Just another great ride, check it out. Ok maybe this is the last of many bike videos....but I doubt it!
Friday, June 23, 2017
Saturday, June 17, 2017
Klausenpass, Switzerland
You have to agree this is a beautiful spot. We think the ride was even better. Sorry for the video wind noise, but maybe just turn down the volume. My technical problem.
Just click on the link below.
Hiking Hafelekar in the Nordkette at Innsbruck
Check out our hiking video on You Tube by clicking the link below. Thanx George for the your contribution.
A Start to a Great Trip
After the jet lag wears off it is easy to get into the swing of things in Europe. Life on the bike enjoying time with old friends and making new ones is always enjoyable for us.
After a great time with Franz and Sabine we took off to a Touratech rally, Touratech being a company that makes bike accessories for adventure riders. The rally attracted over 3000 bikes with riders and over 10,000 people in total were in attendance (Ken was in heaven). We camped with other bikers at the rally and checked out what new bikes and accessories all the bike companies had to offer. We also had the opportunity to test ride a couple of bikes, the Africa Twin DCT, and the new Ducati Multi-strata, Ken felt the V Storm was still the best choice for our trip. It was fantastic to meet other likeminded people who love exploring by motorcycle, including Heather and Dave from Canada/USA who were just starting a leg of their around the world trip that would take them across Russia and Mongolia...(we have to keep in touch guys).
Bike cravings satisfied, our next destination was the Fatherland, Switzerland (Ken's grandfather was from the area around Lucerne). On our way to Goldeu in central Switzerland we couldn't help but think that much of the countryside, in the northeast, was a lot like the Okanagan. We searched out and found a great, and inexpensive, campground on PitchUp.com, Buosingen Camping, nestled at the base of Mt. Rigi. There awaited us a plot of grass, nice hosts and fields that surrounded us filled with cows with bells around their necks. The only small downside to the place was the smell of the manure the farmers were spraying on the fields, but that was all over the countryside, not just at our campsite. From our campsite we took several day trips on the bike, including one into the city of Lucerne which was nice, especially in the old part. It was nice to camp for a few nights by ourselves, just us and the cows.
Our friends Christine and George have been coming to Canada for just about 20 years and we have been to Vols, in Austria to visit them 4 times...including this stop. They welcomed us with open arms, we are so lucky to have great friends here in Europe. Both George and Christine are the active type and they couldn't wait to take us on a, hike up the Nordkette. We should of known something was amiss when George told us we would be taking a two hour hike down the mountain, we had to take a cable car and two gondolas to reach the top in what totalled at least half an hour of travel time. Actual hiking time across the ridge and down...6 hours+. A fantastic hike with some amazing views of Innsbruck and the surrounding area. Better hiking boots would have been a plus but we needed to sacrifice some luxuries when packing the bike, and I don't think the boots would have helped the sore muscles in our legs the next two days.
One of the great things about traveling is meeting people for all corners of the world. While in Australia a few years ago we met Chris and Nadia, a young couple who just happen to live in Innsbruck. While staying with George and Christine we had them over for a BBQ, what fun. They rode their bikes over and after midnight, and a few beer, they rode them home in the dark.
Once again, we are so lucky to come from Canada because so many people speak English in Europe. Another thing, many of the countries is Europe are great if you are active, Germany, Switzerland, and Austria to name a few all have great walking, hiking, and biking trails. So far this trip we are lucky to have hit a few but we plan on a lot more.
Touratech started with a guy a vision, and a lot of elbow grease, in his garage. Today it is probably the biggest manufacturer of adventure accessories for motorcycles. This is just one of the three warehouses they use today.
Yes, we were there.
Adventure means different things to different people.
Our tent was set in the middle of the field amongst many more bike enthusiasts. The majority of the bike were BMWs but a good showing was had the Africa Twin and KTM as well.
This doesn't show the half of them...really!
I've been everywhere man! Even in the dirt.
Lupine growing on the hillside along the road, during one of our rides in the Black Forest.
Typical German countryside.
We thought this view of the Zurichsee looked a lot like what the Okanagan might look like in a few years.
Our campsite for three nights in Switzerland
Happy Hour, complete with our Touratech lounge set, luxury adventure travel at it's finest!
Great views of Vierwaldstattersee
An amazing day ride over the Klausenpass, Switzerland
A bit of a drop off as we look over the beautiful valley with small farms and a waterfall
The old city of Lucerne from our lunch spot along the Vierwaldstattersee
Signed sealed and delivered, with Swiss post
The Austrian Arlbergpass, many twists and turns and also a very long snow shed.
George and Christine, George Jr and Ramona Ken and I had more than we could eat at our welcome BBQ on our first night in Vols, Austria.
We took a cable car, and two gondola's to the top of Hafelekarspitze. It was a long way up but it would seem like a longer way down on foot.
A narrow path with a step drop to Innsbruck...
and what a view. You can see all the way to Germany!
A small break before we started our decent.
Thunderstorms where predicted but only a few threatening clouds developed along the ridge
Wildflowers in the alpine
What a great idea, a 10 kg bike that folds into a backpack that you can carry up the mountain...
Put together...and ride down. No peddles, strictly downhill.
Yup, that's where we were. Boy are our legs going to be sore tomorrow!
Chris and Nadia, from Innsbruck but who we met in Australia a few years ago, joined us in Vols at George and Christine's for a BBQ. A good time was had by all.
Friday, June 2, 2017
An Easy Landing
Good friends Franz and Sabine were at the terminal to meet us and escort us to Air Canada Cargo to pick up the VStrom. All paper work was done easily, if not also quite quickly and we were off to Franz and Sabine's house to enjoy more of their hospitality. After a little food, drink and catching up about the last 4 years since our last trip (not to mention 32+ hours without sleep) we hit the sac safe and sound and happy to be on the road again.
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