Belgium and more - Loads More Piccies!

Kris · World Chat Champion Joined: 03 Feb 2002 Karma :

Just to echo what's already been said; great trip report Nick! Thumbs Up

Keep the pics and updates coming. It's been 8 years since my last raid into Europe on a bike. Far too long. Sad

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chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

So today was Grossglockner day Very Happy

Ali led us up there, which saved what probably would have been a lot of faffing about and getting lost if it had been left to me and Neil. He set a good pace, I wouldn't have been very comfortable on those roads at a faster one - got a peg down anyway, which is bloody good going for me, especially on unfamiliar roads!

Weather turned out to be mostly beautiful warm sunshine, roads were dry, and happy we finally got to see something of the Alps in all their glory, which was what this whole trip was really supposed to be about Very Happy

A quick stop before reaching the snow line:

https://i.postimg.cc/cHdkr5FW/DSCN4187.jpg

The Grossglockner, Austria's highest mountain:

https://i.postimg.cc/vBXq9LKV/DSCN4204.jpg

One of the many mountain snaps I took (I won't bore you with too many; suffice to say, if you're like me and are generally awed by mountain scenery, this place does not disappoint!):

https://i.postimg.cc/VkG6rh98/DSCN4238.jpg

And a couple just to give a taste of the road up there:

https://i.postimg.cc/kXwMzHpb/DSCN4239.jpg

https://i.postimg.cc/vmsPnPG0/DSCN4249.jpg

At Biker's Point:

https://i.postimg.cc/qMB4sLvM/DSCN4243.jpg

You could easily miss the turning for this, as it looks at first glance like you're just going into a car park, so this is where Ali's local knowledge proved it's worth to us. It's a proper tricky little lane up to here, cobbled Shocked

,steep, tight and narrow, but well worth doing for the views.

Much of the route from Ali's hotel to the pass was a cracking ride too. A very satisfying day, so once again, a big Thumbs Up

to our host for being solicitous to our needs, leaving us with the ability to just relax and enjoy - I would certainly recommend Pensionhaus Maria to anyone who wishes to visit this marvellous region Thumbs Up

Tomorrow we're headed north, as the weather is forecast to deteriorate down here pretty quickly. We have a route in mind, another thing Ali's local knowledge has been handy for, so hopefully, still some good riding to come!
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
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chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

After the brilliant day on the Grossglockner, the weather went back to rain, rain, rain Sad

So we planned a couple of possible routes home, maybe with two overnight stops, then ignored them and caned it back to the uk in one marathon hit. Left Ali's at about 10ish, got back to Neil's in Gravesend at 9am this morning, fuelled mostly by numerous coffee stops. Jeez, I'm never doing that again!

Overall, despite all the crappy weather we encountered in the 2 weeks over there, we still reckon it was worth doing - for one thing, we're both now a bit more savvy in how to approach any future trips, and the "first time trepidation" has been laid to rest. But we also had some good days, saw some great scenery, rode some awesome roads, and had a bit of a laugh along the way.

Thanks go to Matt for helping in the initial planning stages and filling me in on numerous "how-tos" to do with trip preparation.
Thanks again to Ali who saved our bacon and was a star host.

I'll now be weather watching with a view to hitting the Alps more extensively when the unprecedented rain and storms finally clear - maybe July or August.
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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
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-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Howling Terror · Super Spammer Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Karma :

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chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

Working out the finances for the trip, we spent around £1500 each all told, including fuel, tolls (did a couple of motorway stints to try to escape bad weather; one from Nice to near Pisa came to about 35 Euros), hotels, food and drink etc. Coming back, because we forgot to book our return Euroshuttle trip the night before, as we'd ridden all through the night, we got stung 118 Euros to get a place on the first available train, but by this time, we just wanted to get home, so swallowed it.

Some more photos Smile

https://i.postimg.cc/3JGVD0gJ/Nick-Neil-print.jpg

Anyone up for the Alps or Pyrenees in a month or two? Smile

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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

Great pictures Nick Thumbs Up

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Pigeon · World Chat Champion Joined: 27 Sep 2012 Karma :

Jeeeeeezzz, those are stunning pics. Fazer thou with R1 front end. Nice. The mountains aren’t bad either I guess. Smile

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

-Matt- · World Chat Champion Joined: 28 Apr 2013 Karma :

chickenstrip · Super Spammer Joined: 06 Dec 2013 Karma :

I've spoken briefly to Neil about the Alps. He has a shift pattern that allows him 7 days off in every month, so we might work something around that. Might want a couple of days more than that, but no details thrashed out as yet.

I reckon B500 down, couple of days to explore some of the Swiss central Alps, do the Eiger thing we wanted to do, couple of days around the French Alps/Mont Blanc etc, shortest route home.

One day home and I'm bored with itchy feet already! Laughing

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Chickenystripgeezer's Biking Life (Latest update 19/10/18) Belgium, France, Italy, Austria tour 2016 Picos de Europa, Pyrenees and French Alps tour 2017 Scotland Trip 1, now with BONUS FEATURE edit, 5/10/19, on page 2 Scotland Trip 2 Luxembourg, Black Forest, Switzerland, Vosges Trip 2017
THERE'S MILLIONS OF CHICKENSTRIPS OUT THERE!