Day 18 Innertkirchen to Filzbach

Six passes for the day, and most if it faaabulous, though I'm just about astounded-out with the views. Every corner I turn there's another 4 scenes to be appreciated.




















Checking the webcams at 9 AM; passes were fog-free, but sure looks like it snowed on Susten last night

Yesterday at 12.52 PM






And today at 8.20 AM.






The Hospiz near the top of Grimsel looked OK, but foecasts for the day were 2 to 8 at Grimsel



so I put another layer on the trunk to start the ride.

I found the same recent white deposits when I got to the top of Grimsel, the first pass of the day.




Lots of bikes and sports cars all day (Saturday),




and I was passed by several bikes on the way up Grimsel, but heeded the warning not to try to keep up with the locals. I mean, going through a poorly lit tunnel with bends in it, and snowmelt running across the road, and these guys don't slow down. The tunnels with bends in them were a real trial for me. Enter going right, then part-way through turn left, then as you come from dark to light, another bend. I just got slower.

Video'd almost all of the first 3 passes: Grimsel, Furka and Susten. That's the 3 passes route, and took me back to my starting point at Innertkirchen.


Going up Grimsel is stunning all the way. Great road and scenery towering above you, as it does.













2 degrees at the top of Grimsel, but bright sun, and the UV was predicted as extreme. Hot chocolate, of course.




The Furka pass starts at the bottom of Grimsel, and the ride down from Grimsel was excellent for the usual reasons.







The Furka just climbs straight up the wall of the valley, but, other than the hairpins, is another good ride.
















The bit after the top is another story - no centre-line, narrow and dangerous. Lots of blind corners where you could easily be punted over the edge, and the little stone stubs poking up on the edge of the road would do you no good at all.








Eventually it gets much much better.





















The Susten was a bit of an anti-climax, as some have written it as the best road in the alps. Maybe sometime, but the work being done now is the usual bitumen resurfacing where they strip the surface and leave grooves before the new coat goes on. No fun to ride on, even for a few km. Lots of the Susten was fun, but the roadwork spoiled the effect.









































I'd chosen my destination for tonight so that I could ride the Klausen Pass, but to get to the start of the Klausen, I had to cross the range again, so it wasn't hard to choose a repeat or Grimsel and Furka rather than Susten.




















The Klausen was the only failure of the day. The western approach was narrow and dangerous (numerous flower memorials in place)


















Don't watch the scenery . . .and yes, those are houses down there


and the eastern decline was narrow and seriously bumpy for km after km. All of these roads are running up and down the most magnificent towering snowcaps, so the views are fabulous everywhere, so It may be a bit much to expect great roads everywhere; the Klausen is a minor road after all, just going from one Swiss valley to another Swiss valley.

















The last hour of the day dragged badly. Villages wall to waal, all with 50 kph limits. Makes for slow going.

But on to Filzbach, to the Gasthaus Seeblick, which turns out to be more restaurant than hotel, but the price is right. Enter the room, lino on the floor but it's another great view. People would pay for this.




















And now I'm sitting in the restaurant doing up the day. I wasn't going to eat here, as I have lots of healthy food upstairs, but as I was cold I asked for some soup, and it was quite good, so I went on to a schnitzel. The accompanying veges are just commercial frozen stuff (though at least there isn't much of it) but the schnitzel is fresh; I heard the chef pounding the hell out of it in the kitchen, and the result is more than OK. Now the Swiss/German radio station in the restaurant is playing Sailing to Philadelphia, one of my

Location:Filzbach, Switzerland