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Alps this summer



 
 
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Old December 2nd 08, 05:58 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
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Posts: 3,751
Default Alps this summer

THis is a bit late but I lost my itinerary with daily distances and
climbs this year so I reconstructed the scenario from my pix and
memory. Beside that, the weather was literally not so hot (or dry).

----------------------------------------------------------------------
Tour of the Alps 2008
----------------------------------------------------------------------

San Francisco, San Francisco International (SFO)
Wed 09 Jul 08
Depart 13:55 International Terminal
Flight LH 0455

Frankfurt, International (FRA)
Thu 10 Jul 2008
Arrive 09:35 - Terminal 1
Flight LH 0455

Part II:

Frankfurt, International (FRA)
Thu 10 Jul 2008
Depart 10:20 - Terminal 1
Flight LH 5052 (Swiss)

Zurich (ZRH)W
Thu 10 Jul 2008
Arrive 11:20 - Terminal 1
Flight LH 5052 (Swiss)

On Wednesday, 09 July, I flew with Lufthansa from San Francisco via
Frankfurt to Zurich, arriving Thursday afternoon 10 July. I was
surprised that Lufthansa did not charge an extra baggage fee for my
bicycle as most other airlines do these days. I took a train from the
ZRH to Schwyz where my friends, the Dierauers, picked me up for the
short ride to their house in Ibach, home of Victorinox, aka Swiss
Army Knife. Edith and Turi Dierauer have been my gracious hosts for
many bike tours, as were the senior Dierauers before them.

http://www.victorinox.ch/index.cfm?page=0&lang=E

I unpacked and assembled my bicycle from my Nashbar soft-bag,
installing the cranks, turning the fork and bars to the front and
installing the rear derailleur and chain. The airport baggage mashers
managed to bend my steel bars a bit but I straightened them by hand.

I noticed that I had failed to tighten the Shimano freehub after
building my rear wheel, even though I had already used it on a few
long rides. The bicycle shop "across the street" fixed that
instantly, having the required 10mm hex key, and knowing how to remove
the axle and sprockets. The freehub bolt can only be tightened on a
finished wheel, there bing no means by which the required torque can
be achieved on a bare hub.

After a great dinner I got a good night's rest in preparation for
getting on the road the next morning, jet lag and all.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Friday 11 July Ibach - Rosenlaui 102km 2776m

I headed out to the Gotthardstraße at the road junction where Victor
Inox (Swiss Army Knives is located) and headed for Brunnen (435m) on
the Vierwaldstättersee (aka Lake of Lucerne) where I took the
south-east shore into canton Uri, home of William Tell. The weather
was cool with a partly cloudy sky that looked like it could rain.

http://www.tell.ch/schweiz/telldenkmal.htm
http://www.xn--rtli-0ra.info/

Canton Uri (William Tell country) at the head end of the lake is full
of history, some of it so remote that it is based on myth and lore, as
apparently the person Tell is, who is a composite of the spirit of
resistance to Austria, the "Rütli Schwörer".

http://www.schweizerseiten.ch/info/axenstrasse.htm
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bild:Jo...BCssli_018.jpg

The Axenstrasse is hewn into the vertical granite walls above the
lake, as it alternates between ledges and tunnels, a barrier that was
only passable by boat in ancient times. Below the road, the Gotthard
railway lies almost entirely in tunnels from Brunnen to Flüelen.
Meanwhile, the motorway tunnels deep into the mountain for the entire
stretch with no view of the Alps.

http://www.lakelucerne.ch/

I passed the main construction site of the new 52 Km Gotthard railway
tunnel in Erstfeld (472m) where the SBB has a small freight yard and
locomotive maintenance halls, this being the base of the climb to the
current Gotthard tunnel at Göschenen (1106m). The road, in contrast,
begins its climb abruptly at Amsteg where a large SBB hydroelectric
plant serves the north slope of the railway while a similar plant
serves the south ramp at Piotta.

With most traffic on the motorway, the old Gotthard road has regained
most of its charm as it climbs to Wassen (916m), noted for its church
that stands on top of a knob in the center of this village so that it
is seen from the railway three times as the trains gain elevation
through looping tunnels.

