Andermatt to Biasco: A once in a lifetime experience St. Gotthard Pass

October 5, 2017

Today was an experience like no other. The Gotthard Pass was stunning. Absolutely stunning. We have never seen anything like it in our lives. We had a perfect day to see it. We feel so fortunate.

We started the day with a great breakfast at our hotel, the Hotel Schlussel. We had such a spacious and lovely room and our bikes had equally spacious quarters off the underground garage. We loved the view out the window of our room too.

Breakfast room in the hotel. Great breakfast and great hotel owner making my coffee.

The climbing started immediately out of Andermatt, but at highway grades and the road was certainly not heavily travelled. We rode up through beautiful scenery. When we came to the spot where you turn off onto the old cobbles traffic was building on the main road to the tunnel behind a steam engine on the back of a truck, of all things. We waited at the side while all kinds of cars bailed from the highway to the old way to avoid the tunnel traffic jam, and once they were by we had the whole thing to ourselves. We found it amazing, and since we were climbing our speed was so slow that the cobbles weren't an issue.

A beautiful village centered on the outdoors.

Already gaining altitude. That is Andermatt in the background.

Up towards the main event. The ancient cobble stone path.

Another day, another climb. Historic this time though.

And then we were at the top. A real sense of accomplishment.

After the obligatory summit photos and a snack we started down the other side. It was absolutely astonishing. Cobblestones, switchbacks, stunning scenery. Truly a once in a lifetime experience. Then, just to add a little drama, part way down my rear brake failed. I kept going...it was a cautious descent anyway, but finally told the CN and chief mechanic. He did his best and several other people weighed in but I had absolutely no rear brake. I felt like I was riding an ejection seat down the hill, and then Keith asked what I would do if my front brake failed. Sheesh! Now I was even more nervous.

Not the greatest situation to lose braking power.

Brakes or no brakes, it was beyond amazing. Indescribable really, even in pictures.

The descent was dramatic. We can't imagine doing the pass from the other side unless on a road bike. We took it slowly because of my brake issue, but then stopped again, and the CN somehow managed to fix it. I honestly don't know how he does it. Again, other cyclists tried to help, but he was the one who figured out the problem, and suddenly with brakes we could descend confidently, and was it ever fun.

All this is old cobblestones. What a privilege to ride it.

Overlooking the village of Airolo. This is where the brake repair happened. Oh happy days.

After that it was literally a downhill pull. Strava says we climbed 1249 m today, but we ended the day with an incredible downhill ride into Biasco. It was so much fun to be moving at speed again we hardly stopped to take a picture, despite the scenery, We can't go downhill much further...I think we are down somewhere around 300 m. It was so much fun.

We had a great meal tonight and just by serendipity were seated beside Karen who is also bike touring and it was a fantastic evening, After far too much wine to write a coherent blog I am going to sleep. How many best biking day ever experiences can we have on one bike tour?

Looking up. So, so happy to be on a bike and to be blessed with this weather in the Alps.

Here is the Relive. Love the switchbacks:
https://www.relive.cc/view/1216419697

Today's ride: 71 km (44 miles)
Total: 1,920 km (1,192 miles)

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