It’s been 25 years since my first – and solely – on-road bike tour with my father, a two-week Edelweiss tour by the Mediterranean Alps. It was the journey of a lifetime, an unimaginable journey for that fortunate 9-year-old child who discovered a Honda XR75 in entrance of the Christmas tree within the late ’70s.
Rising up in Southern California, my buddies and I all rode dirtbikes. We thought an enormous loop was ripping round our campsite in Crimson Rock Canyon within the Mojave Desert. As I obtained somewhat older, I turned extra considering chasing waves and pursuing a images profession. Pops hung out on streetbikes, exploring backroads all around the western U.S. and Canada together with his sport-touring buddies.
Bikes have all the time been a connecting level with Dad and me: within the storage, on the paths, and on the streets. It continues to today, though his using days are behind him. When EIC Drevenstedt requested if I needed to return to the Alps on one other Edelweiss tour, my baggage had been packed earlier than he completed the query.
The 15-day Edelweiss Grand Alps Tour goes by Austria, France, Italy, Lichtenstein, and Switzerland, with 10 using days and three relaxation days bookended by arrival and departure days. Highlights embody Italy’s Stelvio Move, which is known for its switchbacks; France’s Col de l’Iseran, the best paved go within the Alps; and Austria’s Grossglockner Excessive Alpine Street.
Associated: Edelweiss Bike Journey 2025-26 Catalog Now Obtainable
What makes the Alps so distinctive is that, within the span of half an hour, you possibly can experience by vertical rock sections with a number of tunnels whereas viewing alpine lakes, forests, meadows, orchards, and villages after which descend alongside chalky blue glacial rivers to a valley flooring surrounded by towering peaks protecting many of the horizon. It’s an unimaginable rush using a 145-hp bike on roller-coaster roads, generally with no guardrails or limitations, nothing however crisp mountain air between you and cliffs that drop into nothingness.
Superior Austria
The Edelweiss Grand Alps Tour kicked off within the charming alpine village of Seefeld, Austria, not removed from Edelweiss’ headquarters in Mieming. Our group of 10 included guides Peter and Franziska, seven riders, and one passenger. Seven of us had been from the U.S. and one man, Bin, was from China. Though Edelweiss rents many manufacturers of bikes, all of us rode BMWs – three of us on the newest R 1300 GS, three on smaller GS fashions, and one on an R 1250 RT. The guides arrange a bunch in WhatsApp (a free messaging app) so we may all talk and share photographs.
After a welcome briefing and dinner on the arrival day, we started our first using day with a hearty breakfast after which obtained packed, equipped, and able to roll. Peter briefed us on the day’s itinerary and suggested us there was rain within the forecast. All bikes are geared up with saddlebags and a high trunk for carrying additional layers, raingear, and many others.
My nerves had been tingling with pleasure as we eased out our clutches. I flashed again to my first Alps tour 25 years in the past: On the primary day, anyone’s improperly connected saddlebag flew off their bike, ricocheted off a rock wall, and exploded, spilling the contents in entrance of me. That was a freak prevalence, and this time we arrived trouble-free for an espresso cease on a big wood deck at Kühtai, a ski resort perched on a saddle between two valleys surrounded by towering peaks.
The roller-coaster experience started in earnest with a curvy descent right into a lush, slender valley, adopted by a climb to a small go and one other winding descent. Subsequent up was 6,214-ft Hahntennjoch (joch means “yoke” in German and is much like “go” in English) and Flexen Move (5,817 ft), the place we rode by avalanche tunnels often known as “galleries” as a result of they’re open on one facet.
After an action-packed day of using, we arrived in Galtür, one other Austrian ski village. With just a few hours of sunshine left, I rented a mountain bike and pedaled even increased into the mountains. I may hear cowbells however couldn’t see any cows attributable to low clouds, and I occurred upon a ravishing alpine lake. To get again to the resort in dinner time, I dropped right into a downhill bicycle run that was prepped to perfection, ending off with a raised wood roller-coaster characteristic. What a fantastic first day!
The following day we realized {that a} landslide had closed the Silvretta Excessive Alpine Street, stopping us from visiting Liechtenstein. The scenario strengthened the posh of letting the professionals navigate. The guides know the perfect roads in addition to the perfect methods to detour round obstacles or dangerous climate, permitting us to concentrate on the curves and the surroundings.