I took a right turn at the level spot of the central plaza to head up
the Susten pass that begins climbing into the "impassable" granite
slot at the bottom of the Meiental through curved tunnels with a stone
arch bridge spanning the gulch.

http://www.goyellow.de/map/?lon=8.59...z=17&mt=aerial

The Susten Pass road climbs steadily up this valley, visible from the
road for the entire 8% climb to the summit (2224m). This has always
been the glacier highway of Switzerland with its many glacier covered
peaks and finally the Steingletscher that one confronts after exiting
the summit tunnel. This glacier seems not to have shrunk in recent
times as it descends from the Sustenhorn (3420m), a great white cone
rising above the steep Gadmental.

http://www.goyellow.de/map/?lon=8.42...z=13&mt=aerial

I descended to Innertkirchen (625m) through curved bare rock tunnels
along the north side of the spectacularly steep Gadmental. For scenic
beauty, the cumulus clouds added excitement to the day but now they
were closing in as I crossed the Aare river and climbed the Kirchet
(pass) of four short traverses rising 140m between narrow hairpins
to climb over the narrow Aareschlucht gorge, through which the Aare
river leaves the Haslital to reach the Brienzersee.

http://www.goyellow.de/map/?lon=8.22...z=14&mt=aerial
http://www.aareschlucht.ch/

Just beyond the Kirchet I turned off onto the Scheideggstrasse to
Rosenlaui where one of the great Swiss glaciers lies behind a similar
narrows in granite walls. As I passed the Reichenbachfall at hotel
Zwirgi, I could imagine hearing the voices of Sherlock Holmes and
Dr. Moriarty as they went over the falls in Conan Doyle's work.

The watering trough at the waterworks came in handy as usual because
this road climbs steadily at an 8-10% grade. Although steep, this is
a rewarding climb, leveling off just below the Rosenlaui Glacier with
the backdrop of the magnificent Wetterhorn (3701m). I stopped at
Hotel Rosenlaui (1330m) not worried about finding a room, the weather
had been so wet and cold the last few weeks. I was greeted by Andreas
and Christina Kehrli, the proprietors of the over 200 year old Hotel
Rosenlaui. Having stayed here often, formerly with the senior Kehrlis, was not disappointed except for the weather as it began raining.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reichenbach_Falls
http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s38.html
http://www.rosenlaui.ch/

----------------------------------------------------------------------

2. Saturday, 12 July (Rosenlaui - Gletsch)

After a good breakfast I surveyed the weather and gave it bad rating
because it was still drizzling and showed no signs of letting up. I
put on my parka over my long sleeved jersey and warm undershirt and
headed back down the hill, not being in the mood to climb in the rain
only to see nothing but fog instead of the Eiger at the top of the
hill. Not even the Wetterhorn was visible.

From Innertkirchen I headed up the Grimsel pass in hopes of sunnier
skies in the Rhone valley. The Grimsel is a moderate climb, not as
steep as the ride to Grosse Scheidegg and today there was little
traffic, most tourist having made the decision not to test the cold
wet weather. I passed the many landmarks like the KWO hydro-power
plants and cableways used to maintain these project in winter.

Just above Handegg (1401m) and after the otherwise scenic cobble stone
road in the granite wall, at the base of the first dam, I zipped up my
parka and put up my hood that I closed so only my nose and eyes were
exposed as the rains came. Not only that, but after the lake and up
to the next dam to the Grimselsee, I got a mix of rain and snow.

http://www.caingram.info/Finsteraarhorn.htm

There was no snow or ice on the summit lake on the Grimsel Pass
(2154m), where the road passes through a gap from which a panorama of
the Rhone Glacier (source of the Rhone) and the Furka pass to the
southeast, offers a grand panorama on a clear day. I was more
concerned with descending to Gletsch (1759m) where I could catch a
bus over the Furka.

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s67.html

Above, to the east, the Galenstock (3583m) and the gap of the Furka
Pass make a fine backdrop for the Rhone Glacier and the adjacent Hotel
Belvedere.

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s55.html
http://mikeaz.free.fr/dfb/dfb2.htm

In Gletsch, I did a brief tour of the DFB (Dampfbahn Furka
Bergstrecke) Furka Steam Railway train station, where a train full of
tourists was getting ready to depart as their steam locomotive was
being turned on the armstrong turn table for the return run through
the Furka tunnel whose upper end lies at about the same elevation as
the Grimsel summit.

http://www.fu-be.ch/

It rained so hard that the passengers waiting for the Postauto (bus)
stood on the top of the waiting-bench to get out of the splash of the
rain in front of the covered bus stop. When the bus arrived, I hung
my bicycle by its front wheel on the empty 6-bicycle rack on the back
of the bus and took a seat next to the driver. It occurred to me that
such a bicycle rack on the back of a bus would never work in the USA,
considering that it was not observable from within the bus and that
the weight of the entire bicycle hung from the front quick release
wheel.

