06
Jul
5 Minute Read
5 Minute Read
If coming from the Oberalppass and you continue onward to the Lukmanierpass, you’re in for a treat. Since you’re close to the Italian side of Switzerland at this point, you’ll also see signs for the same pass, but in Italian, the Passo del Lucomagno.
The climb is a gradual one that follows the Vorderrhein river (one of two initial tributaries of the Rhine river) through a lesser-populated and known valley. The road takes you up and over the same set of mountains that make up the Gotthardpass. In fact, this pass was the original pass from the north to south before the Gotthardpass was deemed more desirable for travel. The official website for the region goes into more detail if you’re interested.
The highest elevation of the pass is 1973 meters, or 6473 feet, and you’re greeted by a 2 kilometer long tunnel at the top that follows the Lake Sontga Maria. It’s yet another beautiful spot in the region.
Note the water falling from the sky in that picture. We’ll come back to that!
I remember following a meandering road that reminded me somewhat of the beginning part of the Grimselpass, as it followed an elevated valley floor after climbing its way out of a beautiful, rock-lined gorge. There were generally very few cars out along the road that day, too.
Unfortunately I don’t have any direct pictures of this whole section! When we left the town of Disentis, we noticed the weather starting to turn.
It’s at points like these when we all need to make a choice - keep going or turn back. It’s kind of like life I suppose. We were in the Swiss Alps, far from home and far from Andermatt, far from public transit, and we had two options - keep going or turn back down the way we had come so far.
We chose the optimistic path and remained hopeful, choosing to forge on ahead with the route we had planned for the day. This was our last official day of riding in this region of Switzerland, so we opted to just go for it, hoping to maybe make it through the pass before things got too bad.
Except that the weather had other plans for us! When we reached the tunnel at the top of the pass, the rain was starting to pour down from the sky, so entering the tunnel was actually a really nice respite. We also had been climbing, so being a bit soaked and approaching another long descent meant finding a spot inside the tunnel to stop and throw on all the layers.
I’m just glad I brought a few extra ones that day!
There are actually several spots in the tunnel to stop, probably reserved for maintenance, so it worked out well for us. A few motorcyclists joined us in our refuge a few minutes in, too, with the same idea. I think in their case, they were hoping to wait out the storm a bit before continuing. I remember them being a bit mad about the whole predicament!
Now what followed, despite not having video or photo, was an incredible descent. I say that with awe in a way, because in any other place with the same circumstances would have likely been miserable. Not that this was pleasant per se, but given the quality of the roads in Switzerland, we were able to handle this descent (disc brakes of course) about as well as any amateur cyclist could have.
I remember being quite nervous at first, just as we all tend to be when it comes to situations that we weren’t quite mentally prepared for. But after a few minutes of descending and being very cautious around the turns, paying very close attention to the mini-streams of water flowing across the road, I started to settle back in a bit. I remember having a few moment of self reflection while riding, thinking to myself “wow, this isn’t so bad, I can do this.”
Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right.
I made sure to check in with my buddy who was taking it more cautiously to make sure we stuck together and were safe. Always a good idea to hold on your friends!
That descent down to the valley floor is long. I imagine on a clear day it would have been somewhat similar to the experience we had had descending the west side of the Sustenpass. Basically we didn’t stop until we got to the train station in Biasca! It never gets too steep on the way down, and you get to enjoy riding through several “Italian” valleys with vineyards while gazing upward at the magnificent mountains all around you.
In Biasca, we took refuge under an awning just across from the train station and felt a certain sense of relief. But we also felt so incredibly accomplished. I remember hugging my buddy and just being stoked that we could share such a unique experience together.
So, as a final note - always bring layers, be prepared, and don’t underestimate the high mountains! I’ve had a few experiences like this while riding my bike in foreign places and they often teach me the most about myself and leave with me some of the most unique memories!
