SearchCycling to Rome: Day 9 (Bremgarten to Andermatt)
Sunday 18 June 2023
Alex writes: Another fine day was in prospect as we departed Bremgarten after a breakfast at a friendly cycle café.
The main event today was climbing (most of) an Alpine pass. But before that there was plenty of lumpy Swiss countryside to cover. Thw weather was pluperfect once again, and around every corner was a picture postcard scene.
We stopped in Arth for a lakeside lunch, and then pressed on to Flüelen for iced tea. The temperature was once again 38° and shortly after starting the Gotthardpass climb proper I realised I was out of water. As usual our normal climbing protocol is "everyone at their own pace" with me usually at the rear employing my tantric climbing technique. I phoned ahead to the others who rustled-up a full bidon between them and left it in a layby with instruction how to find it. Teamwork!
As any seasoned cyclotourist knows, one crosses the Alps on a Sunday by preference to avoid the worst traffic, and a Sunday Alpine climb has been the centrepiece of this tour's planning since its inception. This worked well, as the climb was fairly quiet with no lorries and but a smattering of cars, motorcyclists and cyclists riding enviably luggage-free bikes.
The climb itself was fairly benign 6/7% stuff until the Devil's Bridge area, where cyclists must take a path which ramps up alarmingly. No pilgrimage would be complete without the Devil putting obstacles in the way.
After this it was a short hop to the ski lodge in Andermatt. Phew! We will finish the pass tomorrow.
Word of the day: e-bike
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