester, looking out the window at the Peaks, UK
Posts: 72
My father is quite proud that he ws the first man over one of the swiss-italian passes in the 50's. He had cycled over from the swiss side and the italian customs officials assumed he had sneaked past them and had to turn around when he got to their post. it was only when they saw his swiss exit stamps in his passport that they realised where he hd come from and made him a well needed cup of coffee.

For the record he said a pushbike with properly loaded front and rear panniers is a bit like skiing.

38
Reply With Quote
  #57  
Old 20 May 2011
colebatch's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: London / Moscow
Posts: 1,913
Quote:
Originally Posted by arpi View Post
Hello!

Ummm, sorry to revive such an old thread, I hope it's not frowned upon.


Could you provide some more details about this Sommellier road? Is is reachable from the French side or from the Italian side? I was looking on google maps and I can't quite figure it out. Is this the lake and buildings you are talking about? If so it means that it is from the french side...

Link to google maps

Thanks a bunch.
Its quite clear on OpenStreetMap.org ... from Bardonecchia the road / track goes north east until the col between Point Sommellier and Rognosa d'Etache
Reply With Quote
  #58  
Old 9 Jul 2011
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Warrington UK
Posts: 703
Hi all,
Some of these old resurections are quite interesting, I like them.

I am traveling form Friedrichshafen on the Austrian side of lake Constance, through to Innsbruck.
We will overnight in Innsbruck before heading through Cortina, and then Venice.

How can I make my travel more interesting, bear in mind I have 4 wheels instead of 2.

I was looking at Fern Passe, ----> Innsbruck -----> Brenner Pass ----> Venice.

This is probably the most boring and basic route, so come on, chaps and chapesse'e give me inspiration.

Vette
Reply With Quote
  #59  
Old 10 Jul 2011
Redboots's Avatar
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
  
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: On the border - NE FR
Posts: 865
Quote:
Originally Posted by uk_vette View Post
I was looking at Fern Passe, ----> Innsbruck -----> Brenner Pass ----> Venice.
This is probably the most boring and basic route, so come on, chaps and chapesse'e give me inspiration.
I still have an old web page on file that I wrote in 2000. The route takes you from the Grossglockner Pass to the Klausen Pass.
Its bout 650 miles. If you did it in reverse and missed out anything that really deviated from your plan, it would still be a cracking ride

Just remember it was written 11 years ago and many of the passes have been "improved" to cope with modern traffic.
Its best done in the middle of the week to avoid the weekend warriors

Link here


Cheers,
John
__________________
Nostradamus Ate My Hamster
Reply With Quote
Reply
Page 4 of 4 123 4

« Previous Thread | Next Thread »

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 2 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 2 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

ALL Dates subject to change.

2025 Confirmed Events:

  • Virginia: April 24-27 2025
  • Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
  • Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
  • CanWest: July 10-13 2025
  • Switzerland: Date TBC
  • Ecuador: Date TBC
  • Romania: Date TBC
  • Austria: Sept. 11-14
  • California: September 18-21
  • France: September 19-21 2025
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

Your ad could be here, on EVERY page of the HUBB, or the whole website, or as many as you like!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.



All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:49.

Contact Us - Horizons Unlimited Motorcycle Travellers Website - Archive - Privacy Statement - Top