Swiss Alps Adventure, part 1
by Karin Kirk
I just got back from a cycling trip in the Swiss Alps so it’s time to share photos and stories!
This was a relatively short, 1 week trip that was wedged between work commitments. The plan was to do 3 rides in the Swiss Alps, with a day or two at my Mom’s place in nearby southern Germany before and after the Alps trip.
The cast of characters included George, a cycling pal and Swiss tour guide extraordinaire; Megan, a Bozeman teammate, world traveler and all-around awesome cyclist; and my Mom, a happy traveler who is always up for an adventure of any kind.
I have ridden in the Swiss Alps once before, 3 years ago with George. At the end of that trip I was certain I’d be back for more. (Read about that trip on the Serotta Forum.) One key difference on this trip was that I had my own Kirk bike that Dave had retrofitted with couplers for easy travel. This bike fits me perfectly, has Terraplane stays and is a whopping 4 pounds lighter than the old bike I had been using on my trips to Europe. So I was especially looking forward to piloting a worthy bike on the alpine roads. (See the post where Dave describes the retrofit process.)
Day 1 — Poor weather at the Santis.
We delayed our departure for Switzerland by one day due to widespread pouring rain. We kept ourselves happily busy in Germany visiting the Mainau gardens, a huge public garden that has a great way of filling up an entire day. The following day we took the ferry across the Bodensee under clearing skies. The forecast called for possible showers and we hoped we’d luck out once we arrived at our ride location.
The ferry ride across the Bodensee
We met George at the train station and even though the skies were generally clear on the trip there, it started sprinkling pretty much right when we disembarked from the train. So we decided to have lunch and watch the weather. Lunch was tasty, but sadly the rain increased and we had a steady drizzle by the time we were done. It was chilly (in the 40s) and while the idea of riding up to the Santis in the cold rain seemed like an OK prospect, the thought of negotiating wet roads and twisty descents while freezing cold seemed like asking for trouble.
As a consolation prize, we decide to drive the loop that we had planned to ride. The route included one big climb and two smaller ones, threading through small alpine villages and farm countryside. The big climb took us up to the base of the Santis, an impressive mountain face with a cool cable car ascending to a weather observatory and communications tower on top. After visiting here last spring, I realized this would be a super fun ride location. But today, upon arriving at the Santis, the rain switched to part snow with cold, slushy drops sealing the deal that a ride that day would not be possible. What to do? Even though we had just finished a big lunch, some espresso and cakes seemed like a good choice.
Is it really that bad? Yes, it really is that bad.
Consoling ourselves with cake. Mom looks a little nervous about how much we ordered!
After stuffing ourselves with cakes, we proceeded on our drive around the ride route. The valleys were brilliantly green after a rainy summer in the Alps. The villages were perfectly cute with everything tidy and well-tended. The adorable Swiss cows dotted the pastures and their bells created the perfect musical accompaniment to the peaceful landscape. I do love Switzerland!
Verdant pastures in the Santis area. You'll have to imagine the sweet melody of cowbells on the breeze.
It was a lovely drive. But I’d be lying if I didn’t report that I was hugely disappointed. This is one trouble with planning a complicated cycling trip; it doesn’t take much to knock the carefully-laid plan off-kilter.
Day 2 — Klausenpass
We awoke to grey skies and an impressive covering of fresh snow on the mountains. The forecast called for clearing weather and plan for the day was to ride the Klausenpass. This was the road I most wanted to do and I was really, really hoping the weather would cooperate. As we drove over a minor pass to the adjacent valley, we were greeted with one of the happiest sights I’ve ever seen — clearing skies and some emerging patches of blue. Hooray!
Clearing skies as we got a view down into the Glarus valley. This was an enormous relief!
We got ourselves situated in the highly pleasant town of Linthal, at the base of the climb. The sky was bright, the roads were still wet but drying nicely and the snowy mountains were beckoning. Spirits were very high as we prepared for the climb. The disappointment from the previous day melted away and I had that “all is right with the world” feeling as we pedaled off.
