San Bernadino Pass! Part one of the Swiss Alps

Today is the day! I've been looking forward to this stretch since before leaving Australia and was gutted to find these passes closed almost a month ago! But today, barely a cloud in the sky THEYRE OPEN!

The San Bernadino Pass is listed as one of the great motorcycling roads and sadly will be my last from this list!

And so I blasted along, completely ignoring the signs, and soon found myself...in a tunnel. Absolute failure.

To be fair the signage was much much better on the reverse side, so 10 minutes later I did a quick U-turn and headed up the mountain! Its hard to describe how it feels here, the combination of the cloudless blue sky, the green of the surroundings and the white of the snow. Most of all I think its the air; its the absolute opposite of the hot, humid slightly stale air of our cities - here its crisp, cold and clean.

The Alps mark the tectonic divide between the European and African plates and are pushed up high into the air (many peaks over 4,000m) by this collision and it shows in the rocks!

Nearing the peak I began to understand why of all the alpine roads this one rates so highly; whilst many others are a series of switchbacks up, a peak, and a series of switchbacks down - San Bernadino is actually flattens out towards the top; allowing you to thoroughly enjoy the ride!

Three Quarters of the way up the road levels out and at the peak sits a lake!

Straya! I vote we need more Alps, we should join the EU!

And the lake just kept going!

And the road down the other side was gorgeous too!

And because I'd gone through the tunnel I was now back on the wrong side again, so with no other option but to turn around and head over AGAIN I reluctantly raced over the pass again!

And after all that there was  just one thing standing between me and my hotel in Guttannen, another tiny little pass! And it was a gorgeous jewel on top of an amazing day!

And with that it was time for bed, and tomorrow...more Alps!


(continued to part 2)