Skip to content
MotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlas
two_wheelerToursterrainRoutes
routePlan your ridearrow_forwardperson
MotoAtlas

Routes for riders who'd rather take the long way. Surveyed, ridden and written up for touring and dual-sport travel.

  • explore
  • two_wheeler
  • terrain
  • public

Tour categories

  • Alpine high passes
  • Desert & dune crossings
  • Backcountry discovery
  • Coastal fjord traverses
  • Guided dual-sport

Expedition resources

  • Trans-Alpine GPX (demo)
  • Carnet & border crossing prep
  • Technical tire & luggage specs
  • Satellite SOS & wayfinding
  • Safety protocols & evacuation

© 2026 MotoAtlas Expedition Technologies. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of service
  • Privacy policy
  • Route safety disclaimer
  • exploreExplore
  • terrainAtlas
  • routePlan
  • personProfile
Skip to content
MotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlas
two_wheelerToursterrainRoutes
routePlan your ridearrow_forwardperson
MotoAtlas

Routes for riders who'd rather take the long way. Surveyed, ridden and written up for touring and dual-sport travel.

  • explore
  • two_wheeler
  • terrain
  • public

Tour categories

  • Alpine high passes
  • Desert & dune crossings
  • Backcountry discovery
  • Coastal fjord traverses
  • Guided dual-sport

Expedition resources

  • Trans-Alpine GPX (demo)
  • Carnet & border crossing prep
  • Technical tire & luggage specs
  • Satellite SOS & wayfinding
  • Safety protocols & evacuation

© 2026 MotoAtlas Expedition Technologies. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of service
  • Privacy policy
  • Route safety disclaimer
  • exploreExplore
  • terrainAtlas
  • routePlan
  • personProfile
Skip to content
MotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlas
two_wheelerToursterrainRoutes
routePlan your ridearrow_forwardperson
MotoAtlas

Routes for riders who'd rather take the long way. Surveyed, ridden and written up for touring and dual-sport travel.

  • explore
  • two_wheeler
  • terrain
  • public

Tour categories

  • Alpine high passes
  • Desert & dune crossings
  • Backcountry discovery
  • Coastal fjord traverses
  • Guided dual-sport

Expedition resources

  • Trans-Alpine GPX (demo)
  • Carnet & border crossing prep
  • Technical tire & luggage specs
  • Satellite SOS & wayfinding
  • Safety protocols & evacuation

© 2026 MotoAtlas Expedition Technologies. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of service
  • Privacy policy
  • Route safety disclaimer
Skip to content
MotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlasMotoAtlas
two_wheelerToursterrainRoutes
routePlan your ridearrow_forwardperson
placeHomechevron_rightGuideschevron_rightField guide

Field guide

The greatest high passes of Western Europe

Ten asphalt giants from Cime de la Bonette to the Grossglockner: surface condition, opening windows and the weather radar you should check the night before.

terrainHigh alpine · tarmac
Dossier record
scheduleReading
6 min
updateUpdated
30 Oct 2026
ER

Elena Rostova

Editorial desk · MotoAtlas

format_list_bulletedDossier index

3
  1. 01Cime de la Bonette & the Mercantour loop
  2. 02Grossglockner & the Edelweiss road
  3. 03Choosing your window
format_list_bulletedDossier index3chevron_right
  1. 01Cime de la Bonette & the Mercantour loop
  2. 02Grossglockner & the Edelweiss road
  3. 03Choosing your window
01

Cime de la Bonette & the Mercantour loop

At 2,802 m the Bonette is the highest through-road in the Alps, and the reason you want a cool morning start: surfaced tarmac, but old and heavily patched above 2,400 m.

The loop from Jausiers gives you three hours of exposure to altitude weather — plan the summit before 11:00 and the descent for lunch.

Field checks

  • checkOpen roughly June to mid-October, snow gates close without notice
  • checkFuel: Jausiers and Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée only
  • checkGravel shoulder at the summit — no camping, no water
02

Grossglockner & the Edelweiss road

The classic Austrian high road is tolled, immaculate and busy: ride it early or late, never at midday in August.

Above the Pasterze glacier the hairpins tighten and the wind picks up from the valley — treat the last three kilometres as a slow sector.

Field checks

  • checkToll applies per motorcycle, payable at the gate
  • checkOpen late May to early November, weather dependent
  • checkMandatory winter kit above 2,000 m in shoulder season
03

Choosing your window

Pass openings drift by two or three weeks every season. Check the regional road authority page, not a forum thread from last year.

A pass that is open can still be unrideable: afternoon thunderstorms drop hail on exposed ridges and the surface stays slick for hours.

Field checks

  • checkRide exposed sections before 13:00 in July and August
  • checkCheck radar the night before and again at breakfast
  • checkKeep one alternative low-altitude loop in reserve

Field dispatches

Rider notes

0 notes · Every note is reviewed before publishing.

loginSign in to comment

No approved notes on this route yet. Be the first to leave conditions, fuel gaps or a warning.

One route worth riding, every week

Open passes, fresh tracks and hard-won lessons. No fluff, no spam.

mail

MotoAtlas

Routes for riders who'd rather take the long way. Surveyed, ridden and written up for touring and dual-sport travel.

  • explore
  • two_wheeler
  • terrain
  • public

Tour categories

  • Alpine high passes
  • Desert & dune crossings
  • Backcountry discovery
  • Coastal fjord traverses
  • Guided dual-sport

Expedition resources

  • Trans-Alpine GPX (demo)
  • Carnet & border crossing prep
  • Technical tire & luggage specs
  • Satellite SOS & wayfinding
  • Safety protocols & evacuation

© 2026 MotoAtlas Expedition Technologies. All rights reserved.

  • Terms of service
  • Privacy policy
  • Route safety disclaimer