Tremendous Switzerland
We spent the morning navigating deep canyons and postcard-perfect villages in Austria earlier than crossing into Switzerland, the place we loved a tasty lakeside lunch atop Flüela Move (7,818 ft). The climate warmed up, and the route and vistas delivered all the wonder the Swiss Alps are identified for. Throughout a mid-afternoon break, the gelato tasted even higher due to the scenic location.
We labored our approach towards Andermatt, the place we’d spend two nights. Simply exterior city, a bunch of motorcyclists had been camped in a lush inexperienced discipline, and the photographer in me famous the solar dipping past the horizon line of snow-capped mountains. It was getting ridiculous – all the pieces I noticed seemed like a film set!
After an evening of deep sleep in a cool open-windowed room, I used to be awoken by the wonderful sound of the historic clock tower. It was an optionally available relaxation day, however most of us couldn’t go up one other epic day of using that included 5 excessive alpine passes – Furka, Grimsel, Susten, Gotthard, and Nufenen. Starting from 6,900 to eight,100 ft, they provided dizzying panoramic views, pristine alpine lakes, towering snowcapped peaks, steep-walled granite canyons, and slender forest roads. Jason from California, Caleb from Vermont, and I chased one another up, down, and round countless switchbacks, all white knuckles and large grins.
Implausible France
On our option to France, we summited Furka Move once more, however nobody was complaining. It was a heat day spent using by the large, lush valley carved by the chalky-blue Rhône River, the day gone by’s excessive passes changed with boulevards and roundabouts, and the snowcapped mountains changed by vineyards on terraced foothills. After lunch at a roadside pizzeria, we rode by bustling Chamonix, a well-known winter-sports metropolis.
We spent the night time in Saint-Gervais-les-Bains, a small city close to Chamonix that sits on the base of the Mont Blanc massif. We loved a bunch dinner on the patio of our stylish resort, the place our waiter served cheese-wheel pasta to a younger couple on a date and an aspiring vocalist sang an eyebrow-raising rendition of “Wonderful Grace.” Excusez-moi, monsieur – make it a double!
The following day we took on a sequence of excessive passes which can be on the Tour de France. We warmed up with Col des Saisies (5,436 ft) and continued to Col de la Madeleine (6,539 ft), the place we had a incredible out of doors lunch. One other beauty of touring with Edelweiss is that they know the perfect locations to eat, eliminating the tourist-trap guesswork.
After lunch, we continued climbing and descending: Col du Télégraphe (5,138 ft), Col du Galibier (8,668 ft), and Col du Lautaret (6,752 ft). The tops of the passes had been lined in graffiti from Tour de France races, the place the world’s finest bicycle racers pedal their approach up steep climbs by a sea of crazed followers, smoke bombs, and waving flags.
Late within the afternoon, we arrived in Briançon, the place we stayed at a captivating previous resort for 2 nights. On our free day, Bin and I rented bicycles, him on a pedal-only roadbike and me on an electric-assist mountain bike. Like Tour de France wannabes, we climbed to the summit of Col du Galibier, using 52 miles with 6,100 ft of elevation acquire.
The following day, again on the BMWs and completely happy to commerce pedal energy for fuel energy, we rode to the distinctive and rugged stone ski village of Bonneval-Sur-Arc for a hearty lunch on the base of the Col de l’Iseran, the king of excessive alpine passes at 9,068 ft. On the climb as much as the summit and the steep dive down the opposite facet, we had been surrounded by panorama that seemed rugged, uncooked, and untouched, with layered mountain peaks and ridge traces extending to the horizon in each course.
A spotlight of the day was using by a gallery tunnel with a waterfall crashing over the open facet. Being contained in the waterfall felt like being within the tube of a wave at Hawaii’s well-known Banzai Pipeline. Gnarly, dude! And I wanted I used to be carrying board shorts and flip-flops once we ended our day in Aosta, Italy, the place it was 100 F.
Spectacular Italy
From Aosta, Franziska led us by the Dora Baltea River valley. We met Peter on the shore of Lago d’Orta, the place he had arrange a picnic of various meats, cheeses, fruits, salad, bread, and chilly drinks. After lunch we crossed Lago Maggiore by ferry. I may have spent the whole day exploring the picturesque lake lined with stunning villages, however we had using to do. Again on strong floor, we tackled an impossibly twisty and slender supermoto-style backroad by a cover of timber. Our day ended again in Switzerland, at a ritzy resort within the lakeside city of Lugano.
