The Passes of Switzerland (Illustrated)
Discussion
Great post this.
I am going to Switzerland for the first time with the family in August - we will, unfortunately, be in a big Diesel Estate car loaded with camping gear, but I'm sure I'll still have fun.
I may duck out one evening on my own to whicher is the nearest pass for a bit of solo driving. Im sure it would whet my appetite for coming back in my Lotus...
Or the place linked earlier is very close to where we are staying, maybe I'll borrow that one!
I am going to Switzerland for the first time with the family in August - we will, unfortunately, be in a big Diesel Estate car loaded with camping gear, but I'm sure I'll still have fun.
I may duck out one evening on my own to whicher is the nearest pass for a bit of solo driving. Im sure it would whet my appetite for coming back in my Lotus...
Or the place linked earlier is very close to where we are staying, maybe I'll borrow that one!
snotrag said:
Great post this.
I may duck out one evening on my own to which is the nearest pass for a bit of solo driving. Im sure it would whet my appetite for coming back in my Lotus...
Cheers snotrag, endearing handle!I may duck out one evening on my own to which is the nearest pass for a bit of solo driving. Im sure it would whet my appetite for coming back in my Lotus...
Yes, a drive on these roads certainly whets the appetite. After a few small delves while passing, I eventually committed to doing it properly, and for the next weeks afterwards I couldn`t stop thinking about getting out amongst it again... and so I did!
Here is another blurb from a drive in 2019, no where near as complete as the previous yarn, but introduces a pass that is not so typical, the Glaubenberg.
A fellow Aston driver I met while in England came to Switzerland, and brought three friends. The plan was hatched some months before but as the mid-May date came nearer the prospect of driving through the fantastic Swiss passes dwindled due to the elongated grip of winter, and the latest snow in Switzerland since 1945, evidently. This meant passes that would normally be open were still closed. Despite this I concocted a driving route that should see the visitors happy enough with the limited offerings, hopefully...
On the Tuesday evening I drove 10 minutes to a nearby hotel, the Seerose, and met up with the DB9 driving Andy,, and his three colleagues scattered across a Jaguar F-Type SVR, Mercedes AMG GT and a Mclaren 720s. Over a G&T we reviewed my plan and agreed to meet up the following morning at local castle, Schloss Heidegg.
The day dawned grey but dry, and happily stay dry it did, and the clouds parted on a few occasions to give us some sunshine too. The four arrived promptly at the castle car park and parked alongside me. We discussed the first move, as there was the issue of a bird strike discussed the evening before. With things organised and some noticing that outside of the vehicles the breeze was certainly coming off the snowy mountains, we headed to a local petrol station for fuel and to water-blast the remains of said bird from the AMG. What followed was a 30 minute drive through the "Dragon Valley" as it`s known locally, and up and over to a small town of Sempach on the other side.
I stopped through the city gates and the other four pulled over behind me. I jumped out to explain that I would take some photos as the cars drove through the old town, and less than 90 seconds later when I went back to my car, some typically uptight local was on the phone complaining about the 5 cars that had just stopped in front of the church in non-designated parking and was reading out my number plate when I drove away. Switzerland is a great country, however the inflexibility and busy-body nature of many people is astounding.
After this we followed a couple of slow moving tractors but after dispatching them had a reasonable run through to Malters and then over a cool little road that I had found by chance a few years ago, a sort of mini-pass, that leads to Entlebuch, and then over the Glaubenberg Pass to Sarnen, leaving Kanton Luzern for the first time and entering Obwalden. Glaubenberg Pass is possibly not know by many, but it`s a decent drive of 30km (18.5 miles) with lots of terrain change and a height of 1540m (5000ft). It offered spots to take some photos along the way and lots of work for throttles and brakes, the right feet getting a good work out, and left foot too if your me... and the only one driving a manual in the group!
Being the lead car, as I was for the day, comes with a certain amount of assumed expectation, as every time a truck, tractor or slow vehicle gets in the way, you feel an immediate responsibility, but generally everyone seemed pleased enough with my guiding and pace.
In Sarnen there was a need for coffee so we stopped for a drink and snack then blasted off over the Brunig Pass (1000m) and into the Kanton of Bern where the Susten and Grimsel passes live. (These passes were both closed, but I had found out that the Grimsel was open for around 17km so we could at least do a back and forth, as those 17km are still pretty special.)
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Enjoying some good squirts of motoring over the Brunig, particularly the second half, we then headed to our lunch destination, Grandhotel Giessbach, an incredible old hotel with a phenomenal outlook. Built in the 1870`s overlooking Lake Brienz and next to the Giessbach Falls, which drop over 500m in 14 stages, seemed a fitting spot for a break in proceedings. We (sorry, I) cheekily drove down to the small hotel car park, bypassing the one 300m away, with the others following. The parking attendant was questioning but very nice and upon asking if we were a group, said we could park next to the hotel today, but that it was not normally allowed. Lunch was tasty and not badly priced considering, and provided a very nice outlook and a post-lunch trek up to and under a section of the falls.