The Furka Pass (2431m), 267m higher than the Grimsel, lies in the gap
at the head of this valley that is swept clean by avalanches, except
for some shrubs. The Furka has a great panorama that, as I
experienced once on an exceptionally clear day, can include the
Matterhorn to the west. As the bus passed the curio shops and grand
Hotel Belvedere, I could see the west portal Furka Railway 1874m
long summit tunnel built in 1925 far below at 2016m elevation.

http://www.picswiss.ch/06-VS/s-VS-06/sVS-64-02.html

The road from here to Realp at in the Reuss valley is narrower, more
like in olden times when it was unpaved, so driving a postal buss
takes great skill in passing oncoming cars. The last resort is the
famed three tone postal bugle horn of these buses that has the effect
of an emergency vehicle siren in the USA. Other traffic must stop and
yield the road, even to the extent of backing up to a wider spot. The
driver can issue traffic tickets to non conformists.

These buses are designed with a short wheelbase for mountain curves,
which means that the driver (and I) were sometimes out over the verge
of the road on tight turns. Meanwhile I noticed that my, otherwise
water resistant watch that I wear when swimming, had fogged up from
riding drenched while descending to higher atmospheric pressure down
the Grimsel. East of the broad top summit a long gradual descent
passes Tiefenbach (2106m) where the grade gets steeper and the curves
tighter on the way down to Realp (1538m) in the upper Reuss valley.

From here its a straight run on a wide road to Hospental (1452m) with
the rain still coming down from a low cloud cover, which the driver
told me was snowing on the Gotthard. I retired to Hotel Rössli, my
usual overnight on these rides, and got a good night's rest after a
hearty dinner.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Saturday 13 July (Hospental - Hospental)

The trouble was that in the morning the weather was even worse, so I
stayed in bed and hoped for improvement that didn't come, so I decided
to take the bus over the Gotthard the next day, remembering how the
south side of the Gotthard was often sunny and warm while the north
side was cold and wet.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

4. Sunday 14 July (Hospental - Biella)

Although it wasn't raining hard, I stood in a continuous drizzle at
the bus stop for what seemed forever because I got there just after
having missed the earlier bus. The Gotthard is as modern a mountain
pass today as you can find in the Alps, so the comfortably heated bus
cruised over the top in good time windshield wipers going full blast.
There was practically no traffic, the tourist having stayed away for
good reason and business traffic passing below in the Autoroute
tunnel.

In Airolo the bus sops at the SBB train station and I decided that I
didn't take the bus to descend in rain to Biasca and Bellinzona, so I
took the train to Bellinzona where the roads were dry. From here its
a short ride down to Lago Maggiore and the Italian border, where I
rode down the east shore to Laveno remembering the great adventures of
rides years ago.

I stopped in After a few tunnels and
climbing over a ridge I rolled to the ferry dock in Laveno just in
time to be the first on board. The sun was out and the still and cool
air perfect for bicycling. After landing in Verbania, I headed west
up the Toce river to Gravellona and Omegna.

The weather was pleasantly cool as I rode along the lago Maggiore
stopping in Luino, at the bank where I formerly got Lira from the ATM
but the same machine now gives Euros. After climbing the only hill at
Castelveccana, I descended to Laveno, arriving just in time for the
ferry across the lake to Verbania. Lago Maggiore is a beautifully
scenic route with pleasantly warm (drinking) water and places to swim.
From Verbania I took the main road up the Toce river to Gravellona
where I headed south to Omegna (298m) at the north end of Lago d'Orta.
Omegna is a former steel town whose mills filled the valley to
Gravellona. The rusting hulks have all been dismantled leaving a
beautiful countryside.

http://www.lagomaggiore.net/old/uk/citta/omegna.asp


I rode along the east shore of Lago d'Orta with a picturesque island,

http://www.orta.net/

(the west side climbs hills) to Gozzano where I turned west up a short
steep climb to Pogno and on to Borgosesia. After Pogno, the road
climbs gradually through a chestnut forest passing empty former silk
and wool textile mills. The road climbs along a small stream through
a chestnut forest to summit tunnel at Restiglione (598m) after which it
descends to Borgosesia (359m) on the Sesia river. The river had still
not been restored to its former deep green splendor after the great
floods a couple of years ago that destroyed the dam below town.

http://www.orta.net/

I felt I was back in good favor with the weather as I continued to
Biella (420m) where I stopped at Hotel Colibri where I had stayed
before. The hotel has only a breakfast room but no dinner service, so
meal tickets are issued for a good restaurant around the corner.

