Day 26 I was up at 6am to get ready for our 8am start. We had 278km to travel today to Corvara Italy, crossing 6 mountain passes. Today was described as D Day in our guides. Our inexperienced rider had been persuaded by the tour leader not to ride with the group today. He would follow a less mountainous route using his GPS. I therefore volunteered for "tail end Charlie" again. Hopefully to ride at my own pace and enjoy myself. We headed South East from Pontresina to Bernina Pass. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernina _Pass The summit at 2328 meter was reached at ease and we arrived there as a group. I could finally enjoy mountain pass riding and experiment with lines and techniques until I found the combination that suited me on this bike. From Bernina we headed North East to Livingo in Italy before heading South East to Passo Foscagno, our second pass for the day. We negotiated this pass as a group and I had settled into pass riding and could start to enjoy more of the majestic views off the edge of the road. From here we continued South East to Bormio before heading North East to the jewel of the day. passo di Stelvio . stelvio Pass at 2753 meters it is the highest pass in Itally and the highest pass in Eastern Europe. A challenging but extremely rewarding ride with 87 switch back turns. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stelvio _Pass There were an astonishing number of bicyclists climbing the pass and two girls on Roller skates polling there way to the top. ( a shame that I can not take photos as I ride) From the top of the pass you get a stunning view of the road snaking down the other side of the mountain. Photos can not do justice to this view. You have to be there to appreciate the 3D perspective of what you are seeing. I will always remember standing at the summit of this pass and will regard it as one of my life achievements. To a motorcyclist this is the ultimate twisty road. You are not only negotiating very sharp turns but dealing with extreme gradients between the turns. Your hands and feet are dancing on the controls of the bike to the song of that wonderful boxer engine. From Stelvio we headed East to Merano before turning South east through Bolzano and Eggental. Along the way we passed through green farming and fruit growing regions with many small villages in this fertile valley. Before ascending to our next pass Passo di Costalunga at 1753 meters. This had been a hard days riding and with the image of Stelvio still fresh in our minds, Costalunga just felt like a windy road. However, the motorcycle traffic was increasing and they all road these roads faster than our group. Heading North East we traversed first Passo di Sella , 2244 meters https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sella_P ass them Passo di Gardens, 2136 meters https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gardena _Pass We stopped to view the stunningly different Dolamites. The carbonate rock of the Dolamites does not support vegetation as does the rest of the Alps. This gives them a stark and rugged appearance. The roads which are the favourites of thousands motorcyclists motorcyclist were constructed during WW I. Although the speed limit on the pass roads is 50km/hr, it is a local race track for riders. Today had been a very enjoyable days riding and I felt tired but very content. The evening meal in Corvara topped off a great day, as we swapped experiences over the meal table.