Breakfast high up on the Hahntennjoch, the hills alive to the sound of 210 gay bikers enjoying breakfast in leathers at altitude. The hotel really put themselves out to make this, to me, the most memorable and distinctive event in this GLME Summercamp so far.
Then on to ride up the Ötztal valley to ride the Timmelsjoch Hochalpenstrasse. 4°C at the 2500 m. Not much wildlife, it's a big rocky velley with no sign of marmottes. I met a couple of guys riding mopeds who are really in to the gear, mohawks on their crash helmets etc, and we made some photos of each other. On to share a good coffee down on the Italian side. Unfortunately I lost my prescription ear-plugs so it’s back to one day ear-plugs until I can get replacement back in London. Despite that, it really doesn’t get much better than this. The best of times is now... so make this moment last...

• Arlberg Pass and Silvretta Hochalpenstraße
• Passo dello Stelvio - 2757 m.
• Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße
• Gerlos - Krimml - Großglockner
• Neuschwanstein and Hahntennjoch, 1894 m.
• Imst rain dawn

Over to Germany via the Fernpass (1216 m.), which was a traffic jam. Neuschwanstein was of course a tourist trap but worth a quick revisit. A break for Kaffe und Küchen in the Lechtal, the valley of the river Lech; the guy running it told me I should get a Harley... Then back to Imst in Austria via the Hahntennjoch pass road, which comes down just behind the hotel where we are staying. There’s a 60 km/hr speed limit for much of the south side, which was being enforced. Some more sunshine would have been welcome (it was just 9°C at the Hahntennjoch summit, 1894 m.) but an interesting independent ride despite this morning’s wet start.

• Arlberg Pass and Silvretta Hochalpenstraße
• Passo dello Stelvio - 2757 m.
• Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße
• Gerlos - Krimml - Großglockner
• Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo, 2509 m.
• Imst rain dawn

Wait and see dawn on our first morning in Imst: Church bells since 0600 so not much chance of oversleeping. 210 bikers given a fantastic welcome on arrival yesterday at the GLME Summercamp 2017 by our hosts here in Austria in lederhose and the hotel staff inTyrolean costume. Unfortunately the weather hasn’t joined in the welcome: I rode the Brenner Pass in a thunderstorm and rain which continued down to Innsbruck. And there’s been more rain overnight with the street lights staying on because of the darkness. The organised runs are departing to scheule but I'm enjoying a slow first morning waiting for the drizzle clouds to clear a bit and the high pressure weather to return.

• Großglockner-Hochalpenstraße
• Gerlos - Krimml - Großglockner
• Timmelsjoch / Passo del Rombo, 2509 m.
• Neuschwanstein and Hahntennjoch, 1894 m.

• Tyre change at Lake Garda
• Passo Manghen 2047 m. - Passo Brocon 1616 m. - Passo di Sommo 1341 m.
• Riva del Garda
• Colle di Tenda -1871 m.
• Ready for GLME Summercamp 2017

The beach at the lido was filling up as the tourists emerged, meanwhile replacement tyres were being fitted to my hired Z1000SX at a chic and friendly Honda dealer in the centre of Riva del Garda - the local Kawasaki dealer has gone on holiday! Tyres sorted, I’ve taken to the local hills and limestone cliffs to scrub in the new Dunlops. This is not the South Downs, nor even Provence so a quiet day is relative and my lunchtime stop was amongst the butterflies in the cool of the forest at just over 1000 m. altitude.

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