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Switzerland mountain roads questions



 
 
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  #1  
Old October 17th 08, 05:25 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Posts: 241
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

I've gotten to sample riding some of the high passes and mountain roads of
Switzerland, and now I've got some questions about it.

(a) What is your favorite high road or pass to ride? What is it that you
like so much about that one?

(b) What mountain roads in Switzerland do you never want to ride again?

(c) Valais / Wallis canton in southwest Switzerland has lots of spectacular
mountains, and there are several roads that go up into them. Which of those
roads could recommend for riding, like I'm looking for some nice views on
the way up, maybe some cute villages to ride thru, some fun curvy sections
on descent, not too much vehicle traffic.

(d) Gotthard / San Gottardo -- is there a way to ride across that pass
without all those bumpy cobbles on the old road?

(e) Julier pass seems like a pretty pass, not amazingly spectacular but
pleasant + pretty higher up when I've been over it on a car. But I've never
ridden my bike over it because it seems to have lots of high-speed cars, and
some trucks, because it's the shortest road between the Engadin valley and
the autobahn + Zurich. Is there some way to work around that? (Albula pass
was decent for riding, but I didn't like staring at the power transmission
towers higher up).

(f) Lukmanier pass (Lucomagno) -- is it interesting to ride?

Thanks for the help and ideas,

Ken


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  #2  
Old October 17th 08, 07:02 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
[email protected]
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Posts: 3,751
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

Ken Roberts wrote:

I've gotten to sample riding some of the high passes and mountain
roads of Switzerland, and now I've got some questions about it.


(a) What is your favorite high road or pass to ride? What is it that
you like so much about that one?


There is only one worth repeating over and over again... and then thee
is the second.

Stelvio and Gavia!!! Don't miss them if you ever ride the Alps.

For sheer adventure and remoteness, Col de la Seigne and Col Ferret on
the south side of Mont Blanc are memorably great passes.

http://tinyurl.com/dr4ot

Jobst Brandt
  #3  
Old October 17th 08, 11:35 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Martin Borsje[_6_]
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Posts: 32
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

Ken Roberts explained on 17-10-2008 :
I've gotten to sample riding some of the high passes and mountain roads of
Switzerland, and now I've got some questions about it.

(a) What is your favorite high road or pass to ride? What is it that you like
so much about that one?

Große Scheidegg for its remoteness and quietness and viwes on Eiger
Northface

Nufenen from Ullrichen for its quiteness and steepness
(b) What mountain roads in Switzerland do you never want to ride again?

Simplon and Grand St. Bernard may have a lot of freight traffic -
choose the moment.

(c) Valais / Wallis canton in southwest Switzerland has lots of spectacular
mountains, and there are several roads that go up into them. Which of those
roads could recommend for riding, like I'm looking for some nice views on the
way up, maybe some cute villages to ride thru, some fun curvy sections on
descent, not too much vehicle traffic.

Col de Sanetsch is a 'must do'

(d) Gotthard / San Gottardo -- is there a way to ride across that pass
without all those bumpy cobbles on the old road?

Yes - although the 'bumpy' road, Via Tremolo is for going up not that
bumpy :-)


(e) Julier pass seems like a pretty pass, not amazingly spectacular but
pleasant + pretty higher up when I've been over it on a car. But I've never
ridden my bike over it because it seems to have lots of high-speed cars, and
some trucks, because it's the shortest road between the Engadin valley and
the autobahn + Zurich. Is there some way to work around that? (Albula pass
was decent for riding, but I didn't like staring at the power transmission
towers higher up).

Julier is not busy with freight at all!


(f) Lukmanier pass (Lucomagno) -- is it interesting to ride?

Thanks for the help and ideas,

Ken



  #4  
Old October 19th 08, 05:20 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Posts: 504
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

Hi Ken,
I vote for Grosse Scheidegg, too. In the area I was told
there is a nice steep road going up from Grndelwald to Kleine
Scheidegg.

Now, sparsely.
Sanetsch is fine and quiet, but there are also so many beautiful roads
that are dead-end (no through traffic) which I have never explored.
Bicyclists are tolerated on the new (Autostrada) San Gottardo.
Luckmanier?: I would avoid.
The one I have come to dodge? Forclaz up from Martigny.
Finally, Jobst must have been in a hurry, this time.
I am surprised that he did not mention the Septimer, to avoid Julier.

