After the onset of winter a week ago, we wanted to go once again with the tandem in the mountains in beautiful weather, before the passes are definitely closed due to winter closure.
The Furka Pass was due to the past warm days already free of snow again, at the Gotthard Pass but there was still "enough" snow on the old pass road ... Who loves his bike, who pushes :-)
To take the first train from Bern (06:07) to the Valais, we started shortly before 05:30 in Rüfenacht and enjoyed the few kilometers to Bern on almost traffic-free roads under a wonderfully clear starry sky.
When we changed trains in Brig, we were helped by the train attendant to load the tandem into the locomotive, as we are already used to from the MGB (MERCI!).
When we finally arrived in Oberwald at 08:39, we first had to dress warmly, as it was still quite cool without direct sunlight in the Upper Valais. We were able to warm up wonderfully with the first meters of altitude up to Glesch, so that we could soon do without gloves and fiber fur.
In Gletsch we made a first bigger break. Rested, we started the ascent to the Furka Pass. The first few kilometers the road followed the shady side of the valley, so we rode comfortably in our jackets. After we changed to the other side of the valley below the Belvedere, it became so warm in the sun that we could ride in T-shirts.
On the very deserted looking Furka Pass, we took a photo break and started warmly dressed for a beautiful descent.
In Zumdorf, the smallest village in Switzerland, we took our well-deserved lunch break.
Freshly strengthened, we continued towards Hospental. When we saw there that it is only 9km to the Gotthard Pass, the case was clear for us ... so we namen the climb to the next Passn in attack. :-)
At the beginning we followed the new pass road, which had here a little more traffic than the road over the Furka Pass. Nevertheless it was pleasantly quiet.
About halfway up we were able to switch to the old pass road with cobblestones. Since the old road was open and a car and motorcycle crossed us without comment, we did not yet suspect what should expect us...
After about 2 kilometers the road was partially covered with snow. However, since the lane clocks were still free of snow, we made good progress. Suddenly, however, was the end of the Fahrspuhr... here the car crossing us has probably turned around. Some meters we could still drive through the wet snow. But soon we lost the adhesion, so that no more driving was to be thought. Basically snow is already rideable with the tandem, but it should be dry and not wet and heavy! Since we were relatively close to the pass and the new pass road was far away, we had only the escape to the front...
He who loves his tandem, pushes.... so we pushed and pulled the tandem, where possible, on the boundary wall of the road or even through the up to knee-deep snow on the road. After a little more than a kilometer we finally reached a place where we could switch to the new pass road and ride again.
After the usual passport photos we decided to drive on the new road towards Airolo and not to try our luck on the old road that was closed here. We had seen enough snow :-)
