Monday 24 June 2013

DAY 11, SILVER GHOSTS UNDAUNTED BY ALPINE RAIN AND MIST

A cool, rainy morning greeted the participants as they departed Villach, Austria, and headed south for the border with Slovenia. Wet tarmac and fog made the climb up the Wurzen Pass a tricky affair but the dedicated participants navigated the challenging route with skills undoubtedly reminiscent of the participants in the original Alpenfahrt 100 years ago.


In the true spirit of the event, several competitors briefly stopped to put on extra rain gear but kept their cars open to the elements as they wafted down into Italy before crossing back into Slovenia to tackle the Predil Pass.

The history of today's route hung heavy in the mists covering the mountains, as the cars passed Gorizia, detailed in Hemmingway's novel, A Fairwell to Arms.

As the clouds parted and the sun finally broke through, the teams descended into the Adriatic resort town of Portoroz where they were greeted by Andrew Page, British Ambassador to Slovenia.


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