Warrior Meeting 2011 in Andermatt/Switzerland

Against the mountain side, just above Andermatt in the middle of Switzerland,
the Biker Hotel Alpina was host to the annual ‘European Warrior Meeting’
from 22nd to 24th July 2011.

Slideshow  with all pictures from the Meeting :  Slideshow

Since the annual meetings started in 2005 this one topped them all at 1400 metres
above sea level, and the number of Warriors attending has increased steadily
ever since 2009 when the first 2 riders from the United Kingdom joined the
meeting for the first time.


Hosted by many of the founders, we have sadly lost a few good men, but new
Warriors have also joined us, including seven now from the UK,
[well, one from Southern Ireland and one from Scotland] and with one special
visitor from Norway who had never met another Warrior Rider before.
We had a record 24 Yamaha XV1700 Warriors gathered together, and one
lovely lady [our Road Captain Hardrider’s wife] on a black Harley sportster.


Strangely whilst the seven UK Warriors took a scenic route past a lake near
Lucerne they were met by chance by the German contingent and some 20
Warriors had an unofficial fast ride into Andermatt together for 40 fast winding
miles. Truly awesome!


The Alpina situated above the town and run by bikers proved an excellent
choice, as we fully occupied the hotel and the first nights noisy party finished
in the early morning only a few hours before the official ride out on the Saturday
morning.


It was to be an exhilarating roller coaster ride which started in low mountain
cloud and rain as we climbed in formal line out to 2300 metres, but our Swiss
friends are experienced mountain riders, and we stopped traffic for the Warrior
train to keep together for 6 hours and 150 kilometres.


The route took us up and over two passes to 2300 metres to the south side of
the Alps and a stop for refreshments in Biasca, where it was warm and dry.
So we risked climbing the famous cobbled hair pin bends of Gotthard Pass
on the ‘Tremola’ an ancient winding road which gave us a wonderfully high
location for the official group photograph. We also had 2 more Warriors from
Switzerland join the gathering.


That night to celebrate, the classic Harley Davidson parked in the bar was gently
side lined and replaced with a Warrior which was fired up at 4.30am!


Our traditional vote for our next meeting location was cheered for England and
our UK Warrior fellows agreed to organise it for us, for the weekend of the
14th July 2012 and nearly every member promised to attend what could easily
be the biggest Warrior gathering ever seen.