Megan, George and I are psyched for the climb!
Departing for the climb amid clearing skies and drying pavement - what a great feeling that was!
The climb began immediately and was beautiful right from the start. No more than 1k into the climb the road surface turned to cobblestone. While the cobbles had us thinking we were the stars of the next epic Rapha video, I’m thinking, “Cobblestones, really? Nothing I’ve read about this climb ever mentioned this!” Luckily the cobblestone sections lasted only for the first few switchbacks and smooth asphalt followed. Next we got to a long tunnel, which seemed somehow disorienting until I realized that the road was actually pretty steep, but you couldn’t sense that without a horizon. Interesting.
A view of the lower part of the climb. If you look carefully you can see the various switchbacks and one of the two tunnels.
Cobblestones on the lower slopes of Klausenpass. An ideal field test for the Terraplane seatstays.
George and I enjoying the bucolic lower slopes of the climb. Have I mentioned how happy I was to be there?
The climb is broken into two sections. The lower portion has lots of switchbacks and ascends through forests and pastures with promising views of snowy Alps at every turn. The riding was not difficult and the whole experience was fun and lighthearted. After about 9 km of that, we emerged in an upper valley that was fairly flat and offered a nice place to regroup. Only then could you see the crux of the climb which, I have to say, looked pretty improbable as the road twisted its way through a high alpine landscape and lots of snow. But it was an exciting sight because this is exactly what we’d come for!
"See this twisty part here? This is where it will get interesting!"
A fantastic slice of scenery on the upper slopes of the Klausenpass. The house in the background even has the requisite red geraniums, which seem a bit improbable in this location.
Megan climbs her way up the pass, into scenery so stunning, we forgot how steep the road was.
Megan cranks out the tempo - fueled in part by pure enthusiasm!
The ride up that upper section was one of those experiences I’ll never forget. The combination of the huge alpine features, the wonderful road, the brilliant weather, the perfect Swiss-ness of it… all experienced while riding a bicycle. What could be better! I felt energized all the way up the climb. We climbed at a pace that allowed for some conversation and as much picture taking as we could manage without stopping too much. The top of the climb arrived a little too soon — I was having so much fun and I felt like I could have gone on all day.
Celebrating at the top while bracing for the chilly descent.
My bike, resplendent at the top of the pass. Thank you to Dave for making me a travel bike!
After some cappuccino and baked treats at the top (how civilized!). We readied ourselves for a cold ride down. We piled on all the layers we’d stripped off on the way up and raced down the switchbacks. Alpine descents have never been my favorite thing but maybe some practice or having a nicer bike helped because on this road I couldn’t help but let out a whoop each time I got that slingshot feeling riding around a switchback. In no time we were down from the cold upper slopes and were back in the land of cows and green pastures. Descending through the long tunnel was really weird and disorienting. We also learned that there was no such thing as a smooth line through the cobblestones. And on a section of rough construction, George proved that a flat tire was inevitable.
Riding back through the village of Linthal, we had that jubilant feeling of a successful adventure. What a perfect climb that was!
Climb statistics: 23 km, 1300 meters (4264 feet) of climbing. Klausenpass stats and description from Climbbybike.com
Stay tuned for part 2 of the trip report in a day or two!
thanks for reading!
Karin
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2 responses to “Swiss Alps Adventure, part 1”
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WOW! That must be every cyclist dream. Great for you going out there and doing that. How much total elevation did you climb? It is sooo cool to see the Kirk frame with terraplane stays on the scenic roads. What’s next for you?
Thanks Mike!
We climbed 4264 feet the first day and 3400 the next day – not too bad! I agree the bike looks apropos in that setting, which was certainly part of the fun.
What’s next, hmmm. Just last night I was browsing the Swiss map with that very question in mind. I spied some climbs in the Berner Oberland area that look really punishing, so I think those would be fun.
Oh, the other thing that’s next is getting the travel bike painted. The raw look around the newly-installed couplers is cool, but it needs some actual paint. Now to decide on a color…
Suggestions are welcome!