Thursday - Bolzano to Davos

We left Bolzano at 8.30 with a good mist across the valley in the direction of the Austrian border. It didn't take long before we started our ascent up the mountain before Steve took a wrong turn in to a building site and a dead end! An about turn and we were climbing the valley with churches hanging on top of hills above. Amazing scenery on the way to the Penserjoch mountain pass.


On the way up to the Penserjoch.

On the way up, with me leading Steve we came across a wire fence blocking the road and some workman. I squeezed through the side entry if the fence carefully avoiding collision with my panniers. Further along another fence blocking the road. Not knowing what to do or why the road was blocked I waited and an angry looking man appeared and moved the fence for me. I rode on. Later Steve caught up with me and said the man was waving his arms about and shaking his fist at him. Turns out there had been a rock fall and they had closed the pass (without any signage). We learned later some of the other riders had to turn around because of great boulders dropping on to the road.





Next came the Passo Giova and then up the Jaufen Pass - well into South Tyrol now, on the Italian side.

 I really enjoyed that one. The road surface was damp after a recent downpour, cloud based hanging everywhere below as we climbed up. It was good to simply cruise up and around the bends taking it steady this time and admiring the scenery.

Stopping for Hot Chocolate at the top of the Jaufen Pass.

View near the top of the Giova, and then on to the Timmelsjoch.

Later, myself and Steve crossed the border in to Austria where it becomes Sud Tyrol and on to the Timmelsjoch Pass. This is a toll pass 14 euros I had ridden before in 2013. Superb free flowing ascent with little traffic as we climbed the 2509 metres. Trouble was, I felt a bit fatigued and think it was the altitude. I could have happily pulled over and had a kip in a hedge somewhere. Later a Red Bull sorted me out though, maybe it was just these higher than usual mileages catching up with me.

We later followed a Tesla sports car for quite a few miles. It was the only car able to keep with the bikes and some kind of promotion model claims 700 hp,! Weird following behind and no engine noise from it at all. As we got stuck behind traffic Ian with Cristina and Les following sneaked up and overtook us all including the Tesla!

We knew at some point later in the day we would see some rain, I convinced Steve it would be ok to do the last two passes .. Ober Alp pass and Fluelapass. We had a bit of fun with Ian and Les chasing me up and over the Ober. I think I hurt a bit of southern boy pride and in Gandalfs words, "they shall not pass" - and they didn't where they cudda and shudda ... later, blaming a set of road works and me going through temporary lights after the real road was done. Poor excuse. 😉.

On the Fluelapass , sadly my conviction was incorrect and Steve got soaked as we came the last few miles in to Davos for the night at the Hotel Seehof. I pulled up on the mountain to put my rain gear on despite me being already wet - but didnt want to get completely soaked. I waved at Ian, Les and Cris followed later by Steve and started my descent down into the Town. A few cock ups on the way in with navigation I got the wrong hotel (the receptionist looked puzzled when I asked for my key) and Steve got the wrong car park - it was on two levels and sods law says we picked the wrong one, but 'hey ho' great day riding and a nice Schnitzel for tea at a local restaurant that didn't look much from the outside but was superb. 👍