August 22, 2022
Zurich - Oberalppass - Lake Toma
An early start saw me arrive at Zurich HB (Central Station) for my 7:05 am train to Oberalppass. I had booked online a few months earlier, so I wasn't sure how the day would pan out. Booking my seat with SBB (Swiss Rail) was fairly straightforward, but reserving a spot for my bike on the first two legs of my four-leg journey and a bike day pass for the remaining two was more complicated, as the website didn’t make this process easy.
You can travel by train to Oberalppass via either Chur or Andermatt. Both routes are similar in timing, but since I’d be riding through Chur on my journey, I opted to see other parts of Switzerland and went via Andermatt.
I thought a 7 am train on a Sunday would be a smart choice - it would be quiet, with more room on the trains, and a kind conductor would let my bike on even if I had somehow messed up my Swiss Rail ticket booking. How wrong I was! The masses at the station could be grouped into four categories: road cyclists clad in Lycra with carbon fibre bikes, as lean as greyhounds; mountaineers with climbing ropes and carabiners (also lean and muscular); hikers with day packs and walking poles (generally fit, though some older hikers carried a bit more life experience); and finally, touring cyclists with panniers and practical footwear - there was only one of these … me!
Not sure where to board my bike, I asked an SBB (Swiss Rail) staff member on the platform. If looks could kill! I’m guessing it wasn’t just me but any tourist not speaking his native tongue. I had tried a jovial “Guete Morge” (good morning), but he wasn’t a morning person. He nodded in a direction, turned, and walked off before I could even practice my “Danke” (thank you). Fortunately, my next three interactions with SBB staff were fantastic. The conductors on my next trains were helpful, understanding, and friendly - maybe my first interlude had been with a train driver.
Changing trains was seamless, as SBB is very efficient, and their signs are easy to follow. The SBB app is also great for tracking your progress. Even though some changeovers seemed tight, I had no issues navigating platforms, even with a fully loaded bike.
On the third leg of my journey, I met Klaus, a mature-age student by weekday and mountain biker by weekend. He admired my setup and asked about my trip. Klaus was thrilled to hear about my plans - he had cycled to Rotterdam two years earlier, though not via the Rhine route. Klaus was definitely not a road cyclist!
Finally, I arrived at Oberalppass on the Glacier Express, the last leg from Andermatt. The main challenge on this leg was that the platform at Andermatt was about a metre lower than the train. Luckily, I sneaked in behind some mountain bikers who thought I was one of them and helped me lift my bike onboard and off again at Oberalppass. Thanks guys!
My hotel for the night, the Piz Calmot, was less than 50 metres away from the platform. Once again, the reception staff were friendly and helpful, even when I butchered their language. With the start of my ride just a day away, I set off on a three-hour return walk to Lake Toma (Tomasee), officially regarded as the source of the Rhine.
The walk was described in my research as “easy,” though I hadn’t realised the authors were Swiss - “easy” in a mountainous country has a different meaning than it does in Australia. The other challenges for me were lingering jet lag and walking at an altitude of 2,300 metres, whereas I'm used to around 30 metres above sea level in Brisbane. Still, I was determined, as I wanted to travel from the source to the sea. The long-range weather forecast had predicted showers and a top temperature of 5 degrees Celsius, so I was concerned I wouldn’t be able to do the walk. But to my relief, the weather was brilliant, and the walk was on.
The climb was steady, and my legs started to burn … and that was just to the starting point! After a few hundred metres of uphill trekking, I could look down the valley I’d be cycling through the next day. In the distance, I heard the sound of cowbells - quintessentially Swiss - then the revving of motorcycles and sports cars racing along the famous winding roads. I was glad I wouldn’t be riding that day, a Sunday, hoping Monday would see the revheads back at their day jobs.
As my legs burned, I encountered a family with three young children coming downhill. The father, noticing my “Guete Morge,” picked up that I wasn’t Swiss. Hoping he wasn’t related to the Zurich train driver; I asked if they were heading back because the hike was too much for the kids. He laughed, saying they’d already been to the lake, and they hike regularly - the kids loved it. I instantly hated them.
I pressed on, taking in the spectacular scenery. Across the valley, I spotted a lone cyclist slowly battling the road's gradient but getting closer to an intersection in the road. I silently urged him to take the easier, flatter route, but he kept going straight, where the path grew narrower and steeper. This guy was my hero. Inspired, I pushed myself upward with renewed purpose. Soon I was passing hikers - Swiss hikers - though, admittedly, most were heading downhill. Still, no one asked if I was okay anymore, and I did overtake one person ... take that, 90-year-old woman with the walker!
At last, I reached the summit and looked down on Lake Toma. The climb had been worth it. I descended to the lake, where the Rhine begins, and filled a small container with water, which I plan to pour out at the Rhine's end at the Hook of Holland. Corny, I know, but …
The first leg of the tour was complete. The walk back was uneventful, and with fewer people on the track, I had more time to take in the surroundings. Overall, the hike wasn’t too bad - plenty of breaks and water were key, especially if it’s hot. Definitely worth the effort.
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