Photos 6-10
The first three photos in this batch are from the third day of the tour. We had spent night 2 at a hotel in St. Moritz, and woke to a pleasant day with some blue skies. We headed southwest from town along two major lakes, including some portions that took us high up into the hillsides. This area was Nietzsche’s home at one point and we stopped briefly at the museum at his former house. The castle above is known as the “Crap da Sass” (no, really). And is not particularly historical, only being built in 1906. It is tremendously scenic though!
After a morning along the lakes, and the hillsides above them, we had some pavement riding and were treated to the Passo del Maloja , a fantastically corkscrewed bit of pavement that was an absolute treat to rip down. Despite 2.4″ tires and being fully loaded, I was able to keep pace with several roadies and loved being able to kick my feet out from my flat pedals and really pin it around the corners. At the bottom, we were again back to climbing remote doubletrack. Then, in the middle of nowhere, we came across this cooler in the photo above, operating on the honor system, filled with beers and juice sodas. We treated ourselves to one, still unaware of what was to come.
And part of what was to come is shown in the photo above, the insane hike-a-bike up the fearsome Passo Del Settimo or the Septimerpass. Once a critically important passage between Switzerland and Italy in Roman times. Strava says that it was 2500′ of elevation in 3.5 miles. . . Pushing and carrying a 60lbs loaded bike. Woof. Those 3.5 miles took us 2.5 hours, but fortunately the views were fantastic and the weather was beautiful. The highlights were crossing this historic stone bridge, and even better, upon reaching the saddle, we found a brand new alpine hut, staffed by a cheerful young German couple who had freshly baked cakes and beer for sale. Truly heaven.
Photo 9 is from day 4, after completing the Tomülpass, yet another historical route, much of the path was expanded by interned Polish soldiers during the second world war. This day was a Sunday which were difficult days to bikepack in Switzerland as nearly everything is shut. For better or worse, we barely went through any towns besides at the beginning or the end, so it didn’t impact us too heavily. Though hard to see, this incredible valley was filled with cattle grazing along this river, and we had an incredibly singletrack descent just to the left of the river, dropping us 3500 feet down into the wonderful town of Vals.
Vals was where Erik and I took our first rest day. I took this picture of the black cat in the field on our first night in town as we walked around looking for some dinner. Since it was a Sunday, there were no stores open to buy snacks of any kind, so we had to make sure to eat well to feel satiated through the evening. Vals is a terrifically scenic small town, and is home to a world famous spa, which Erik and I visited the following day. We stayed at a small BnB which had been in the owner’s family for generations, a very charming and comfortable place to be. Of all the towns we visited on our trip, Vals was probably my favorite, and I’d love to return again someday.