4th International BMW C1 Meeting

Friday 11 June · from Clusone to Hombrechtikon

I left Clusone on Friday 11/06 at 10:00, bound for Hombrechtikon via the Vivione Pass (BG), Aprica Pass, Bernina Pass, Albula Pass, Thusis (where it started raining), Chur, Sargans, Pfaffikon and Jona. I reached Hombrechtikon at around 20:00 in pouring rain…

The organisation was perfect: registration, information packs, meal and accommodation vouchers, and name badges to wear around our necks. Dinner was in the community hall, followed by a move to a dedicated C1 parking area outside the village so as not to disturb its peace and quiet.

That night I slept (slept?) in a sleeping bag at a civil protection facility, complete with an underground nuclear shelter… Unfortunately, on my left was a German participant weighing at least 120 kg, and on my right someone only a little lighter. They seemed to be competing to see who could snore the loudest. I can assure you that the roar of my C1 starting up is nothing compared with the sounds coming from those two… Andrea (from Padua) and Gigi (from Pordenone) also arrived during the night.

Saturday 12 June · Lake Zurich and the Alpine passes

Anyway, I was up at 5:00. After breakfast we all met at the parking area, where the planned tour was due to start.

We rode to Meilen, took the ferry across Lake Zurich and headed for Einsiedeln — naturally, not by the shortest route, but through a series of little villages and along hilly roads.

In Einsiedeln, the gathering was entered in the Guinness records as the largest meeting of BMW motorcycles, with 128 participants. After a parade through the town (a lovely place — I’ll return as a tourist), we headed for Schwyz, home of event sponsor Victorinox, via the Ibergeregg Pass. Take the shortest route? Never!

We ate a hot (?) meal on our C1s to stay at least a little dry, courtesy of the sponsor, visited the Victorinox shop and then set off for Andermatt.

The original plan was to split into two groups at Wassen: the basic group would go straight to Andermatt, while the expert group would tackle the Susten, Grimsel and Furka passes before joining them there. Because of the bad weather, however, the organisers decided to take everyone to Andermatt and decide what to do once there.

In Andermatt, where Marco and Stefano joined us, we opted for a shorter ride as the weather was truly awful, while other participants took shelter in their hotels. Even the short ride included three demanding passes: Furka (2429 m above sea level), Nufenen (2478 m) and St Gotthard (2108 m). Lots of hairpins (almost all without barriers), rain, cold, snow — and then a magnificent rainbow!

Finally, descending St Gotthard, we were “flying on instruments” in extremely thick fog. It was perhaps the hardest part of the entire trip: I experienced what aviators call spatial disorientation! By proceeding very slowly, we made it back to Andermatt in one piece. Dinner in the warmth and a pleasant evening together restored our energy and good spirits.

Sunday 13 June · back to Italy

The next day, Sunday, we Italians said goodbye to the group, which was heading north to Hombrechtikon. To avoid riding the same roads twice, and because it was still raining, we decided to return to Italy through the St Gotthard tunnel, then take the motorway to Lugano. There we enjoyed a relaxed lunch, finally in warm sunshine after two days of rain, before everyone headed home.

Total distance: 920 km, with 13,000-and-something metres of elevation change. Almost no serious problems, plenty of fun, and an even stronger desire to do it all again next year.

Meanwhile, I’m planning a ride around Clusone by September: four or five passes in a day, with stops at the most characteristic and scenic spots. Here is a small taste of what you could see.

So get ready and practise those bends!

See you soon
Stefano T.