Today I managed to "bag" two more high mountain passes which I had not managed to do so far due to bad weather. The weather forecast was great, and I had to make the most of the warm weather as for sure it will soon turn to autumn and the high passes will just be too cold even before the winter snow settles for good.
So I boarded the 6:03 am train from Basel to Airolo. Thats the earliest possible with a bike, as 5:03 ICN does not allow bikes.
As soon as the train arrived, I set off up the road to Nufenen Pass. Or as the start is in the Italian speaking canton of Ticino, Passo della Novena. Certainly warmer than the last time I was in Airolo, no cold feet or hands at any part of the climb today. The sign just beyond the station in Airolo says the pass is 23km away, and there is very little flat or downhill, just a long gradual ascent. It was slightly cloudy on the mountain tops, but otherwise nice alpine scenery to the top. At the top, the clouds cleared and the northern descent was in sunshine - which seemed to bring out the motorbikes in their thousands.
To be honest they're not such a problem, they don't take up a much space on the road as cars and campervans so overtake with a lot of clearance, its just the noise of the motors which you have to get used to. Must be great fun going uphill at that speed!
The only way is up (Grimsel)
The descent all the way down to Ulrichen then Obergoms means the climb up to Grimsel starts from way, way down the mountain than Gletsch, where I turned left for the Silver route in the TransAlp. Its definitely a huge step up to Gold, but it has to be tried next year if its the same route. (Possibly not, this years AlpenBrevet was too popular and things must change next year)
The southern face of Grimsel Pass was covered with motorbikes racing in all directions, nothing special except for a Sunday with excellent weather, so avoid it if you don't like riding with bikers racing past. But the road is generously wide, so no close calls up here.
The descent down the north side of Grimsel was fantastic, its not so steep so I wasn't on the brakes much. Some unnerving sections of road again, the road surface causes my mavic rims to resonate and create a very loud buzzing noise. At first, it feels like a puncture, but now I ride on even though its loud and uncomfortable.
So beyond Innertkirchen, up the "sting in the tail" of the AlpenBrevet, and turn left for the Grosse Scheidegg. This is a small road, closed to traffic beyond the mid section and so it was very nice to leave the motorbikes behind here. But theres a price to pay - its extremely steep in places, starts at 700m and rises to 1962m with an average gradient of 7.7%. Thats quite high, but when there are 2-3 flat km in the middle section, it shows why this climb is a Hors Categorie climb in the Tour de Suisse.
Again, the only way, and best way to avoid the pain is just to look around and see the massive scenery, glaciers so close you could touch them and finish with some rosti and a Feldschlossen at the restaurant at the top.
Traffic free and amazing scenery -
but so steep (Grosse Sheidegg)
Was certainly a well earned break here, and I looked forward to racing down to Grindelwald, and on to Interlaken to catch the train back. Except for another loud noise, this time seeming to come from rubbing on the tyres. I checked the brake blocks, one of them was worth adjusting and so carried on. But the noise returned. The freewheel was not freewheeling well enough, and the chain was sticking and so rubbing against the tyre. I cleaned the sprockets, and still the problem occurred, so I found as long as I pedalled forwards I could get down the mountain - and there was still a long way to go. Tomorrow I'll get some degreaser and give it a good clean as a first step, but this could be an infamous slippage of the 11 speed campag sprocket, just beginning to show itself.
Beyond Grindelwald the road still dives down the valley all the way to Interlaken, but here the weather suddenly changed and I got a good soaking. Not a great end to a tough day in the hills, mechanical problems and a soaking, but I still back to the train safely and in good time so it was another successful mission in the Alps.
This is how to descend the Grosse Scheidegg without a locking freewheel, stage 3 Brig-Grindelwald Tour de Suisse 2011, Peter Sagan descending fearlessly with great skill to catch Damiano Cunego and win the stage.