Next morning I called my friend Brian Tomlin in Ivrea (a few Km's to
the west) who offered to drive over and pick me up for lunch in Ivrea.
I got to know Brian on rec.bicycles a while ago, and got him to join
me on a trip in the Alps when I passed through Ivrea a few years back.
Since then he's become a good amateur racer while keeping busy as an
EE in Ivrea.

After a light lunch, I took the train across the west edge of the Po
valley, past Torino, and on to Cuneo (587m), where I got a traditional
drink from the huge fountain in front of the train station before
riding west to Borgo San Dalmazzo (541m) where I turned south along
the Vermenagna river to Robilante (686m) and the Ristorante-Albergo
Aquila Riale where I have stopped often.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

5. Monday 15 July (Robilante - Lanslevillard)

I was surprised that riding back to Borgo San Dalmazzo was farther
than I thought, but flat, so it was a pleasant warm-up before heading
west to the Colle de Maddalena (Col de Larche 1995m), a pass of which
I had only seen the uninteresting approaches, passing it on either
end. Once away from the "city" I was pleasantly surprised at the
beautiful landscape and varied gradients that made this a pleasant
discovery.

I took this route because I was concerned about getting stuck in more
rain that was hovering on all sides and could interfere with my desire
to see the Route des Grand Alps again. The Col de Larche descends
close to Condamine (1300m) where it joins the Col de Vars (2111m), on
my usual rout. The Vars has some quirky steep spots caused by "moving
acres" in a huge slide area, but overall it's an easy climb.

After descending to Guillestre (1000m) I headed east up the Combe de
Queyras along the Guil river that, as usual, was full of white water
kayakers. After Arvieux (1544m) and Brunnisard the Col d'Izoard gets
steep on its way through a thin forest to a false summit. From that
summit the Obelisk at the real summit and the entire road leading
there through a desert of grey scree is visible.

After a picture at the Izoard summit (2360m) with rain clouds chasing,
I headed down to Briançon and up the long gradual climb to the
Lautaret (2058m) where I dropped in to say hello to the Bonnabels of
Hotel des Glaciers and head off to the Galibier, although neither Paul
nor his nephew Domenic were home. Traffic was lighter than usual,
probably due to poor weather and economy, but my bicycle didn't need
any of that expensive fuel from ESSO.

With low traffic, I had no problem violating the "No Bicycle" rule for
the Galibier summit tunnel (2505m) after which the descent is gradual
before a short steep part into Valloire (1430m), after which a 5km
climb to the Télégraphe (1570m) begins. From the Télégraphe it's a
steep winding descent through a pine forest to the Arc river at
St. Michel du Maurienne (711m).

Because today, most traffic takes the autoroute, Rt N6 was as quiet as
it was more than 40 years ago. At Modane (1057m), the double track
railway heads to Torino through the Frejus tunnel (built in 1871) and
the autoroute begins its climb to a 12.9km tunnel leaving me on a
sparsely used Rt N6 to Lanslebourg (1400m) and Lanslevillard where I
stopped for the night.

http://tinyurl.com/kdo4

---------------------------------------------------------------------

6. Tuesday 16 July (Lanslevillard - Brig-Ried)

The day started well with only scattered clouds in an otherwise blue
sky over peaks with fresh snow as I headed up the small climb Col du
Madeleine (1677m) to the upper Arc river to Bonneval sur Arc (1835m).
The Iseran pass starts climbing at Bonneval in three stages, the first
makes two long straight traverses of the north wall of the Arc valley,
after which heads into a narrower fairly flat valley before looping
around to climb above a waterfall at the upper end of that valley from
which a magnificent view to the south opens through the gap that leads
to the summit.

I was climbing in clear weather and pleasant temperature and got the
classic summit picture taken of me sitting on the large summit sign at
the top. The descent to Val d'Isère (1840m) is fairly straight and
well paved although in town underground utility construction keeps the
main street rough. At the end of town a short tunnel climbs out of
the flat area that is now entirely built up into0t a ski town.

Descending through a series of tunnels I reached the dam at Lac du
Chevril (2000m). A few steep runs passed through Sainte Foy Trentaise
(1051m), where a road to the Petite St Bernard cuts off just above a
steep sweeping turn in town. Although it looks like a shortcut on the
map, it is not because it winds around while it climbs steeply through
the hills. At the junction of Rt D902 and Rt N90 to the Col du Petite
St Bernard and Aosta. In Seez (920m) I headed east toward Aosta.

