Route: Airolo to Ulrichen – 22.5 miles

 

Ridden: 21/07/2010

 

Either way you ride this pass it is a great ride and strongly recommended. It also has the advantage that it’s close to a number of other great passes – Furka, Grimsel, Oberalp, St Gotthard and Susten – so base yourself in Andermatt and ride all these passes both ways.

 

From Airolo the first ten miles or so is very fast and open but even when you get to the hairpins to take you the final climb to the summit, they are nice and open. The surface is also very good. One of the fastest passes Phil has ever ridden. Coming down towards Ulrichen it’s steeper but again the hairpins are nice and open and you can measure your turn in, apex and exit lines before you get there. The pass then opens up down the valley before a final series of bends takes you into Ulrichen where you can turn right for the Grimsel and Furka passes.

 

The ascent from Airolo is 14 miles at an average of 5.5%. From Ulrichen the ascent is 8.5 miles at an average of 8.5%.

 

Fantastic either way.

 

 

Route: Route 13 Splugen to Mesocco – 26 miles

 

Ridden: 21/07/2010

 

From Splugen you can only follow the old road a little way before it is entirely subsumed by the new road, which you have to join. When you are past Hinterrhein take care to follow the Blue sign to “San Bernardino Pass” not the Green sign to “San Bernardino”. The latter takes you through the new tunnel. The old pass starts immediately by the tunnel entrance. A series of tight, often blind, hairpins takes you to the plateau above where you then climb gently to the refugio at the summit, next to a lake. The ascent from the tunnel entrance is only 5.5 miles at an average of 5.1%.

 

The descent is nice as the hairpins are more open and you get more opportunity to plot your line. 3,000 feet lower down and you arrive at San Bernardino. You can then continue on the old road to Mesocco or, if you’re short of time, get on the new pass road. This is actually good fun as its well cambered and surfaced so you can get a bit of a rip on if you can avoid getting stuck behind the HGVs and camper vans.

 

If you approach from the south you’ll be coming from Bellinzona. There’s no point in using the old road. Stay on the new road – the A13/E43 until Mesocco when you can get off and rejoin the pass road to San Bernardino and beyond to the summit. The ascent from Mesocco is 12.5 miles at an average of 4.5%.

 

A good pass either way you ride it but overall more fun if you approach from the south.

 

 

Route: Route 17 Altdorf to Linthal – 26 miles

 

Ridden: 20/07/2010

 

From Altdorf you ride through the village of Burglen and the pass starts properly. The early sections are straightforward and flowing but before you drop into the village of Ulrichen you can look upwards and see the pass road climbing above you. You ride through the village and the pass kicks up. Still well surfaced and not too difficult you climb into more open territory with a very large drop to your right into the valley. If you suffer from vertigo we suggest you ride down this side, not up, as at least then you keep near the cliff face and away from the drop. You then have a straightforward stretch up to the pass summit. The climb up is 15 miles at an average of 6.1%.

 

Descending towards Linthal the road is quite a bit tighter than the ascent but again nothing too taxing. After a while the road opens up with a nice run down the valley, before you get to the final descent into Linthal. The only thing to worry about on the descent if it’s wet is that three of the hairpins are still cobbled, and they are not too grippy. The ascent from Linthal is 11 miles at an average 5.7%.

 

This pass is nice whichever way you ride it. Our recommendation would be to ride it from Altdorf to Linthal, and then turn round and ride it the other way. Unless you have to approach from Glarus, don’t – the road is busy and congested and best avoided.

 

 

Route: Via Tiefencastel to La Punt Chamues - 25 miles

 

Ridden: 16/06/2009

 

Leaving Tiefencastel the road follows the valley floor and the railway past Filisur to Bergun. From Bergun the road tightens and in some places the road surface is not the best, but the scenery is very good. Adding to the interest is observing the contortions of the railway in order to gain height. The gradient is so steep the railway does a series of loops, one past Bergun and three more near Naz. You can see a series of interconnecting viaducts. You lose sight of the railway past Preda as it enters a tunnel for the run down to the Engadine valley at Bever. Meanwhile you continue to climb until you exit the tree line and begin a fast run up to the summit. You then have a fast descent following the river until a final series of hairpins, none of them tight, bring you down to La Pont Chamues. A really nice pass.

