Alps Extreme

The passes everyone has heard of get crowded in August. This tour is built around the ones they have not, running out of the operator’s own base at Mieming in Austria and spending seven nights hunting small, hidden roads through the heart of the Alps.

The Stelvio does appear, but it is not the point. The route works south through a carousel of lesser-known passes to Lago di Molveno, over Monte Bondone, down into the Adige valley and straight back up the other side, which is the sort of day that only makes sense to someone who genuinely likes corners. A rest day follows at Levico Terme.

That rest day carries the best optional extra on the trip. The run out to Lake Garda takes in the Valvestino road, which the operator rates as one of the twistiest rides in the Alps, and it is worth giving up a lie-in for. Afterwards the route crosses the Dolomites on small side passes, overnights in the Puster valley and returns to Mieming.

This is an Extreme tour in the operator’s RIDE4FUN range, which sets expectations correctly. There is no support van and no luggage transport, so everything a rider needs travels on the bike, and the accommodation is more rustic and cheaper than on the classic tours. The motorcycle is included, flights are not, and the inclusions are not itemised in full on the operator’s page, so the detail is worth asking for. At 3,250 euros per person it is among the better value ways to spend a week on Alpine roads, provided the rider is happy to pack light and skip the hotel polish.