Once again I appreciated the pleasant climb to the Petite St. Bernard
from Seez rather than the "shortcut" at St. Foy that I had tried once
thinking that descending to Seez was extra work... but it isn't. Col
du Petite St Bernard (2188m) with its statue on a rock outcropping
next to a small church is a scenic climb with a pleasant gradient on
either side.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Im...bernard01.jpeg

I descended to Pré St. Didier (1017m) on N26 where I joined the Mont
Blanc tunnel road on its way to Aosta (583m) and turned north up the
Pso del Grande San Bernardo (2473m). Interestingly Val d' Aosta is a
French speaking region of Italy but most road signs are in Italian.
I had an inquiringly beautiful sunny day with billowing white clouds,
here and there.

I got my traditional picture taken in front of the old Swiss concrete
road sign at the summit in front of the curio shop window full of toy
St. Bernard dogs. Meanwhile, most traffic was on the Autoroute in the
tunnel under the summit.

http://www.roberts-1.com/t/b06/ch/k/c/index.htm

I recall when this was an unpaved road but now I'm glad to join the
tunnel traffic on a smooth road to Martigny (617m) in the Rhone valley
where I caught the afternoon wind up the valley to Brig (684m). The
valley is mostly vineyards but also fruit orchards. To reduce
evaporation, most of the agricultural land is covered with a layer of
flat river bottom rocks.

From Brig I headed up the Simplon pass stopping in Brig-Ried, a small
town up the road a short distance from town.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

7. Wednesday 17 July (Brig-Ried - Casáccia)

After a buffet breakfast I headed up the hill, joining the Simplon
highway again after the bridge that bypasses the town and has a
no-bicycles sign that I have always ignored but didn't need to today.
A moderate grade up this wide highway rises to the Schallberg tunnel
that rounds the corner into the Gantertal (1840m), above the Saltina
river. As in the past several years, the concrete covered suspension
bridge was still under repair construction.

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4054222

as it is in the picture. All uphill traffic is detoured on the old
road that makes a long U-turn on a small stone arch bridge at the end
of the valley. I haven't used that road in 50 years and didn't do it
this time, because traffic could pass a bicyclist easily on the open
lane.

Above Berisal (1524m), I was back in the Saltina valley with the road
following to the east wall, ducking in and out of tunnels and
completely glass brick enclosed avalanche sheds. The Simplon Pass
(2005m) is an all year highway and is covered in the hazardous areas.
From the Simplon (2005m) the Eiger and a bit of the Aletsch glacier
are visible in the panorama to the north and to the south, the
monastery and ancient hotel occupy the marshy meadow along the
Chrummbach to the south.

After the short flatland, the road enters the Gondo canyon clinging to
sheer granite walls of the upper Val Divedro revealing Gabi (1228m)
about 300m directly below. A short way down to Iselle (673m) the
south portal of the Simplon Railway tunnel exposes the tracks for a
moment before they duck back into a tunnel that takes them to Varzo
(532m).

Varzo was once a great top gear sprint challenge up to the crest in
town because it was straight 500m with a 65kmh coasting approach.
Today an elevated bypass skirts the town with its narrow street, a
project that took about five years to build. As I cruised down past
Varzo I got a mysterious slow leak in the rear tire. I didn't want to
get into tube patching so I grabbed my pump and noticed that the
airport baggage mashers had broken off the handle of my old Silca
Impero plastic pump that served me for many years.

Pushing on the stub end of the 10mm diameter piston tube, I was able
to get enough air into the tire to continue down to my favorite bridge
just above Crevola d'Ossola where the new road enters a tunnel.

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/i08.html

It's a short drop into the valley across to Masera (297m) from Crevola
d'Ossola. Masera lies at the bottom of the climb to Druogno (831m) in
the Valle Vigezzo on the way to Locarno back in Switzerland. This is
also the route of the scenic meter gauge Centovalli railway that runs
between Locarno and Domodossola.

The blue and white train full of tourists passed me as I climbed to
along the Melexxa river to Druogno (831m) from where the Val Vigezzo
descends gradually to Locarno (200m) on Lago Maggiore. Traffic was
light and a pleasant breeze made riding along the Plan di Magadino
past Bellinzona easy.

At Arbedo (230m) on the Gotthard route, I turned up the Valle
Mesolcina and stopped at a local grocery store with a bench in the sun
to fix my slow leak tire. I picked this spot for the warm sunshine as
much as the presence of a bicycle with a tire pump parked in front of
the store. After removing a "Michelin wire" from the tire I installed
my spare tube and got it well inflated with the borrowed pump.