We then back-tracked through Meiringen and enthusiastically onto the Grimsel. Part way into the drive the road was blocked by a tree-felling operation. We waited 5 minutes until they had loaded up a trailer, then the workmen waved us through, while one hastily swept the road clean of dirt and sticks, would have made a great photo! Even though it was a limited drive, it did not disappoint, and when the barrier across the road signaled an end, it left everybody wanting more. The return drive was also quite spirited regardless of a few photo stops and back into Meiringen for a refuel, (not strictly necessary other than for the 50 litre tank in the McLaren) then the drive was back over the Brunig an onto the motorway to pass Luzern, succeeded by a bit of nice country driving to take us back to where we started, 275km (170 miles) later, and a relaxing evening with a splendid Thai dinner.
All in all a decent outing in some terrific machinery, fine company, nice food, a few photos to help remember it all, and no harm done, except to the delicate mental balance of the Shrew of Sempach.
Below is the first stage of the trip, until the lunch stop, and the section of the Grimsel that we drove.
A fellow Aston driver I met while in England came to Switzerland, and brought three friends. The plan was hatched some months before but as the mid-May date came nearer the prospect of driving through the fantastic Swiss passes dwindled due to the elongated grip of winter, and the latest snow in Switzerland since 1945, evidently. This meant passes that would normally be open were still closed. Despite this I concocted a driving route that should see the visitors happy enough with the limited offerings, hopefully...
On the Tuesday evening I drove 10 minutes to a nearby hotel, the Seerose, and met up with the DB9 driving Andy,, and his three colleagues scattered across a Jaguar F-Type SVR, Mercedes AMG GT and a Mclaren 720s. Over a G&T we reviewed my plan and agreed to meet up the following morning at local castle, Schloss Heidegg.
The day dawned grey but dry, and happily stay dry it did, and the clouds parted on a few occasions to give us some sunshine too. The four arrived promptly at the castle car park and parked alongside me. We discussed the first move, as there was the issue of a bird strike discussed the evening before. With things organised and some noticing that outside of the vehicles the breeze was certainly coming off the snowy mountains, we headed to a local petrol station for fuel and to water-blast the remains of said bird from the AMG. What followed was a 30 minute drive through the "Dragon Valley" as it`s known locally, and up and over to a small town of Sempach on the other side.
I stopped through the city gates and the other four pulled over behind me. I jumped out to explain that I would take some photos as the cars drove through the old town, and less than 90 seconds later when I went back to my car, some typically uptight local was on the phone complaining about the 5 cars that had just stopped in front of the church in non-designated parking and was reading out my number plate when I drove away. Switzerland is a great country, however the inflexibility and busy-body nature of many people is astounding.
After this we followed a couple of slow moving tractors but after dispatching them had a reasonable run through to Malters and then over a cool little road that I had found by chance a few years ago, a sort of mini-pass, that leads to Entlebuch, and then over the Glaubenberg Pass to Sarnen, leaving Kanton Luzern for the first time and entering Obwalden. Glaubenberg Pass is possibly not know by many, but it`s a decent drive of 30km (18.5 miles) with lots of terrain change and a height of 1540m (5000ft). It offered spots to take some photos along the way and lots of work for throttles and brakes, the right feet getting a good work out, and left foot too if your me... and the only one driving a manual in the group!
Being the lead car, as I was for the day, comes with a certain amount of assumed expectation, as every time a truck, tractor or slow vehicle gets in the way, you feel an immediate responsibility, but generally everyone seemed pleased enough with my guiding and pace.
In Sarnen there was a need for coffee so we stopped for a drink and snack then blasted off over the Brunig Pass (1000m) and into the Kanton of Bern where the Susten and Grimsel passes live. (These passes were both closed, but I had found out that the Grimsel was open for around 17km so we could at least do a back and forth, as those 17km are still pretty special.)
[
Enjoying some good squirts of motoring over the Brunig, particularly the second half, we then headed to our lunch destination, Grandhotel Giessbach, an incredible old hotel with a phenomenal outlook. Built in the 1870`s overlooking Lake Brienz and next to the Giessbach Falls, which drop over 500m in 14 stages, seemed a fitting spot for a break in proceedings. We (sorry, I) cheekily drove down to the small hotel car park, bypassing the one 300m away, with the others following. The parking attendant was questioning but very nice and upon asking if we were a group, said we could park next to the hotel today, but that it was not normally allowed. Lunch was tasty and not badly priced considering, and provided a very nice outlook and a post-lunch trek up to and under a section of the falls.
We then back-tracked through Meiringen and enthusiastically onto the Grimsel. Part way into the drive the road was blocked by a tree-felling operation. We waited 5 minutes until they had loaded up a trailer, then the workmen waved us through, while one hastily swept the road clean of dirt and sticks, would have made a great photo! Even though it was a limited drive, it did not disappoint, and when the barrier across the road signaled an end, it left everybody wanting more. The return drive was also quite spirited regardless of a few photo stops and back into Meiringen for a refuel, (not strictly necessary other than for the 50 litre tank in the McLaren) then the drive was back over the Brunig an onto the motorway to pass Luzern, succeeded by a bit of nice country driving to take us back to where we started, 275km (170 miles) later, and a relaxing evening with a splendid Thai dinner.
All in all a decent outing in some terrific machinery, fine company, nice food, a few photos to help remember it all, and no harm done, except to the delicate mental balance of the Shrew of Sempach.
Below is the first stage of the trip, until the lunch stop, and the section of the Grimsel that we drove.
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