Motoroutes

High pass route- Central Switzerland greg Hot

Written by greg     July 22, 2015    
 
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Directions
Begin Destination

Via Bondi, 9, 23030 Livigno, Province of Sondrio, Italy, Lombardy

Route des Ages 5, 1636 Broc, Switzerland, Fribourg

Trip Total

routes transits total
time 5h:28m 3h:46m 9h:14m
distance 318.9km
(198.2mi)
247.1km
(153.6mi)
566.0km
(351.8mi)
  • 36.8km (22.9mi)
  • 0h:43m
  • *mountains*

Passo di Foscgino- SS301 3.6/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Via Bondi, 9, 23030 Livigno, Province of Sondrio, Italy
  • Italy
  • Lombardy
  • Strada Statale 301, Province of Sondrio, Italy
  • Italy
  • Lombardy
Latitude 46.53864 46.47785
Longitude 10.13573 10.36755

description

This is the main transit route from Livigno to Bormio. It is made up of two small passes with a boarder stop from the Livigno tax free area to Italy at the top of on top of the Passo di Foscgino.


 


Leaving Livigno, take the SS301 marked Bormio- this will take you up the mountain, under all the skiing chairlifts. Very nice road surface and most of the road is wide and flowing as this is the main route in for most of the skiers in the winter. Over a mini summit and back down into another high alpine valley and then back up again to the Passo di Foscgino. Take it easy towards the top as there can be police hanging around looking for people overloaded with cheap booze and fags form Livigno. Through the boarder and down about 3 km there is a stunning viewpoint, check out the photo with this review.


 


OK, we have now had the best part of the ride, the rest of the route down to Bormio is pretty mixed, and the traffic only gets thicker the further you go towards Bormio. For a transit road, you can’t really fault this route as sets you up perfectly for the Stelvio pass before you actually enter Bormio, or you can continue down into Bormio itself which is actually quite a nice ski village.

Transit

1.6 km (1.0) mi
3 minutes
  • 45.9km (28.5mi)
  • 0h:44m
  • *mountains*
  • This road may be seasonally closed

Passo dello Stelvio 4.1/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Via Alberti, 1, Stelvio National Park, 23032 Bormio Province of Sondrio, Italy
  • Italy
  • Lombardy
  • Strada Statale 38, 39026 Prato Allo Stelvio South Tyrol, Italy
  • Italy
  • Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Latitude 46.46793 46.6171
Longitude 10.3785 10.59151

description

Passo dello Stelvio is best ridden West to east and in the morning before all the caravans clog it all up. The Stelvio one of the most famous biking passes in the Alps- and the 2nd or 3rd highest at 2758m, depending on who you believe.


 


Winding up from Bormio, the western ramp has very nice surface, great corners, and stunning scenery. If it is clear, a stop at the top is almost mandatory, you can even do some summer skiing if you want. The east ramp is hairpin city, but again, stunning scenery. The very steep and tight hairpins make this a difficult route, especially if you are on a big or loaded bike. Once you clear what seems like a endless number of hairpins, the road opens up again and provides some great riding.

Transit

27.9 km (17.3) mi
33 minutes
  • 13.3km (8.3mi)
  • 0h:22m
  • *mountains*
  • This road may be seasonally closed

Umbrailpass 4.1/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Strada Statale 38, Stelvio National Park, Bormio, Province of Sondrio, Italy
  • Italy
  • Lombardy
  • 28 92, 7536 Santa Maria Val Müstair, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Grisons
Latitude 46.53982 46.60129
Longitude 10.43312 10.42384

description

At 2501 meters Umbrail Pass is currently the highest paved road in Switzerland. Located on the Swiss-Italian border connecting Santa Maria in Val Müstair with Bormio in the Adda valley. This is a small, and almost unused pass from almost the top of the Stelvio down to the road which goes over the Ofen pass. In fact, this is an alternative to the dreaded eastern ramp of the Stelvio pass.