Valle Mesolcina is flat for about 20km before climbing to Mesocco
(790m) where the climb to the San Bernardino pass begins. Because
autostrada were built over the Alps long ago, the old cobblestone
roads are often well maintained in original condition and have little
traffic.

The first climb levels off in Pian San Giacomo (1140m) before climbing
to the town of San Bernardino (1607m) where the autoroute enters its
tunnel and the old road climbs through a glorious landscape to the San
Bernardino summit (2063m) with a summit lake next to an old monastery.

On the descent into the Rhein valley I saw that the huge Swiss army
artillery range was silent and deserted to my surprise. Here in
Hinterrhein (1624m) the autoroute emerges from the tunnel and takes
the place of the old highway, but for local traffic a one lane
frontage road was built to bridge the gap to Nufenen about a kilometer
down the road, from which the old cobblestone road once more makes a
pleasant ride to Splügen (1460m) and the turnoff to the Splügen pass.

Although the weather was cool and cloudy, it seemed to be a safe bet
that it would be dry over the pass, unlike last year. Climbing in the
cool air was more pleasant than descending the San Bernardino. The
Swiss-Italian border lies on the summit (2117m) but with the EU no
border stops are required.

After Monte Spluga (1908m) and a large granite faced hydroelectric
dam, the road enters a series of convoluted hairpin turns, in tunnels
in the granite wall. There was almost no traffic, because many car
drivers find this route terrifying. At Chiavenna (333m) I turned east
toward St. Moritz crossing back into Switzerland and finished the day
in Casáccia (1458m).

----------------------------------------------------------------------

8. Thursday 18 July (Casáccia - Ponte di Legno)

The morning sky didn't look good but after a good breakfast, I headed
out and up, the Maloja pass being right in front of town. I was glad
to get into th wall on which the hairpin turns wend their way up this
one sided pass that has no downhill on the east side, it being an
ancient glacial valley with three large lakes. The top of the Maloja
pass (1817m) is in front of the Maloja hotel, continuing along the
shore of the Silsersee, Silvaplanasee, and the St. Moritz lake.

Meanwhile, it wasn't warming up because the sun did not show through
the clouds, so I rode to the St. Moritz train station with plans of
bailing out, but there were no trains, so I headed down the hill into
the Inn valley where I took hope as I saw a brighter sky to the south.
The light drizzle had stopped as I rode through Pontresina (1805m) and
headed up the Bernina pass.

I took a picture of the Morteratsch glacier with its upper end
vanishing into clouds, from the Bellavista curve of the RhB RR but no
train. A bit farther up, just past the Diavolezza aerial tram I got a
shot of a red Bernina Express train heading up the pass ahead of me.
I passed the summer dormant Lagalp aerial tram when it began snowing a
fine granular snow that just blew around like sand, so I wasn't
getting wet. My parka was doing a fine job and I was still climbing
to the Bernina (2339m) keeping warm.

The descent is long and swift to Poschiavo (1021m) where it was a bit
drier but still overcast, but I could see clear sky ahead as I got to
lago di Poschiavo and the last steep part to Brusio (780m) and a good
lunch at one of my favorites, Hotel Bottoni, where I was welcomed by
the Betis who run the place. From here it's a short drop to Tirano
(430m) in the Valtellina. I crossed the valley and crossed through
Stazzona to the small woodsy road that makes a pleasant shortcut to
the Pso Aprica (1175m).

Aprica is a pleasant lineal town in the gap of the mountains that
gives the pass its name. From here its a long gradual descent to
Édolo (690m) along the Oglio river. From Édolo I passed Monno
(1067m), at the north end of the Mortirolo pass that, from my
perception has no benefit other than being steep, narrow, and part of
the Giro d'Italia, although it is a shortcut from Tirano to Ponte di
Legno (1258m) the base of the Gavia pass. The afternoon was getting
late as I stopped in a short visit with my good friend Silvano
Macculotti's hotel, the Veduta Dell Adamello in Temú.

