I had five days to travel and enjoy nature. It was tough to select where I would transport my BMW on two wheels. A journey to Snowdonia in north Wales was the first thing that sprang to mind. On the other side, I supported two-time world champion downhill, Danny Hart, last year and wanted to be there for him in his first world cup race in the Swiss Alps at Lenzerheide.

I’d combine the Swiss vacation with Austria and perhaps Italy. Livigno and the renowned Stevlio would accompany me on my journey. A journey I had been preparing for almost a year. Everyone seems to want to hit the corners of the famed mountain pass. It is the second-highest paved mountain pass in the Alps and the highest in the Eastern Alps.

My motorcycle was packed full of cameras and a camping kit, and I was ready to spend time in nature camping locations and appreciate the beauty in the world. I started my journey at 5 in the morning, with a first stop at the nearby fuel station to fill up my 30-litre motorcycle gasoline tank. I booked the ship the day before to head towards Wales. The intention was to take the boat from Calais, France, to Dover, England. But that morning, I truly felt I needed to travel to the mountains. I stopped at the gasoline station, began to doubt, and got a strong mountain sense. My plan altered at that time, and I started my trek towards Aachen, Germany. The complete other direction.

When I started to ride, I just had one target: to reach Austria and its magnificent Alps. I would initially traverse Belgium, reach the route of the Netherlands, and then spend 600 km on German soil. When I started to see the mountains in the wide vista, I immediately started to grin. Some photos on my road after a 600-kilometre ride.

When I reached Austria, I started to travel the little roads and go to the first smaller mountain passes. I truly appreciated the lush forest and gorgeous colours of nature. With 30 degrees Celsius, it was scorching on the asphalt, but it didn’t spoil the magnificent freedom feeling of throwing the BMW into the curvey roads.

It was more than apparent that I wasn’t the only motorbike rider on these routes. Many German bikers enjoyed, with or without a second rider, the magnificent terrain with infinite turns. I already stopped my bike near a viaduct and got some photos of a tiny mountain waterfall. Bright blue, clear water was rolling off the mountains, and already the sound of the river with the birds in the background made me feel at rest.

As the kilometres passed by, I recognised that I was starting to need to hunt for a camping spot in the valley. The evening was slowly beginning to set, and with a tent to construct and cook some meals, it would not have to lose too much time.

But there was only one more stop on a pass I needed to take. The images shown below:

I was riding a little pass; it looked to be known by many bikers, but I appreciated these dwellings and especially the scenery. It was the relatively modest city of Pfafflar. Pfafflar is located in a side valley of the Lech. The road from Pfafflar extends across the Hahntennjoch to Imst in the upper valley of the Inn. For me, seeing gorgeous wooden, handcrafted buildings with a terra vista at their threshold was a breath-taking sight.

The sight of snow on the Alps made me feel small and silent. What a beauty! This moment has been printed on my eyeballs for some time. It was a totally serene landscape. No words, only the power of nature!

I needed to find a camping place as quickly as possible and noted on my GPS a little campsite about 15 kilometres further on my road. I would give it a try. As I started to notice the camping signals, they all seemed distant. A modest nature campsite with a fish restaurant would be my first camping spot in between the huge Austrian Alps.

What an adventure! It started at 5 in the morning and crossed the bustling roads into the long lands of Europe. I parked my tent and motorbike, and with an 870km voyage, I would be more than pleased to sleep in my favourite sleeping bag.

With the little waterfall short of the tent and birds yelling, I would throw my first day to an end. Looking forward to what more beauty the following day would offer. The evening was pleasant as people in every language started to chat about motorcycles and enthusiasm. About exploration and the beauty there is.

With a delicious Austrian beer and a whisky bottle from my Dutch neighbour next to me, I call it a night!

Good night!

Cheers