Europpomeet Alps edition

"duurtlang" (duurtlang) 07/06/2017 at 11:02 • Filed to: Europpomeet, oppomeet

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After a very successful meet at (and on) the Spa and Nurburgring tracks !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , featuring about 18 people, we decided June 2017 would be a great moment to do another meet weekend. In the Austrian/Italian/Swiss Alps this time. People of 6 different nationalities showed up. Here’s what happened.

After a number of posts on oppositelock we decided on a route and a date. It had to be somewhat limited in days and with Munich airport close by the start/end flying in was feasible. We decided on 23-25 June and initially decided to drive this roughly 1000 km route in 3 days:

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Europpomeet June 2017

Day one

Friday the 23th some of us started at the Hahntenjoch (Hahnten mountain pass) in Austria, northwest of the start on the map above. Most didn’t though, due to time constraints we skipped the first hour and went straight to the Austrian town of Imst, on a parking lot next to a super market and a fast food place. This was our ‘official’ starting point.

The parking lot where we all met.

The trip started well. It didn’t take long before our brakes were put to the test. A cow decided to cross the road, right when we were about to pass. It wouldn’t be the last cows we encountered on our trip.

After about an hour and a half we arrived at a town named Mieders, where we used the lift to go up the mountain. We took an alternative way to go back to our cars though. Because of the very strict no-pictures (and no go-pro) policy there are no pictures we made, but internet can be a valuable source of media. The top of the lift had a restaurant, where we had a very Austrian lunch.

At the top.

The buckets to take you off the mountain individually. Not my picture.

The video above shows how we went down the mountain. It was a lot of fun for the first half. We then encountered an obese babyboomer couple in front of us going incredibly slow, spoiling the fun for the rest of us. I did feel bad for the husband (who was behind his wife) though. For being married to something so scared/scary.

After lunch and the trip down the mountain we continued on to the Penserjoch in (the German speaking part of) Italy. On top of the Pensenserjoch the newly purchased 1990 Opel Senator (with its 3.0 24V straight six, which was the basis for the legendary Lotus Omega/Carlton) showed its first signs of not being able to deal with engine heat all that well. It decided to let some coolant escape from the reservoir. It was to be an omen for things to come...

You can see the water vapor coming from the hood and the coolant dripping below the headlight.

Note the puddle of coolant on the dirt.

Out of solidarity for the GM boat others decided to open their hood (or frunk) as well.

Amazingly the Senator was the only one with gas struts.

After adding some distilled water to the Senator we went on our way. We took a ‘short cut’ detour via the little mountain villages Oberinn and Kastelruth because google maps showed that the roads there looked interesting. And they were! Unlike the previous roads that had some tourists, these roads were empty . The roads were only driven by locals living in the mountain villages. And us.

Roads tended to be narrow

Even though there were no tourists we still couldn’t avoid the shit the locals drove

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The Google Maps insert above shows average roads through this part of the trip.

It was about 8 pm at this time so we decided to skip the Dolomite loop from our route and go straight to the hotel. But not before taking one last mountain pas; the Sellapas.

On the Sella pas.

View on the left side from the perspective of the previous picture (shot from the same parking lot).

We arrived at the hotel in Campitello di Fasso somewhere between 9 and 10 pm. This meant it was time for pizza. And German beer.

Diner. Note that Italian pizzas aren’t as suited to eating without utensils as the bulky American ones.

Day two

The next morning started with a relaxed breakfast buffet in the hotel. Given our experience from the previous day we decided to cut the route for this day short. The Senator would also skip one of the more strenuous mountain passes due to its tendency to overheat and its sketchy brakes.

View from the hotel in the morning

Breakfast buffet. Given the March meet Bacon was mandatory.

At the gas station parking lot

The trip between breakfast and lunch didn’t yield any pictures that I could find, it also was relatively boring with lots of slow tourists clogging up the streets. There were many R8s, 911s and other flashy cars driven by old men though.

We were somehow more interested in the trunk capacity of the mk1 MR2 than in this Porsche

Shortly after lunch

Later in the day the roads became even more interesting.

We eventually drove up the Gavio pas in the direction of Stelvio. As this is a famous pas we encountered many cyclists. They seemed a bit suicidal to me, but what do I know?

Zoom in to see the cyclists

The CEL in the Megane went on. Something with the injection. The OBDII reader couldn’t find a fault. Bad Italian fuel?

While we were waiting for the rest of the pack we resorted to taking pictures.

Some flowers...

Bikes, a photographing ass and, yes, an Alfa Romeo Stelvio. At (almost) Stelvio. It had Belgian plates.

Snow/ice. Despite the tshirt/shorts temperature.

The other finally caught up.