 

 

Route: Route 3 Silvaplana to Tiefencastel - 21 miles

 

Ridden: 16/06/2009

 

Coming west from St. Moritz you come to Silvaplana and turn right towards Tiefencastel. This is a main highway and as such the road is wide with few tight bends - even the hairpins are broad and sweeping. On reaching the summit 470m higher than the start point the road tightens up a bit in three sections before reaching the village of Mulegns. The road down is very scenic running past Lago da Marmorela. From Mulegns the road gradually descends to Tiefencastel at 851m, where you can turn right towards the Albula pass.

 

 

Route: Route 29 Poschiavo to Pontresina - 20 miles

 

Ridden: 15/06/2009, 16/06/2009 & 17/06/2009

 

Part of a main north/south artery from Tirano in Italy up to Chur in Switzerland. Best ridden from Poschiavo upwards as this is much the steeper side of the pass, climbing about 1,200m over 10 miles. The northern ramp by comparison climbs only about 600m in the same distance. From Poschiavo you pass through San Carlo where the pass road starts in earnest. A series of wide sweeping bends, some tighter than others but none particularly tight takes you to the summit past the entrance to the Forcola di Livigno. From the summit it’s a fast run down to Pontresina with just one tighter section. For most of the route you run close to the main railway line, in some cases sharing the road with the train, which runs right down the middle. Don’t forget to give way!

 

 

Route: S28 Zernez to Santa Maria im Mustair - 22 miles

 

Ridden: 10/06/2009, 14/06/2009 & 15/06/2009

 

The Ofen Pass connects Zernez in the Engadin valley with Santa Maria im Mustair in the Mustair Valley. It runs past the tunnel into Livigno after 7.5 miles from Zernez. Santa Maria sits at the base of the Umbrail pass.

 

From Zernez a wide and reasonably well surfaced road climbs and then drops down to the Livigno tunnel and then starts to climb the pass. At the top there is a café where you can enjoy the views and also the statue of a Brown Bear – put up to commemorate the first sighting – in July 2005 - of such a bear in Switzerland since 1923.

 

The pass is best climbed from the Santa Maria end where a well surfaced road with a series of beautiful sweeping bends winds through the villages of Valchava, Fuldera and Tschierv - at 1,660m - before the final ascent. One of our favourite passes and the scene of some laughable attempts by Kyle, Mark and Phil to get their knees down.

 

 

Route: Route 28 Davos to Susch - 17 miles

 

Ridden: 10/06/2009

 

TBC

 

 

Route: Route 9 Brig to Domodossola - 20 miles

 

Ridden: 09/06/2009

 

TBC

 

 

Route: Route 6 Oberwald to Innertkirchen – 24 miles

 

Ridden: 09/06/2009 & 21/07/2010

 

From Ulrichen at the base of the Nufenen the road towards Andermatt becomes the Furkastrasse. At Oberwald the road kicks up towards Gletsch. It’s debatable whether Oberwald or Gletsch is the start of the Grimsel (or for that matter the Furka!). Initially it winds it way up close the old cog railway, which is being reopened as a tourist attraction. Before Gletsch you turn a corner and you can see the Grimsel zigzagging its way up the mountain in front of you. As you come into Gletsch you can see the Furka in front of you. The hotel ¾ of the way up is next to the Rhone Glacier – the start of the River Rhone. A few miles away on the other side of Andermatt is the source of the River Rhine and at the top of the Grimsel is the source of the River Aar.

 

Into Gletsch wayway you choose, turn left, and you are on the Grimsel. Keep straight on and you are on the Furka.

 

The Grimsel is a very well engineered road. The hairpins have all been widened so you can maintain a good pace all the way up. At the summit there’s a pretty lake. Go past the lake and you can turn left onto a private road, which takes you to the reservoir and glacier, which is the source of the Aar. You can't miss the road – it’s controlled by traffic lights, as it’s single track all the way. It’s open twice every hour for 10 minutes in each direction.

 

Coming back along this road gives you great views over the upper sections of the northern ramp down towards Innertkirchen.

 

The ascent from Oberwald is 7.5 miles at an average 6.6%.

 

The ascent from Innertkirchen is 16.5 miles at an average 5.9%.