Obertauern is not so much a village as a ski resort that happens to be built exactly on the summit of a pass. At 1,738 metres on the Radstädter Tauern, the buildings crowd along the road in a long ribbon, hotels and chalets pressed tight to the tarmac because there is simply nowhere else to put them. In summer it is quiet, a bit hollow, with shutters half closed and the cable cars still. In winter it is one of the snowiest places in Austria, and the road itself stays open through the whole season, usually with chains required for cars and, for you, a firm decision to stay at home.
The crossing has been in use for a very long time. Romans used a route over these mountains, and medieval traders carried salt, wine and iron across them, so what you ride today follows a path that has been worn in for two thousand years. The modern road, the B99, was engineered with that history in mind: it is a proper mountain road with generous radii, a couple of long runs of hairpins on each flank and a surface that tends to be good, though the freeze and thaw leave the odd patch to watch for on the shaded sections.
Fans of a certain age will know the place from the film Help!, because the Beatles came here in 1965 to shoot the snowy scenes. Locals have not forgotten it, and the connection still gets a mention in the resort's marketing, even if the motorcycles on the terraces today outnumber the people looking for John, Paul, George and Ringo.
Fuel is the one thing the pass does not guarantee. Zederhaus and Forstau are the nearest villages, both small, and the real choices for a full tank are Mauterndorf on the south side or Radstadt and Bischofshofen on the north. Fill up before you go up. Coffee and a hot meal, on the other hand, are easy; the resort's hotels and cafes are built for people who arrive cold and wet, and they handle riders without fuss.
Come on a dry weekday morning if you can. The upper part of the road has big open views of bare rock and grass slopes, the wind can pick up quickly at the summit, and a light jacket under your shell will earn its keep even in August.