An Adventure from Sinsheim to Corvara
On the Friday before Whitsun, my mother and I set off from Sinsheim to take my T (Ford Model T Speedster, built in 1924) home on the road. Our luggage, spare parts, oil, and tools were all transported by my father in his personal vehicle as he drove us around. The trip led us over small and miniscule country roads towards Göppingen and from there on over the Swabian Alb (European watershed).
We made a lunch stop in a small village because it had begun to rain.
It was already getting late. However, the innkeepers were gracious enough to make us something hot to eat. We hoped that the rain would subside in the meantime. That hope was thwarted, however, and we had to drive on through the showers. Despite this, we delighted in the lovely surroundings of the new-to-us Schwäbischen Alb. After Ulm we entered the 4-lane B10, which was extremely unpleasant. That's why we turned off at the first possible exit. We arrived in the Fugger town of Weißenhorn wet to the bone. Nevertheless, the beginning of our trip was enjoyable! We ate a delicious pork knuckle in the evening to bolster ourselves for the effort of the journey. We stayed in a small bed and breakfast. The historic buildings in Weißenhorn, a small town, make it well worth visiting. The following morning, our journey first took us across the plain and through the picturesque Allgäu region towards Kempten. Wide meadows and deep woodlands were to the left and right.
We drove past farms and small villages. We also came across quite a few castle ruins.
We travelled by road to Sondhofen and then to Bad Hindelang. It is there that the approach towards the Oberjoch begins. Due to the road's moderate incline, antique cars are quite well adapted to it. The T is able to overcome the 105 curves on the Oberjoch in the highest gear. At the Oberjoch we turned right into the Tannheimer Valley. Shortly before the border with Austria we stopped for lunch. After Nässelwängle, the descent into the Lech valley begins. We drove up the Lech valley into the Bschlaber Valley. This is where the challenging ascent to Hanten Joch begins. First gear was only required for the very steepest spots. The summit was completely full with VW Beetle-driving tourists. These modern vehicles typically have a 6-cylinder boxer engine in the back. Unfortunately, we were not able take a beautiful souvenir photo!
The majority of the descent towards Imst in the Inn Valley took place in 1st gear, which made things a bit easier on the brakes.
The continuation across the Inn Valley was very pleasant, given how little traffic there was. So we were able to make good progress. Just before Innsbruck we turned right to arrive at our Hotel in Mutters. Unfortunately, the road we chose was incredibly steep! We in fact had intended to slow down for the final few miles in the evening. It had been a long day and we were all fairly exhausted. We were suffering from the effects of the wind, the sun, a brief drizzle in the morning, and most of all, the emotions. We fell into bed after a delicious dinner, and all four of us (T included) entered the world of dreams. The onward journey the next morning was just a piece of cake that we simply sat through on our backsides. From Mutters via the Brenner federal road, we even overtook a modern C-Class going uphill. The driver: clearly not a local. From Brenner Pass southward, the temperature rose and the absence of clouds caused the sky to appear bluer. From the Valle Isarco we turned left into Val Pusteria. My father finally got a great cappuccino at that renowned rest station, which is right there on the left side of the road. A unique guy: after the coffee, he wasn't quite as jittery. Both the initial trip via the Pustertal valley and the subsequent one through the Gadertal valley passed without a hitch. We made a brief stop in Pederoa for lunch so that my mother wouldn't have to prepare dinner, and then continued on to Corvara, our final destination. But I still hadn't had enough. I fervently desired to complete the four passes that circle the Sella massif, but my mother vehemently objected. I was forced to make do with a picture of the Sassongher, the most stunning peak in the world, taken about halfway up the Campolongo Pass.
Distance travelled:
Day 1: 248 km
Day 2: 271 km
Day 3: 128 km
The trip went without a hitch — with the exception of refuelling, checking the oil and water levels, and two mudguards vibrating loose.
Corvara, June 2022
Luca
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