Above the Stelvio: a sea of cloud and glaciated peaks

26 Sep – 4 Oct 2026

Across the Alps by Motorcycle

Five days over the passes with a friend who had ridden across Eurasia

958 km2,758 m8 passesBMW R 1250 GS

A few years ago, a friend from my university club quit his job. He wanted to ride a motorcycle around the world.

In May 2026 he left Japan alone, taking the ferry from Sakaiminato to Vladivostok and heading west. He rode some 27,000 km across Eurasia, and five months later he was approaching Germany.

I took a week of paid leave and flew to Munich to meet him. I rented a BMW R 1250 GS (low suspension) near the airport and we rode the Alps together for three days: the rock towers of the Dolomites, the Stelvio Pass above the clouds. It became a trip I will never forget.

Elevation profileTogether (Day 1–3)Solo (Day 4–5)
DAY 1DAY 2DAY 3DAY 4DAY 5

Terrain elevation about every 1 km along the route (Copernicus DEM). Pass heights are official figures.

Route

MÜNCHEN · DOLOMITI · STELVIO · ENGADIN · FÜSSEN

Together (Day 1–3)Solo (Day 4–5)© OpenFreeMap © OpenMapTiles © OpenStreetMap contributors

Day by day

6 CHAPTERS

  1. PROLOGUESat 26 – Sun 27 Sep

    Meeting again in Munich

    Narita → Doha → Munich

    ✈

  2. DAY 1Mon 28 Sep

    Across two borders

    Munich → Garmisch → Innsbruck → Brenner Pass → Vipiteno

    235 kmTogether

  3. DAY 2Tue 29 Sep

    Once around the Sella

    Val Gardena → Passo Gardena → Passo Campolongo → Passo Pordoi → Passo Sella → Bolzano

    181 kmTogether

  4. DAY 3Wed 30 Sep

    The Stelvio, above the clouds

    Bolzano → Merano → Stelvio Pass → Bormio → Passo di Foscagno → Livigno

    167 kmTogether

  5. DAY 4Thu 1 Oct

    On my own

    Livigno → Munt la Schera Tunnel → Engadin → Nauders → Fern Pass → Füssen

    211 kmSolo

  6. DAY 5Fri 2 Oct

    From the swan castle to the last inn

    Füssen → Neuschwanstein Castle → Munich

    164 kmSolo