Do you want to get that "epic" feeling of riding a renown Swiss pass but avoid the people and all the traffic?
Yesterday (Nov 2nd), Jill and I set off on our road bikes to search for some sun and explore some lesser known parts of the Klausen pass area.
We took the train from Lucerne to Altdorf and started the journey there.
Our goal was to get out into the sun, away from the November fog, as early as possible. We rode the main pass road up to Spiringen and exited onto some small (and steep) farm roads.
Although steep, very steep, they were still rideable and at this time of the year, these roads were much more in the sun compared to the shady valley below so it was well worth it. It felt like 17 degrees up there!
At 1313m elevation we crossed over the mountain to Fadental and started a nice descent back onto the main road and down to Unterschaechen. From there we took a sharp left, onto the beautiful deadend road into Brunnital. After around 4km of ascending on this majestic deep valley road we ended up at the end of the valley surrounded by a stunning amphitheatre of mountain walls. We decided to continue on the gravel road which wrapped along the east side of the valley in hopes of finding more sun and an alpine restaurant. The gravel was compact and easy to ride on the road bikes with just one challenging steep stretch of road the last 200m before Alpstubli Trogenalp. Sadly, everything was closed up there so we couldn't buy any fresh sodas or sweets but luckily we packed potatoes and sandwiches and snacks! There was a beautiful bench to sit on and the sun was so hot we could dry out our sweat drenched gear before started the chilly descent. We were super glad to have packed puffy jackets, gloves, neck warmers and extra layers as we started the descent into the fog.
At the end of the gravel road I was, I think, going to fast over some cow gutters and got a flat tire... and then changed the tire with Jills help, looked for a stone, couldn't find anything, put a new tube in -- only to get a flat 2 km later again. Jill continued the same way back that we came and I called my boyfriend who was in the area for help. Driving back in the car in the fog felt surreal.... like the day spent in the sun surrounded by these impressive mountains was just a dream. Below is the route Jill proposed: I recommend you adapt as necessary for your legs or lungs or flat tires <3
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