 


Riding north from Bormio on the west ramp of Stelvio pass (the best bit of the Stelvio in our opinion) you find a turn off for the Umbrail pass a couple kilometres from the top (actually- you go strait, as opposed to going around the hairpin for the Stevio). Initially you have a bit of a ride along the top with dramatic views across the valley, you really need to stop to take it all in. Then you make your fist big drop in elevation, with numerous sharp hairpins down a fair steep mountain face. You then hit a mid mountain plateau, followed by another ramp, another plateau, and then a final decent into Santa Maria in Val Müstair along a tree lined mountain side.


 


About half way down, they must have run out of tarmac and you get the opportunity to test the off road capabilities of your mount. Nothing to challenging, but not for the faint of heart on a sports bike. The best way to describe this route is in the words of Jacques- “Savage” works in both French and English. A real adventure this one, and if you are in the area it should not be missed. We rate this route medium difficulty.

Transit

14.7 km (9.1) mi
18 minutes
  • 49.5km (30.8mi)
  • 0h:45m
  • *mountains*

Ofen pass/ Pass dal Fuorn- 28 4.7/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • 27 84, 7530 Zernez, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Grisons
  • Strada Provinciale 85, 39020 Glorenza South Tyrol, Italy
  • Italy
  • Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol
Latitude 46.67137 46.7005
Longitude 10.55304 10.09491

description

Wow, what a road- This one has it all- superb scenery, sublime corners, great surface, not too much traffic. This is one of the ultimate passes in the world and should not be missed by any riding enthusiast.


 


Riding east, staring from Zernez, you climb quickly up the mountain. There are some covered roadways, but generally there are just really nice, rhythmic sweeping corners. As it is Switzerland, most of the road surface is outstanding- but be prepared for a few road works as they like to keep it this way. About 7 Km up the valley you will find the turnoff for the toll tunnel to Livigno.


 


My suggestion, unless you need to be in Livigno within 30 minutes, is to keep on going towards Santa Maria. The road opens up a bit and just keeps getting better to the top. Once you have summated - the turns get a bit tighter, but what else would you expect on an alpine pass. Once down the ramp, everything opens up again and you have nice flowing corners all the way to Italy.


 


Enjoy this one!

Transit

6.1 km (3.8) mi
6 minutes
  • 25.8km (16.1mi)
  • 0h:24m
  • *mountains*
  • This road may be seasonally closed

Flüela pass (B28) 4.5/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Via Flüela 64, 7542 Susch, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Grisons
  • Flüelastrasse 1, 7260 Davos, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Grisons
Latitude 46.74894 46.81147
Longitude 10.07904 9.84482

description

The Flüela pass (B28) 2383m is one of high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps in the canton of Graubünden. The pass road connects Davos and Susch in the lower Engadin valley. Most of the heavy traffic migrated to the Vereina Tunnel when it opened in 1999 and the road is no longer open all year around. Of all the passes that connect these two valleys, the Flüela is our favourite. It has a bit of everything to please everybody.


 


Most of the route has a great surface and is fairly wide for an alpine pass. Most of the corners are well formed and the scenery is spectacular. Starting on in Sus, and riding west, the road begins with a few well formed hairpins and on a forest lined road. This opens up nicely as you make your accent to the summit. Given the summit elevation, snow can be seen well into the summer, so beware if conditions are overcast or changeable.


 


In our opinion you can’t really do this road without a stop at the summit. You will see a wild assortment of vehicles up in here, from high handlebar choppers to the latest Ferrari. The route down is a pretty wide open affair, with great visibility and passing opportunities. Once you hit tree line you lose a bit of the open feeling, but it just flows. If anything, the last push into Davos is just a bit too long and strait. The featured video is the accent of the eastern ramp. You can see the decent of the western ramp here http://youtu.be/1N-v-4Zbzmk" target="_blank">


 


We rate the Flüela and easy route to ride.