This location was a great location to take some pictures of the cars. Yes, the GLA was a rental. I’ve sat in all cars and if we ignore the broken seat in the Senator the seats in the brand new GLA were the worst imho. They seemed to be designed for the obese; the seats were bolstered, but the distance between the bolsters was so wide I slid from side to side while cornering. With the seat in the lowest position my hair would still hit the headliner. The car was clearly designed for shorter fatter people than me. But I digress.

Time for something to drink next to a wooden statue of a big alpine marmot.

Oddly enough I suddenly recognized an old friend who had just cycled up that mountain. Small world, I guess. He was doing a similar thing as what we were doing, but on a bicycle. One central hotel and cycling long loops each day. To each their own I guess.

And on we went.

At the hotel that evening the Senator had problems again. This time it was worse.

Hotel on the left, incontinent Senator on the right.

It turned out one of the radiator hoses had ruptured. Probably because the electric fan in front of the radiator wasn’t working so it rapidly overheated after the engine was switched off. As we didn’t have spare hoses and it was Saturday night in the middle of nowhere on top of a mountain in Italy we weren’t going to get this fixed. So the German ADAC was called, and a flatbed showed up during diner.

After diner a few of us went up the Stelvio when it was getting dark. No cyclists in the dark, that was nice. We did pass a Citroën 2CV going downhill though. The roads themselves weren’t as fun as what we’d become used to. Too many slow hairpins.

Day three

Day three started with horrible weather. Lots of rain. Quite the opposite to the excellent weather we enjoyed the days before. After breakfast we said goodbye to mister mk1 MR2 driving !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! . He had to go back to Hungary, so he created his own route that allowed him scenic and spirited drives while allowing himself to be at work the next day.

He shot the following video. It’s in Hungarian.

The rest of us went towards the Swiss border. A few hundred meters from our hotel (way up the mountains) the tax-free zone surrounding !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! in Italy started. This is where we found the Senator still on the flatbed and, from our perspective, amazingly cheap gasoline. Gasoline in Germany is about €1.30 a liter, in Italy it was about €1.50-1.60, but here it was €0.98 a liter. An utter bargain. Yet, when you calculate that the pre-tax price in the taxed areas is around €0.50 a liter, you can imagine the Italians in the tax free zone are making a huge profit.

€0.98 for a liter of gasoline. 0.83 for diesel.

The Senator had a hell of a view. The picture doesn’t do the immense dept any justice.

After not finding anyone at the tow shop that had the Senator and leaving a note reading ‘please don’t fix it’ (as in: have it towed to Germany free of charge, so we don’t have to come back for the fixed car) we left for the Berninapas in Switzerland.

On the Berninapas in Switzerland

“Suckler cows protect their calves - keep your distance, please!”

For Lunch we stopped at a little mountain village. The village was cute, the pizzas were decent and the lunch bill was draconian. Welcome to Switzerland. Pizzas were about 3 times as expensive as in Italy.

Our restaurant had odd ash trays at the toilets. Finding an ashtray at a toilet is something I can’t remember ever finding to begin with (I was born in the 80s...), but these had a design I hadn’t come across just yet. Every toilet had one. They were clever though, and perfectly suited for up to 6 smokers pissing in the same toilet at the same time. I can’t image what those Swiss did some decades ago, but I bet it was interesting . The whole area was rather vintage, the door posts were about as high as my nose.

The ashtray

At a parking lot on the Albulapas the rental Mercedes momvan was taken offroad slightly. The Scandinavians in the camper van that parked next to it found it amusing, so mission accomplished I guess. It’s a crossover, so it’s designed for offroad use, right?

Offroading Mercedes. All these 3 ...

... pictures...

... were taken on the same parking lot.

Soon after the Megane left us. Back to France it went. We went on, to the Swiss/Austrian border town of Martina GR. The mk3 MR2 continued with its Alps trip, the rental Mercedes went to the Munich airport (including Senator owner) and the BRZ went to the south of Munich.

The place were we split up. Can anyone identify the tiny van-like thing next to the Volvo 240?

The route we actually drove in the end. The original route was (probably) great, but too long to actually do in 3 days including the trip from/to home/Munich to and from the start/end. 4 days would’ve been more appropriate, maybe 5.

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Europpomeet June 2017 - 2

What’s next?

I guess it’s safe to say this trip was a success. It, together with the one at Spa and the Nürburgring this March, will hopefully be the start of a series. I would like to ask those that participated what they thought went well and what needs improvement. I’d also like to ask others to contribute ideas.

All pictures either by me or !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!!

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > duurtlang 06/28/2017 at 14:20

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Still jealous.

Clemsie McKenzie > duurtlang 07/04/2017 at 03:47

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That looked like one hell of a trip! Can’t wait for our baconmeet next year...