Sergio
Pisa
  #5  
Old October 19th 08, 01:50 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
[email protected]
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Posts: 349
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=alpe+d'huez&search_type=
  #6  
Old October 20th 08, 08:58 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Posts: 241
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

"Martin Borsje"wrote
Große Scheidegg for its remoteness and quietness and viwes on Eiger
Northface

Yes I had a great day there in September with some early snow on the Eiger
and the Wetterhorn. Hope to put some photos up from that.
Since I usually try to ride single-day loop routes, I also rode along the
Brienzersee, and followed Jobst's suggestion that the road on the northwest
side of the lake, and that worked well too.

Nufenen from Ullrichen for its quiteness and steepness

I think of Nufenen definitely as quiet -- and more its unrelenting
steepness, rather than for maximum steepness.

Col de Sanetsch is a 'must do'


Thanks, it's now on my list.

Simplon and Grand St. Bernard may have a lot of freight traffic - choose
the moment.


Yes, it worked well for me riding from Orsieres up the north side of Grand
St Bernard by starting very early in the morning. From Martigny to Orsieres
I avoided the problem by climbing over Champex -- which turned out to be
rather pretty.

(d) Gotthard / San Gottardo -- is there a way to ride across that pass
without all those bumpy cobbles on the old road?

Yes - although the 'bumpy' road, Via Tremolo is for going up not that
bumpy :-)


Well my touring bike has small wheels in order to by easy to carry in
airline luggage, so I feel the bumps more -- so for me it's good to hear
that there's an alternative.

Ken


  #7  
Old October 20th 08, 09:18 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Posts: 504
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

On 20 Ott, 21:58, "Ken Roberts"
wrote:
Since I usually try to ride single-day loop routes, I also rode along the
Brienzersee, and followed Jobst's suggestion that the road on the northwest
side of the lake, and that worked well too.


I surely do hope you did not duplicate my mistake.
Taking the bike path along the southern side of the Brienzer Lake,
east of Interlaken.

Sergio
Pisa

  #8  
Old October 20th 08, 09:20 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Posts: 241
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

wrote
Stelvio and Gavia!!! Don't miss them if you ever ride the Alps.


Stelvio is rather close to Switzerland, and the day Tony and I rode it
last summer our loop went thru Switzerland, so it fits the thread topic. And
I thought it was a really great that day, here's some photos:
http://roberts-1.com/t/b08/itj/k/a

But I think a lot depends on weather and snow cover. Like a German rider I
met in September at Passo Tonale told me he didn't like Stelvio but did like
Gavia -- but admitted that it was a sunny day on Gavia and cloudy on
Stelvio. I myself was unimpressed the first time I climbed the east side of
Stelvio three years ago on a cloudy day with little snow remaining in
September, but very impressed with climbing the east side in June this year
on a sunny day with lots of snow remaining from big late-spring storms.

For sheer adventure and remoteness, Col de la Seigne and Col Ferret
on the south side of Mont Blanc are memorably great passes.


Yes definitely for those willing to incorporate hiking and/or rough
dirt/gravel (and possible sticky mud) in their bicycle touring. Not just for
the adventure -- the close views of the Mont Blanc massif are very
spectacular. Thanks to the suggestions and web pages of Jobst, I've ridden
over both of them. I will gladly ride again over Col du Grand Ferret (on the
Italy / Switzerland border) in favorable conditions. Col de la Seigne I'm
not planning to repeat -- the road on the Italian side was just too rocky at
the time I did it -- but I'm glad I did once.

Ken


  #9  
Old October 20th 08, 09:29 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Posts: 504
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

On 20 Ott, 22:20, "Ken Roberts"
wrote:
Col de la Seigne I'm
not planning to repeat -- the road on the Italian side was just too rocky at
the time I did it -- but I'm glad I did once.


Hold on! I rode once only up to Rifugio Elisabetta.
Is the road worse farther up, or did you find it just as bad?

I am thinking of hitting the area this coming june coming from Susa
over Moncenisio, Iseran and the Piccolo.

Sergio
Pisa

  #10  
Old October 20th 08, 09:31 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Posts: 504
Default Switzerland mountain roads questions

On 20 Ott, 21:58, "Ken Roberts"
wrote:

Col de Sanetsch is a 'must do'

Thanks, it's now on my list.


If it is as I found it a few years ago, be sure you have an electric
lamp at hand.

Sergio
Pisa
 




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