With all the talk on the D3 site of them going to Morroco the SWMBO and myself decided on a little European trip taking in a few countries Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Austria Italy and Switzerland and a round trip distance of 1900km. We went to where they occasionaly hold stages of the Tour de France, Passa Della Stelvio and a climb upto 2760m. We stayed in the Garden Park Hotel in Stelvio and can recommend it £100 halfboard including a 5 course dinner and a private terrace with spectacular views of the surrounding mountains
On sunday morning we set out from Stelvio and started climbing up the pass from an altitude of 1200m (3900ft) it climbs and winds it's way up the mountain to 2760m (9000ft). Hlafway up I stopped to take some pictures and after climbing the hill a bit found myself quickly running out of breath. The car performed faultlessly and effortlessly.
[Going down to Borimino I used the command shift and engine braking to help not destroy the brakes
once I download my camcorder I'll post a link to the vid. Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

Last edited by Alicatt on Fri Oct 19 2007 1:57pm. Edited 1 time in total

Those pictures look stunning.  Arctic Frost TDV6 SE. Aspen Leather, Cherry Wood, Privacy Glass, PTI, Tow Pack, Mudflaps, Tasmods, a new Fuelflap, a RRSport.co.uk umbrella in the boot & a RRSport.co.uk sticker on the rear glass.
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Some people accuse me of thinking the world revolves around me, but I'm not stupid . . . I know it revolves around the sun. Which shines out of my @rse!!!

Thanks, so many of them turned out great it was hard to pic some out to post here.
Could not have asked for a better day, the skies were clear blue and even up there it was warm. Wish I had mor time to explore but had to get home for the kids Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

Interesting that you have no map showing for up there, or does the system not show map and info at the same time.......................... I don't have the LR satnav on my SE. 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

It does show the map, I had selected to just show the compass and the location, it can have the map and other info on screen at the same time, one thing it dosn't show is speed across the ground, or at least I havn't found the right button for it.
Here is the map for the summit of the pass. After I came back up and along the red marked road down into Switzerland, only the top half of the road was tarred the rest was a hard packed dirt road.

I put a few more photos in my gallery
http://www.rrsport.co.uk/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=635 Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

Last edited by Alicatt on Fri Oct 19 2007 1:58pm. Edited 1 time in total

Tar then hard packed dirt - sounds ideal for an RRS Ali! 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

anything could have driven it, tho the Swiss side was rougher and less well maintained than the Italian side. I just took it slow ... the screaming coming from the car when I sped up soon slowed me down... I didn't want the GF to get past the screaming stage and start hitting me
I used the command shift and mainly kept it about 40-50km/h
From today it is compulsory to have snowchains with you on the swiss side and the pass is only open from 06:00 to 20:00, normally it closes due to snow about now too.

Webcam on top of the hill
http://webcam.popso.it/stelvio.php?CAMERE_PASSO
Google Earth image of the area
http://maps.pomocnik.com/satellite-maps/?map=3032 Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

One day I might get to visit it - looks like a place not to meet a slow truck or bus coming in the opposite direction!
Heaven for mountain bikers............................ on the downhill!
I take it the Low Profile tyres and the allooys took the punishment OK 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

Alicatt - great pics - slightly envious as I wanted to travel back that way last week, however wifey didn't fancy it - maybe next year

A venue for the 1st Pan European RRS.co.uk meet then? 2020 Pangea Green 1st Edition D240 New Defender 110 is here and loving it
2018 Melting Silver Mini Countryman PHEV - soon to be replaced
2015MY Corris Grey SDv6 HSE Dynamic, the best car I have ever owned, totally reliable only a cou0le of rattles in 3 years, now no longer in my care
Also in my garage is a 1996 TDi300 Defender 90 County HT made into a fake CSW

how about July '08 sounds good to me

We were there first thing in the morning and luckly got the road almost to ourselves, even the tourist shops were still setting up but an hour later and it was quite busy, and this was the normal last day of the season. During the summer the road is clogged by bicycles and the Lotus Elise Club doing their summer run
The pass down to Switzerland is the Umbriel pass.
The kids want to go with us and do it again, and I want to do it on the motorbike  Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

is it that the usual sat nav display for mountains? like the contour lines, or is that the updated disc at work?

it is the disk that was supplied with the vehicle, not sure of the version of it, and it has contour lines on it all the time, it is showing the map as 3D and "on road navigation", just zoomed out to show all the route. 'm still learning about it! Sons of dogs come hither and get flesh
Clan Cameron

very nice top gear recently claimed that some mountain roads in switzerland (specifically the Flüelapass, but most roads in that area are similar) and the stelvio were the 'greatest driving roads in the world' - though they did the tour in stripped out supercars *makes note to do that before death* come to think of it - i'll probably die whild doing it:P ah well, at least a nice view  RRS SC Bonatti Grey