He invited me to stay, but being early enough to get closer to the
Gavia pass I went on to stay just above Ponte di Legno at Hotel
Frigidolfo after having ridden to the hotel at Apollonia (1415m), the
start of the Gavia climb, that was recently remodeled and not open for
guests.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Friday 18 July (Ponte di Legno - San Martino)

Although I arrived under threatening skies, the morning was beautiful
and I got a good start up the grade after a drink of rusty fizz-water
at Appolonia, a ritual I started years ago, once when I was truly
thirsty and was surprised by the taste. On the way up some fast
tourists passed me after we talked a bit. I noticed that ANAS, the
highway department had erected a concrete snow deflecting wall across
th upper end of "the cliff" that made even walking around impossible.

http://tinyurl.com/7nsry

From here the summit is visible three kilometers farther up the road.
Rifugio Bonetta on the Gavia (2621m) is an old stop and this time I
met a bunch of riders who had all bought the postcard of me riding
under the cliff in 1978 when the road was still unpaved. After
autographing their postcards, Signor Benetta's son downloaded my 100
picture slide show from my memory stick. After downing the
traditional refresher, I said goodbye and headed down to Bormio
(1225m) and headed up the greatest road in the alps, the Stelvio.

I could not have asked for better weather, no wind and cool air for
climbing, so much so, that I had no great need for drinking on the
climb other than a can of soda that I drank at the top of the Val
Braulio, about half way up. On the Stelvio as on other occasions I
rode right over the top into the view of the glacier covered Ortler
(3899m) above the val di Trafoi with its endless hairpin turns.

Then I turned around, regained my composure from this magnanimous
experience and got a Reuben sandwich from the vendor who recognized me
as the young guy who stopped there fifty years ago. I still knew his
claim to serve: "Die höchste Wurst in den Alpen". That and a Coke
sent me down the hill to Prato, his home, and on to Spondigna (885m).

I cruised down route N38 to Merano (302m) and headed north up the
Passeiertal to San Martino (597m) where I found an economical hotel
with good food. It was a great day considering the poor weather I had
up to this day. Crossing the Gavia and Stelvio, the great ones of the
Alps was a great adventure.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

10. Saturday 19 July (San Martino - Sillian)

St. Leonard (688m) was a short distance up the road at the bas of the
Jaufen pass (2099m) under sunny skies and balmy weather. The Jaufen
pass is a gradual climb made of many esses through a pine forest and
open meadows over which beautiful panoramas to the south are exposed.
Other than lovely wildflowers and an impressively deep valley left
behind, this pass is not a a match for the ones yesterday.

After a pleasant descent on dry pavement I turned south before
reaching Sterzing (948m) down the Fortezza Francesco (749m) where I took
the cutoff into the dolomites toward Brunico (835m) and Dobbiaco
(1241m) on my way past the Dolomites, the weather to the south not
looking good. I rode on into Austria and stopped in Sillian (1102m)
in the Aue valley.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

11. Sunday 20 July (Sillian - Wald)

I was so glad to find a mostly sunny day ahead because that's what
riding over the Großglockner would take. I headed out to Lienz (675m)
and up the Iselsberg Pass (1204m) that connects the Drautal and the
Mölltal in Winklern (840m) before the climb to Heiligenblut (1301m) at
the base of the 33Km Großglockner climb.

The grocery store at the road junction in Heiligenblut was open as
always in spite of former closing hour laws and the like because it is
largely a tourist stop. I tanked up and got a candy bar (power) for
the climb that starts in front of the store with a warning sign that
the grade is 12% (in some sections). I was feeling good and know that
there is a cafeteria style restaurant at Kasereck (1913m) before a
slightly downhill section before the last assault that is mostly 12%,
but with broad hairpin turns.

I got my picture taken at the Großglockner Hochtor (2505m), a 300m
long tunnel, so that the north portal is visible behind me standing in
a beautifully designed Granite masonry portal (with typical
Austro-Hungarian religious symbolism). I always tell friends that
"You ain't done yet"because the road descends steeply to Mitteltörl
(2328m), the middle, summit that also has a tunnel, before descending
a bit farther before climbing at 12% grade to Fuschertörl (2263m).

Fuschertörl sits on the rim of the enormously deep and steep
Fuschertal, of grass and wildflowers with grazing Ibexes, on the other
side of which are glacier covered peaks including the Großglockner
(3798m) from which the road takes its name. A tour of about thirty
Harley-Davidson riders were just starting the descent as I pushed off
and found myself passing most of them after a few kilometers, however,
on the straight sections they all came rolling by.

I passed then again at Fusch (807m) because bicycles are not required
to pay toll on this toll road, so I could sail by at the bottom of the
grade. I crossed the Salzach into Bruck (757m) and headed west up the
Pinzgau past Mittersill where the 5.3Km Felbertauern auto tunnel at
1630m elevation, connects to Lienz.

