GStwin.com GS500 Message Forum

Hello everyone!

Last weekend I've been attending a motorbike rally which is held every year in northern Lombardy, Italy - the Stelvio International Rally (35th edition).
Main point of attraction is the traditional Sunday morning ride all the way to the Stelvio Pass (2757 m - 9045 ft above sea level, very close to the Swiss border) through a beautiful (if a bit dangerous - forget about side protections or guard-rails whatsoever) mountain road with its 30-some hairpin turns and a breathtaking scenery.
While we were at it, Saturday we'd been for a ride across the Swiss border into Engadin and some Alpine passes (Livigno, Bernina and more) through some winter tourist resorts like Sankt Moritz, Davos and Klosters. Sadly it was freezing - but worth the pain anyway.

Enough talking - here's the pics.


The old GS on the way to Switzerland.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0107.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0107.jpg)

Bernina Pass @ 2328 m (7638 ft)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0108.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0108.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0109.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0109.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0110.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0110.jpg)

Marmorera Lake - on the way to Julierpass and St. Moritz.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0111.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0111.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0112.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0112.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0113.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0113.jpg)

Saturday night - noise and beer rule!!! ;)
Can't count how many burnt out rear rubbers.
E.T. came for a visit on his GoldWing, too.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0114.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0114.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0115.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0115.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0116.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0116.jpg)

Sunday morning on the Stelvio Pass.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0117.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0117.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0118.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0118.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0119.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0119.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0120.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0120.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0121.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0121.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0122.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0122.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0123.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0123.jpg)

Switzerland up there.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0124.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0124.jpg)

The road goes on to South Tyrol...
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0125.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0125.jpg)

...which was Austria-Hungary until 1918 when it was annexed by the Italian Kingdom in the aftermath of WWI. The Stelvio Pass marked the border between the two States till then.
"In Memory of the Soldiers who Fought in the Italian and former Austro-Hungarian Armies, and Fell for their Motherland. White War - 1915-18, Ortles-Cevedale-Stelvio Sector".
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0126.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0126.jpg)

And finally a couple pics of the road to the Pass - a tarmac snake climbing on the mountain.
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0127.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0127.jpg)
(http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/th_IMG-0128.jpg) (http://s204.photobucket.com/albums/bb174/rizz9000/?action=view&current=IMG-0128.jpg)

Totalled out 1200 km (745 mi) in little more than 48 hrs (consider about 400 km getting there and 400 more back home).

very nice. gotta admit that road/pass is on my to do list at some point.

I live in Indiana... and it is completely flat EVERYWHERE (damn that ancient Iceberg) and 95% of the roads are completely straight... 

Seeing this makes me soooo envious.

Quote from: lucky4034 on July 07, 2011, 03:43:29 PM
I live in Indiana... and it is completely flat EVERYWHERE (damn that ancient Iceberg) and 95% of the roads are completely straight... 

Seeing this makes me soooo envious.

8 hours south roughly and 45 minutes east and you arrive at the dragon. :D