Transit

98.6 km (61.3) mi
79 minutes
  • 64.2km (39.9mi)
  • 1h:03m
  • *mountains*

Klausen Pass- B17 4.5/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Seilergasse 21, 6460 Altdorf, Schweiz
  • Switzerland
  • Canton of Uri
  • Hauptstrasse 38-42, 8750 Glarus, Schweiz
  • Switzerland
  • Canton of Glarus
Latitude 47.04052 46.87811
Longitude 9.06751 8.64037

description

Klausen Pass or Klausenpass is a 1948 m. pass in the Swiss Alps connecting the cantons of Uri and Glarus. The pass road from Altdorf leads through the Schächen Valley, the pass and Urnerboden to Linthal in Glarus.

The first section up from Altdorf is mostly scattered villages, with a good surface so it can be pretty fast. From Unterschächen the road narrows and buses and caravans are banned (except the post-bus). It used to be bumpy but has now has a brilliant surface all the way. The eastern side is a wide valley blocked by a steep wall which the road somehow avoids, the road itself is a dream!

We rate this route as medium difficulty

Transit

24.6 km (15.3) mi
23 minutes
  • 51.5km (32.0mi)
  • 0h:48m
  • *mountains*
  • This road may be seasonally closed

Sustenpass- B11 4.6/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Alte Sustenstrasse, 6484 Wassen, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Uri
  • Bahnhofplatz 14A, 3860 Meiringen, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Bern
Latitude 46.70635 46.72717
Longitude 8.59906 8.18578

description

Part of the golden tangle in central Switzerland. If you do this, the Fruka, and the Grimsel in one day, you have done some of the best riding in the world.

Transit

73.7 km (45.8) mi
65 minutes
  • 31.7km (19.7mi)
  • 0h:35m
  • *mountains*
  • This road may be seasonally closed

Juan Pass 505/189 3.9/5

location

START FINISH
Adress
  • Garfen 321, 3766 Boltigen, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Bern
  • Route des Ages 5, 1636 Broc, Switzerland
  • Switzerland
  • Fribourg
Latitude 46.61943 46.60545
Longitude 7.37742 7.10564

description

Jaun Pass (German: Jaunpass, French: col de Bellegarde) el. 1509 m. in the Swiss Alps linking Charmey and Jaun in the canton of Fribourg with Reidenbach (part of the municipality of Boltigen) in the canton of Bern. The pass road was completed in 1878.

This pass can be ridden in either direction, but for this review we are riding west form Boltigen. This route winds its way up the west mountain side of the Nieder Simmental valley. It is a narrow road but well maintained and does not usually carry that much traffic so is a very nice riding road.

There are several hairpins, but none of them are especially difficult. There is a stunning viewing area about ¾ of the way up the ramp. From here you get a stunning vista of all the mountains best online casino in the area. On the summit there are several small restaurants and an outlet for local Alp cheese, defiantly worth a visit.

The eastern ramp starts wide and then narrows to almost a one lane road for a couple of Km. The views on this side of the pass are just stunning with huge granite rock formations sticking up in all directions.

Once you hit Im Fang, you are off the steep part of the ramp and you roll though a lovely high alpine valley. This is also where you get a language change from German to French. In Charmey, if it is a nice day you can stop and take in some para-gliding action. From Charmey to Broc you start picking up more traffic, but you have several passing opportunities. In Broc, you get some lovely views of the medieval town of Gruyères which sits perched above the valley.

We rate the a medium difficulty route as there are some very narrow sections of road.

Travelling form east to west in Central Switzerland in one day taking in some of the most iconic passes in the world.

Editor review

If you have one day to go across Switzerland, this is not a bad way to go.
Overall 
 
5.0
greg Reviewed by greg July 22, 2015
Top 10 Reviewer  -   View all my reviews (10)

High pass route- Central Switzerland

If you have one day to go across Switzerland, this is not a bad way to go.

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