At one point we were overtaken by a man on a bicycle – but that didn’t stop us mastering four Alpine passes in one day, chugging beyond the snow line and into the clouds, climbing up and up to nearly 2,500 meters.
After the rosy glow of dawn had cleared from the mountains around Lucerne we headed out to the first stop on the trip.
The morning sky over our campsite
The guide books suggested beginning the day long adventure at Meiringen – a quaint Swiss town which claims to be where meringues were born and Sherlock Holmes “died”.
Flying the flag for sweet treats
The flat valley floor gives no clue of what is in store
It’s the lowest altitude we will be all day and almost as soon as we leave the town, we get an idea of what is ahead.
Heading out of Meiringen
The first pass to master is Susten. At just over 2,200m it is the first road pass to be built specifically for cars, in 1945. The climb takes us along roads that drop off sharply and already we are up into the snow line – despite it being high summer.
Nearly at the snow-line
By the time we reached the pass we had swapped our shorts and sunnies for boots and beanies – it was cold up there!
Our first Alpine pass
But it did give us a chance to put some wine on ice to celebrate later!
Ice wine
Of course the other side of the pass is down hill all the way and we need to take it slowly, as Charlie doesn’t have the best brakes and they can overheat with overuse. Which is the point at which we were overtaken by a guy on a bike! In fairness to Charlie, he looked pretty fit, but suffice to say he made it down the hill a lot faster than we did!
The moment we were passed by a guy on a bike
Our next climb is the more famous Gotthard Pass. There is a tunnel as well as an old and new road. We took the road less travelled – along the original, lovely and still cobbled Via Tremola. It is not one for the faint-hearted, but it was definitely the right route for our classic chariot.
About to leave the tar and hit the cobbles of the Via Tremola
Charlie getting ready to run the Via Tremola and the Gotthard Pass
Falling away ahead of us – the Via Tremola
Looking down a section of the Via Tremola
Via Tremola on GPS
The pass descends into Airolo and from there the Val Bedretto takes you on the least scenic, but highest part of the day and the highest road pass in Switzerland – the Nufenen pass at 2,478m.
Charlie and Geoff atop the highest road pass in Switzerland
At the top of the pass – we found a delightful welcome party, although they were more interested in their salt than our ascent.
Licking salt from the side of the road can be a risky business
The Ibex has magnificent horns
High on a hill …..
The Alpine Ibex are an iconic breed of mountain goats in the Alps. Our presence barely raised a glance. After a quick goat photo shoot and another with Charlie, we headed back down the hill toward the twisting turns of the road to Gletsch and the final pass.
No looking back for Charlie after scaling the highest road pass in Switzerland
The road to Gletsch according to the GPS
Although the Grimsel is not the highest pass, we were soon enveloped in the thickest fog. We had no alternative but to just keep going until we broke through on the other side.
Heading up into the Grimsel Pass
The Grimsel Pass from a different viewpoint
It was a long day, but with stunning scenery and fun driving. This is the route we took:
Four Passes map
There are extra photos in the slideshow below for you to enjoy and decide if you fancy the challenge yourself – by car or fast bike!
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