The following day we rode again into Italy, and the hits saved coming. Stunningly stunning Lake Como. Splügen Move (6,934 ft), a real feat of engineering with a mind-blowing part that has an extremely compact set of switchbacks. After which an in a single day at a contemporary resort in Livigno, the place you may discover your zen on the spa or elevate your heartrate on a shiny purple Ducati mountain bike.
A sequence of sizzling days light in our rearview mirrors, and we welcomed the cooler air. Subsequent on the hit record was the enduring Stelvio Move (9,045 ft) and its 48 hairpins. Franziska turned us free for a run to the summit at our personal tempo. Caleb and I leapfrogged our approach by visitors with one targeted, calculated go after one other till we discovered a stretch of open street.
Although it was midweek, there was fairly a scene on the high, with rows of attention-grabbing bikes, meals carts, memento outlets, eating places, inns, unique vehicles, and heaps of bicyclists. Whereas taking photographs from an overlook, we heard the wonderful sound of a pair of 2-stroke supermotos ripping up the mountain.
We continued to Gavia Move (8,599 ft), which had much less visitors and nicer pavement, so we loved a greater movement. Our group was small and agile, and we attacked every go like a swiftly transferring college of barracuda. We had been all impressed by Samantha, Caleb’s mom from rural Vermont, who was holding her personal regardless of having just one yr of using expertise.
Our third relaxation day was in Bozen. 4 of us adopted Peter on a half-day loop by the incomparable jagged peaks of the Dolomites. Visitors was mild, and the quick sweepers had been a pleasant change of tempo from the point-and-shoot curves we’d been using in prior days. By the point we reached Lavaze Move (5,932 ft), I used to be utterly bought on the Dolomites. Nice roads and incredible surroundings.
Extra using within the Dolomites the following day, thanks very a lot, adopted by one other out of doors picnic lunch subsequent to the deep blue waters of Lago di Misurina. As quickly as we dropped our kickstands, the climate began to show. Thunderstorms rumbled within the close by mountains, and it frivolously rained throughout our al fresco lunch.
We crossed again into Austria on our option to the Grossglockner Excessive Alpine Street. It was raining once we paid our toll, and shortly we had been using into the clouds. It doesn’t rain a lot in my residence state of California, so the situations had been a deal with. As we labored our option to the highest, I targeting clean traces and inputs as moist rooster tails sprayed off our rear tires.
After using by a brief tunnel close to the highest, we popped out the opposite facet into a whole deluge. Inside seconds I felt water operating into my gloves and boots, down my neck, and thru open vents. My faceshield was open, and I used it like a visor to see higher, rain bouncing off all the pieces and spraying me within the face. Sheets of water ran throughout the street, however I used to be extra involved with the professional cameras in my backpack. All of us made it down the opposite facet and to our resort in a single piece, and my cameras survived.
Parting is Such Candy Sorrow
For the higher a part of two weeks, we all the time had days of nice using forward of us – new roads, new sights, and new experiences. However we had lastly come to the ultimate day, and it greeted us with extra rain. The spotlight was the Zillertaler Excessive Street, a 30-mile panoramic route by the Zillertal Alps. There’s by no means a uninteresting second when dodging moist cow pies and manhole covers whereas attempting to not get distracted by the attractive panorama that’s all the time attempting to lure consideration away from the street. Within the higher sections, it was like we had been flying in a small airplane, with time-lapse clouds revealing and obscuring the dramatic mountain views.
We squeezed all the pieces we may out of the previous couple of hours on backroads that join charming little villages. Swirling in my head had been pictures of all we’d seen and skilled over the previous two weeks. Driving among the similar excessive passes within the Alps that Dad and I rode a long time in the past opened the floodgates of recollections, and sharing the journey’s photographs with him once I obtained residence was a particular expertise.
The Edelweiss Grand Alps Tour was an outstanding 15-day, 2,000-mile alpine journey. Prime-notch guides, state-of-the-art bikes, and an addicting combine of wonderful roads, epic surroundings, diversified cultural experiences, delicacies, and group camaraderie. I didn’t need the tour to finish, and I’m already plotting my return to the Alps – however I gained’t wait one other 25 years subsequent time!
The Edelweiss Grand Alps Tour will run twice in 2025: July 27-August 10 and September 21-October 5. For extra info, go to the Edelweiss Bike Journey web site.
See all of Rider‘s worldwide touring tales right here.
Contributing Photographer Kevin Wing’s photographs first appeared in Rider’s February 1994 problem, for a check of the Suzuki RF600R. He has shot for many main bike publications and producers.
