Hello Sports fans, from Davos in the heart of the Graubünden part of Switzerland. Last night was my night off in Bolzano, in the Sud Tirol part of North Italy. This was for many years part of Austria and is still more German than Italian. To the extent that every sign is in both languages and in most cases, everything also works efficiently. That is except for the traffic in the mountains and particularly in Bolzano.

 

The reason for this is not the roads, which are actually in remarkably good shape, much as if they were Swiss or Austrian, but rather because every Italian, irrespective of the car they are driving, be it a Ferrari or a small Fiat, firmly believes that they are the direct descendants of Fernando Alonso or even more dangerously of Kimi Raikonnen. So the speed and abandon in the mountains is frightening and impressive, all at the same time.

 

A game of nerves, to see who will hold their line into the next hairpin bend for the longest. A game of Poulet Italian Style!

 

So he reason is that each hairpin switchback, if taken at speed or on a motorbike requires a similar maneuver. This is a pull out to the outside of the curve to widen your arc, particularly if you are on a right curve because on these turns you are on the inside of the corner you have the tightest arc. Then once you are ready for the actual turn, you duck in to take the line and accelerate up the road or down it as the case might be. To do this at the same time as Fernando is doing it in the opposite direction is alarming to say the least.

 

Get it right with no opposing traffic and it is an orgasmic feeling.

 

So here we go, speed up to the corner, brake hard to get your speed right. Look up the bend to see if there is any on coming traffic in the other direction. Swing out wide, change down to First or Second gear, flick the throttle once or twice to get the revs up. If there is oncoming traffic make a very quick decision before you see the whites of the driver’s eyes – Speed up or slow down – and give way. If a truck or bus no decision. A car, take your chances.

 

The situation also is made more exciting by the road surface in the corners on the switchbacks. Due to the high amount of traffic and the turning and scuffing, the road surface in the bends is at times very rough and has ridges in the direction of travel. These are murder if you are on a bike. Those of you who concentrate on what I have written in the past may remember my description of the bridges in British Colombia in Canada, which have a surface made of steel gratings and what you have to do when Bonnie or Jayne starts getting the shakes and a mind of their own, while under steam. The same happens to JayneN when she hits a ridge on her turn line. She goes from being a willing partner to a bucking bronco.

 

So then. No different to handling any other woman! A very light touch on the handle bars, delicate fingers some might say. Others tell you to think of a pink canary between your hands and the bars and massage it gently to coax it into the direction you need to go in. As long as you have momentum, the chassis will always sort itself out. Then once you are stablised, a flick of the wrist on the throttle and full steam ahead. At least until the very next bend and the process starts all over again. Much like life itself I suppose.

 

The thing is that we have been doing four to five huge passes a day. Each about 2500 meters high and each having at least 30 switchbacks on both the up and down. Then, to top to all, on most of the days it has also been wet and huge amounts of traffic. The summer holidays are drawing to a close and especially in Northern Italy, there are literally thousands of people making the most of the last few days. This is also motorbike nirvana so there are literally thousands of bikers from all over Europe. Then also some intrepid bicyclists peddling up as well.

 

Yesterday we had remarkably good weather except that it was very cool in the morning in Celerina. Zero Celsius. We were into the first pass within a few kilometers and thereafter into the North of Italy and the lake district, Aprica, Edolo, the Passo Gavia and Molveno which is a stunning town on one of the prettiest lakes I have ever seen. Busy with Italians enjoying the cool of the mountains. Huge ski areas that I did not even know existed.

 

Eventually after a stop for lunch and then an afternoon stop for the obligatory espresso we dropped out of the heights of the Passo Mendolo into Bolzano. This is a huge agricultural area focusing mainly on apples on a scale, which makes places like Elgin and Grabouw look miniscule. Orchards all the way up the mountains and vast pack sheds and processing plants everywhere.

 

Unfortunately, the long day and distance, 430kms which may not sound like a lot, but which in Europe and particularly in the mountains, is a huge amount of riding, meant that we arrived in Bolzano at late afternoon rush hour.

 

This resembles a dodgem car event. Cars, trucks, Vespa scooters and people hustling in every direction. Italy, so no rules or right of way. The bravest wins. Not only was the traffic confusing, but after nine hours in the saddle, it was down right terrifying. Like always near the end, when it is short stroke time, a cool head is needed and so I told Granny (over our Bluetooth intercom system, to tuck in and tightly so and follow me religiously.

 

A few interesting minutes later and there we were, at the Stadt Hotel Scala Siegel. We had been warned not to judge it by the reception. Fortunately, because had we not been, I would have climbed back on JayneN and headed off again. My room was clean and not for the first time, designed for a handicapped person. I am starting to look more carefully in the mirror.

 

I will not bore you with dinner details other than to tempt you to join me on a cable car trip to the top of the mountain on the outskirts of Bolzano and a gourmet feast care of my skiing mate Georg who had driven from Munich and Lake Garda to have dinner with us. Thank you Georg and Mandy from Wales. Mandy is his climbing and mountain biking muse.

 

Today we had another heavy mountain pass day planned. At least five passes. After a nightmare first two passes, due to very heavy traffic and very slow going we descended into San Leonardo. This is the start of an area I know well as a result of skiing trips and driving in the area over the past forty years. Fortunately I rarely forget a route traveled, birthdays and anniversaries maybe, but not a road once traveled. A quick glance at the map and I asked Granny whether he felt like another 270kms and three passes or 130kms and two passes.

 

Granny is not a fool and we were soon on our new route. A great lunch on the way and an awesome ride through he ancient walled town of Naturno, before crossing into Switzerland and heading over the Fluela Pass into Davos. After leaving Merano we had a virtually traffic free ride which was a pleasure and at about 16h30 we were in my old stamping grounds of Davos. Past the Jakobshorn, the old Fluela Hotel. Haus Gredig where we have rented an apartment and into the Hotel Seehof garage. JayneN will have a two night break. She has worked hard to keeping a demanding rider happy and content. Only twitching once or twice on the ridges. She is not a rough rider unlike Bonnie and Spot, who both excel when you get down and bit rough and dirty..The rest of the team are trying to work out how we managed to arrive ahead of them, never having seen up overtake them.

 

Tomorrow there is an optional outride for the day, but Granny and I will walk in the mountains, in some of the areas that I have never seen other than when covered in snow. We have both had enough saddle time. In fact I have never seen Davos other than when it is white everywhere. It is spectacular and this walk will be epic – I hope. I have, however learnt from a walk once done with DB in Bad Ragaz nearby, many years ago. There, in the bloom of an early trip into Europe in summer, we met up with my parents who were taking the “cure”.

 

On that Saturday we took the cable car to the top of the mountain and walked down. About15kms. Young, fit and enthralled with each other, the distance sped by and some six hours later we were back at the hotel. Actual distances in the mountains are always much further than they appear on the map. So we had probably walked about 25kms. We did not know that going down was much tougher than the up, we soon found out. After sitting through dinner we were unable to move due to incredible stiffness and not the type of stiffness that was of any use to anyone.

 

So this walk will be as follows. Take the funicular to the mid station. Walk on paths on that contour or similar for a few hours. Have lunch on the mountains and take the train back down. Then a Sauna and dinner.

 

I have squared away everything, done all my washing and it is hanging in the room. I often wander what the staff of these five star hotels must think when motor bikers arrive and turn the rooms into laundries and kit rooms. On Friday it is up through Lichtenstein, into Germany and then Alsace for the night.

 

To all of you, guten nacht, viel erfolg und auf wiedersehen. Biker Pilot is going to have a “Pass” Out !!