Higher Ground Tour 2022 - an ultimate experience for machine and mind

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

wow! There must be good spots and roads for you guys to drive! I understand that perhaps and considering the geography size of things that isn't that easy to find the ideal road. 3500km is way far but it is what it is.
Anyway if you ever travel or plan to come Europe and ride some of the local roads give a shout and some of us i'm certain will be happy to meet you. I will take the same consideration traveling to US that should happen over the next years. Will be my third time in US soil and for that one I want to run something special.

What nice and generous offer. Very friendly of you. The thing to do would have been to take delivery of my car at BMW. But that came and went. Shipping it back, then back here again is just TOO much.
There are some nice spots to drive here but for me they are not close.
I'm looking at minimum 500km to any decent scenery. Southern Ontario is very developed. Lots of highways but not a lot of fun to drive. They get you places and that's about it.
The good part is that if you like wide open spaces we have lot in abundance. The 3 prairie provinces are a long stretch of nothing until you go north. Then the roads are very limited. In Canada if you go to where the roads are interesting you will find them quite isolated as well.

[dutchm2]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

What nice and generous offer. Very friendly of you. The thing to do would have been to take delivery of my car at BMW. But that came and went. Shipping it back, then back here again is just TOO much.
There are some nice spots to drive here but for me they are not close.
I'm looking at minimum 500km to any decent scenery. Southern Ontario is very developed. Lots of highways but not a lot of fun to drive. They get you places and that's about it.
The good part is that if you like wide open spaces we have lot in abundance. The 3 prairie provinces are a long stretch of nothing until you go north. Then the roads are very limited. In Canada if you go to where the roads are interesting you will find them quite isolated as well.

You're very welcome! Actually I was more meaning in case you come to Europe - perhaps renting a local car and run a trip. I wouldn't be loading my car to the other side of the world tbh as well. Anyway everything is possible nowadays

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

You're very welcome! Actually I was more meaning in case you come to Europe - perhaps renting a local car and run a trip. I wouldn't be loading my car to the other side of the world tbh as well. Anyway everything is possible nowadays

Do you think it's possible to rent an M8 in Europe? I'm sure I'd be knock out at the daily cost....lol
But what a dream trip for me. My wife...not much......"slow down" is all I would her.
Better not as she's not into fast or dangerous. I'll come alone.....hahaha
Sneak out one evening.

[dutchm2]

Originally Posted by M8Bimmer

Do you think it's possible to rent an M8 in Europe? I'm sure I'd be knock out at the daily cost....lol
But what a dream trip for me. My wife...not much......"slow down" is all I would her.
Better not as she's not into fast or dangerous. I'll come alone.....hahaha
Sneak out one evening.

It would be awesome if you could teleport here for a few days during the tour

About the rent of a M8 it's a bit insane

[dutchm2]

Julier Pass, one of Switzerland’s most scenic roads🇨🇭 with high an elevation of 2.284m. In 2009 the road was rebuilt to reduce the number of serpentine turns. We're wondering about the weather forecast will be but here's a sneak peak of different scenarios.

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

Day 4: Maloja Pass🇨🇭 with an elevation of 1.815m (5,955ft) by itself a great road as you go from fast flowing corners to an incredible structure climbing up the mountain to finish in the valley along the Maloja lake.

That is one pass i've yet to drive. Can't wait.

[mjn77]

Handy website for checking the weather on the Stelvio....

https://pirovano.it/en/webcam-stelvio/

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

70 kilometers of outstanding drive! No wonder scenes of the 007 Goldfinger movie were shot here, the Furka Pass🏔 is one of the most impressive Alpine crossings in Switzerland🇨🇭, if not the world. 2431 meters / 7975 ft above sea level

If there is time, might be worth going in the ice cave / glacier.

[M8Bimmer]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

It would be awesome if you could teleport here for a few days during the tour

About the rent of a M8 it's a bit insane

Yikes.....omg. Yes that's a lot per day.
$1280. CAD $.....Starting to look cheaper to ship it back and forth. Not that I would.
Really the deal BMW offers to pick up at their BMW center is a good deal.
Drive around and they ship it to you here when your done. Even insurance for the first few weeks. Shipping is the same as I paid to get it here anyway. So that would have been a good deal really.

[dutchm2]

Originally Posted by mjn77

That is one pass i've yet to drive. Can't wait.

[dutchm2]

Originally Posted by mjn77

Handy website for checking the weather on the Stelvio....

https://pirovano.it/en/webcam-stelvio/

Noted. Thanks!

[dutchm2]

During Day 4 we'll be also by Albula Pass🇨🇭 ‐ A wonderful pass with a lot of variety: trees, sharp curves, cows.. ride this one!

[mjn77]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

Noted. Thanks!

And this one for the Grossglockner. I know we aren't going, but still a good webcam.

https://edelweissspitze.panomax.com/

[dutchm2]

Originally Posted by mjn77

And this one for the Grossglockner. I know we aren't going, but still a good webcam.

https://edelweissspitze.panomax.com/

Been there already it's indeed a great spot!

[dutchm2]

Still rollin Day 4 is Bernina Pass🇨🇭 ‐ We'll be having a love/hate affair with the Bernina Pass. The view is basically great but there's too
much things that ruin it at the same time. Frequent speed controls on this road, we know all about it...

[dutchm2]

Bormio – Passo Della Stelvio🇮🇹 /// This is where we end up our beautiful Day 4 journey. The Bormio side from the Stelvio is probably not the best known but for us it's the nicer side. We'll really like the road, probably as it seems like it's less busy on this side. Surface is acceptable.
Watch out for mountain goats crossing the road.🦌

[dutchm2]

Day 5 - Stelvio Pass (Passo dello Stelvio, Stilfser Joch) in Italy is one of the most famous driving roads in Europe – and the world. It is the highest paved road in the Eastern Alps with an elevation of 2,757m above sea level, and the second highest paved road in the whole Alps. With around 60 hairpins in total it is a road that ended up on many road trip enthusiasts bucket lists after they saw the iconic Top Gear episode ‘In search of driving heaven’, with Jeremy Clarkson concluding that Stelvio Pass was “the greatest driving road in the world”.

[dutchm2]

During our Day 5 we expect to have loads of fun! The roads and scenery in Switzerland will give us a pleasant journey and we will accomplish the day arriving in the cozy town of Imst🇦🇹
Yes is expected some fun by the Alpine Coaster with high hopes which were not planned to drive 🙂

Alpine Coaster crazy times:


Val-Mustair:




Ims🇦🇹t:

[dutchm2]

Countdown

[mjn77]

Oh yeah!!!

[filmo2000]

Originally Posted by joao.toscano

Day 4: Maloja Pass🇨🇭 with an elevation of 1.815m (5,955ft) by itself a great road as you go from fast flowing corners to an incredible structure climbing up the mountain to finish in the valley along the Maloja lake.

[dutchm2]

For such a trip we will look forward to be supplied with some tools that will help us to engage each other. This set of walkies-talkies hopefully will do the job. Does anyone have experience with such specially on high altitude scene?

Any feedback is welcome!

Motorola Talkabout T82 Extreme Walkie Talkies, Twin Pack, B8P00811YDEMAG, 20 x 5 x 3 cm