06
Jul
4 Minute Read
4 Minute Read
The Oberalppass is shockingly close to downtown Andermatt. Like, really close. It basically starts in town at the one roundabout that separates where the transit center is and the more “downtown” part of Andermatt. It’s actually right across from the local Co-Op where the best groceries in town are.
And if you don’t know, the Co-Op, or just “Coop” as you see it written, really is an absolute gem all over the country of Switzerland. For how expensive this place is, the prices at the local grocery store are really reasonable and they have some great food and drink options.
The Oberalppass is home to some amazing ski resorts, and is apparently near where the source of the mighty Rhine river is. When ascending the road from town, it ventures through a relatively calm road through the base of an incredibly beautiful valley.
The first part of the climb snakes back around on itself and you get to watch the town below you slowly get smaller and smaller, with the might Furkapass just behind. It isn’t too steep, especially compared to the other climbs of the region, and is an average 5.5%, accounting for the more flat section when you reach the valley floor.
Along the way, you will see a turn-off for the Bergrestaurant and the Nätschen train station, while also noticing some curious fencing along the hill above you. It’s to help prevent avalanches in the winter months and keeps snow more manageable.
The route also follows a train line that is open year round and is part of what makes up the Matterhorn-Gotthard-Bahn. This is one of the “scenic” train routes you can do through Switzerland. But don’t worry, it doesn’t require special tickets - it’s just one of the many “normal” train routes you can take using the SBB app to book tickets, or simply walk on to if using their “easy ride” system.
If you look closely at the tracks, there’s a third “rail” of sorts in between the two actual rails. It looks like a gear if it had been rolled out flat, with deep grooves that basically look like teeth.
When riding this train, which we did on another day, you can actually feel the train grab into this track to help keep the train both going up and going down at a steady pace. It’s yet again another amazing part of what makes transit in Switzerland so great.
At the end of the valley, you reach the official Oberalppass and are greeted by a large, red lighthouse. Turns out this is the highest-elevation lighthouse in the world! Who knew?
Continuing onward past the lighthouse, you begin another wonderful, windy descent that takes you through eventually to Disentis, which has its own train station that can connect you directly back to Andermatt.
As I reflect back on this climb, I really did enjoy just how accessible and beautiful it was. It was fun to follow the train line up and around through some of the most stunning mountain scenery in the region, while also not having to suffer due to its gradients. At the top we met up with one of my buddies who decided to hike up there from Andermatt, something that he mentioned he thoroughly enjoyed.
Watching the cable cars go up and over the mountain north of us was fun as well. We were all just so impressed by, despite being in the high mountains of the Swiss Alps, the region was just so accessible.
We were able to appreciate the region even more on one of the following days when we took a day off the bikes and rode the train to Disentis. We had delicious food at a small restaurant and wandered around the Kloster Disentis, an abbey with a museum and its own bar (awesome idea, by the way).
The valley beyond the pass itself was also remarkably beautiful, and the switchbacks were never too steep and meandered their way down, following the train route. It was just so idyllic, so Swiss.
From the top of the Oberalppass, there are several options for you, depending on how far you want to go or how the weather is for you.
Note that if continuing on to the Lukmanierpass, there are additional transit options for you back to Andermatt if you don’t feel like going up and over the Gotthardpass. Most notably you can descend down into Biasca or ride all the way to Airolo before taking the train back towards Göschenen and Andermatt.