I was dismayed that ÖBB, the Austrian State railway, could not make
the Pinzgau 760mm (30") gauge railway profitable while the private
Zillertal 760mm gauge railway, on the other side of the hill, is doing
fine with freight and passenger traffic, and runs steam trains. So
the tracks from Mittersill to Krimml were taken up. This may be the
cause of this loss:

http://austrianswiss.fotopic.net/p1025272.html

At Wald, I took the old Gerlos pass to reach Hotel Grübl where
Mrs. Kaiser presides and runs a great place. The new highway was
built broad without 17% grades to blast away at high speed in any
weather.

http://austrianswiss.fotopic.net/p1025272.html

----------------------------------------------------------------------

12. Monday 21 July (Wald - Linthal)

From Hotel Grübl, a 400m long section goes straight to the next
plateau at a steady 17%, something common on old Austrian roads. Right
after breakfast, this was an easy "Sprint" at maximum effort and
worked as well as previous years. There are a couple of steep spots
after that but they are short.

The old Gerlos (1486m) was wiped out by a huge hydro-electric
reservoir that makes a pleasant reflecting pool for the alps to the
south. I had the pleasure of riding up through that valley years ago,
before the dam was built and the ski areas developed. Those were
simpler times with practically no traffic, compared to today. At
least the old road up from Wald is still that way but after descending
the east slope to Gerlos (1245m) traffic picks up and there is only
the old road.

Once down in the Zillertal at Zell (575m) it was smooth rolling with
the Zillertalbahn puffing along next to the road.

http://tinyurl.com/6cx2b8

At Straß (523m) on the Inn river, I chose the main highway to
Innsbruck, the Autobahn having taken most traffic. The weather was
cool and sunny with billowing clouds as I passed Innsbruck (574m) and
continued up the valley toward Landeck (816m) where the Reschen pass
heads south to the Stelvio and the Silvretta and Arlberg pass head
east to Switzerland.

The weather was poor in all directions so I took the train through the
Arlberg tunnel, the line that was out of service for major track work
last year. From Bludenz (581m) I got rolling, under cloudy skies, to
Feldkirch (457m) where I turned south to Schaan in the Rhein valley
and rode the Bike path on the east levee from which I got a good view
of Schloss Vaduz looming over the valley.

http://www-pnp.physics.ox.ac.uk/~miy.../travel/vaduz/

I took the pedestrian/bicycle covered bridge across the Rhein to the
west side levee and turned off at Trübach, cutting across to Sargans
(510m). I found the bike path leading down to the Walensee from Mels
but I have had trouble finding it on occasion. Looking at the lay of
the land convinces me that, long ago, the Rhein flowed down this way
to the Walensee and on to the Zurichsee instead of its current path
through the Bodensee, because large levees keep it going north.

The bicycle path runs along the creek to Walenstadt (427m) on the
Walensee where I rode to Mühlehorn and took the shortcut over the
Kerenzerberg (700m) to Näfels (445m) in canton Glarus. I rode up the
valley under increasing clouds past Glarus to Linthal (667m), the end
of the SBB rail line, to find an appropriate hotel.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

13. Tuesday 22 July (Linthal - Ibach)

Here in Linthal, then end of the valley, the road cuts into the wall
of the box canyon, and climbs to reach the high valley, Urnerboden,
that belongs to Canton Uri that lies on the other side of the pass.
Last year we just got to the only hotel just as a thunderstorm began
dumping a downpour, but today it was bright and sunny with a
lenticular cloud sweeping over the glaciers of the Tödi (3623m) and
its neighboring peaks.

Although this is a beautifully scenic road, the Klausen Pass (1952m),
is a grassy saddle with a summit hotel but nothing as striking as the
climbs of the box canyons on either approach. The north approach
clings to the north wall of the Schächental with a view of the valley
floor practically like an aerial photo.

http://www.paloaltobicycles.com/alps_photos/s86.html

I rolled down to Urigen (1276m) to Steffan Truschner's rustic hotel in
the hairpin turn and had a great lunch. Steffan and Karin run a great
place above Unterschächen (996m).

http://www.hotel-posthaus.ch/

Well nourished, I rolled on down the hill that has one more climb to
get over the narrows of of the Schächental on the way to Altdorf and
back along the Vierwaldstättersee on the Axenstrasse.

http://wanderland.myswitzerland.com/....cfm?id=319488

Although a bit shorter than I had planned, the ride went well without
incident and mostly dry weather, although not as warm as I expected
for the time of year.

================================================== ====================
--
Jobst Brandt
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