The title of the article on this German motorcycle website is not exactly correct, but it may well point to something that will soon be a reality: “Südtirol sperrt ersten Dolomitenpass. Experiment am Sellajoch“. No, this alpine pass, the Sella Pass, isn’t permanently forbidden for all traffic. But local authorities are experimenting with an interdiction for all cars and motorcycles powered by combustion engines: this summer, only cyclists and electric vehicles – and horses – can travel over the pass on Wednesdays. I can appreciate the words of Reinhold Messner, one of the supporters of this measure, as quoted in the article:
Damit die Berge wie vor 200 Jahren genossen werden können: Der Berg ist ein Ort der Langsamkeit und des Schweigen, nicht der Geschwindigkeit.
Translated to English: “That way, the mountains can be enjoyed like 200 years ago: the mountains are the realm of slowness and silence, not a place for speed“.
Photo by Klaus Nahr (CC BY-SA 2.0) on Flickr
Some cities have already set the first steps into a future with more electric vehicles, and now the mountains could well be next in line. I understand the rationale behind that strategy, even if it means that I can no longer wait too many years to try a few mountain passes myself (or invest in an electric motorcycle, of course).