Illegitimus Prime > duurtlang 07/04/2017 at 06:06

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Damn, looks like I missed out on another one. I’ll have to get in one one of these eventually.

pip bip - choose Corrour > duurtlang 07/04/2017 at 07:33

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awesome trip!

Nauraushaun > duurtlang 07/04/2017 at 19:55

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I feel like the MR2s are making fun of the other cars in the lead pic

duurtlang > Nauraushaun 07/05/2017 at 08:56

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They tried to show solidarity. It can be interpreted as mild mocking though.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem 07/06/2017 at 03:56

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Why are you grey?

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 03:57

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Next time I won’t miss it... Winter time is very good for me btw ;)

duurtlang > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 07/06/2017 at 03:59

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Any suggestions for a location?

duurtlang > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 07/06/2017 at 04:01

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I posted it on my personal blog first, when I wasn’t done writing the last day. He replied when it wasn’t on oppositelock yet.

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 04:09

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Looks like you guys had an awesome trip! Next time I’ll definitely try to join.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 04:54

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North Africa. Hire car desert rally.

THShorn92 - Left his car in America > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 05:09

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I will make one of these eventually!

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 05:27

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Still jealous I couldn’t make this one. I’ve been trying to think of similar things to do in the UK, but all the roads here are so crowded. In the South East at least where I know things. Perhaps I should look out a little further...

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 07/06/2017 at 05:39

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YES!! That sounds awesome!

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/06/2017 at 06:09

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Flights are cheap, accomodation is cheap, roads are shitty - but who cares? We’re in the fastest cars and most indestructible cars in the world!

Chinny Raccoon > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/06/2017 at 06:20

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I’d very briefly started on it but got busy with work. Lots more roads in Scotland that are worth adding.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=11NyPNkLFhEy8KeRGl92AYttJBs4&usp=sharing

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 07/06/2017 at 06:41

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So, Dusters and Samurais/Jimnys it is then?

duurtlang > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/06/2017 at 07:03

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If he comes we’ll have to put mr Canard in a Jimny. He absolutely adores them, mostly because his hated ex drove one.

duurtlang > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/06/2017 at 07:06

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We’d need a place that’s somewhat easy to reach (cheap airline tickets to an airfield nearby?), fun to drive roads that aren’t too crowded and places to stay that won’t break the bank. If the Brits on here are able to figure something like that out in the UK, it would be great!

BvdV - The Dutch Engineer > 4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 07/06/2017 at 07:07

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Sounds like a good idea! Curious if the rentals will survive though...

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/06/2017 at 07:17

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You read my mind, a Jimny was what I was thinking . It’d be a riot.

4muddyfeet - bare knuckle with an EZ30 > BvdV - The Dutch Engineer 07/06/2017 at 07:18

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That’s half of the fun

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 07:52

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That would be ideal yeah :) it’s the ‘aren’t too crowded’ and ‘easy to reach’ things that are tricky. I suppose the West Country has some really nice twisty roads and some kickass scenery that isn’t massively touristy. You could probably get a plane to Bristol, and it being in the South it’s not too far to drive from Northern Europe.

Shall see what I can come up with :)

William Byrd > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 09:33

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That’s fantastic, thanks for sharing!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 11:45

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NOOOOO WHY DID YOU EAT PIZZA WITH A FORK??? When I got pizza in Italy earlier this year, I only used the knife to cut the pizza into slices and then picked it up and ate it like a real American. If I tried eating pizza at home with a fork, I would be yelled at like I was some sort of villain.

Anyways, this looks like such an awesome trip I am jealous. Definitely want to try to make one in the future. Just have to convince my girlfriend its a good idea instead of spending the week in London or relaxing in Siena doing wine tasting.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > duurtlang 07/06/2017 at 11:53

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Flights to London from NY are among the cheapest out of any US to Europe. Norwegian has some really good flights, I think including London. I imagine you need to go a good ways north out of the city to get to enjoyable roads. But it would be a fun road trip with some city time spent on either end to make a nice vacation. 

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/06/2017 at 12:07

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Tuscany has great roads, so why not both? (We’ll join in on the wine too though)

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires 07/06/2017 at 12:09

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We could do Wales, that’s surely as foreign to the Brits as it is to us Euro folk. Also Mach Loop.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/06/2017 at 12:42

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Now that’s a brilliant idea :) i’ll have a look into it!

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Out, but with a W - has found the answer 07/06/2017 at 12:49

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Oh yeah, we found some fun roads going from Siena to Florence. Although google maps wasnt very clear about which ones were paved so we ended up driving through a few miles of dirt a couple of times.

The view from our Airbnb though was the best!

Out, but with a W - has found the answer > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) 07/06/2017 at 12:53

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Looks amazing!