July 16, 2024
Day 3: Passo del San Gottardo
Rodi-Fiesso, CH to Andermatt, CH
Disclaimer: Entries are delayed. My bigger battery pack is busted so using my battery sparingly for things like navigating and calling campsites ahead. And calling my mom of course.
After some much needed rest and pigging out on the Dazio Grande breakfast I was ready to go! Mileage today will be quite short but elevation gain not so much.
Today we embark on conquering the Alps. Like Hannibal. Except with road signs and modern infrastructure and many ways to bail out. And the goal is not to kill anyone including me.
The first 15 km stretch to Airolo is a gentle climb. Maybe 1-3% grade most of the way- after this final major Ticino town it will really tick up.
Of course, knowing all of this, the only sensible thing one would do is add more weight to their gear. Because I was running low on my paltry groceries from Como, and Airolo was the last town, I decided I had better stock up. There was also a doubt in my mind that the next campsite in Andermatt was going to be like the Bellinzona one (which for some reason had a restaurant attached but I’m reading that’s kind of common here).
I also just wanted to eat more of my own food on the go instead of buying a bunch of meals unless it was specially exciting to eat out. Like some German style pastries or in Italy the homemade pasta. Lunch works better too timing wise when you don’t need to stop or fit it in with opening hours.
Anyways so I made it to Airolo and bought the obvious staples - burrito ingredients and snack bars. A bit more bread. And some Gouda. Cheese Om?! without a fridge?! I learned a trick from backpacking friends that hard cheese will do okay for a few days. It won’t taste as good but in the states of exhaustion I expect to be in I’m sure some salt will help more than just globs of more sugary foods.
My favorite besides the Gouda is these choco-banana bars which are some Swiss branded chewy bars basically. I also bought toothpaste because dental health is still important on the road. Groceries here in Switzerland are tenfold cheaper than eating out.
I guess you didn’t click the entry to know about my groceries so let’s get on with it.
I headed out from the grocery store with high spirits and a bellyful of a choco-banana bar. Nothing could stop me and my comically oversized orange safety vest!
Remember when I said the grade would tick up? I did fine in the 5-10% range despite lots of huffing and puffing but about 5km from Airolo I took some random offshoot hill that my planner app suggested. It was a 12% grade and my bike was not properly geared for this. Also all the weight is in the back because I ignored traditional advice. So I walked. Walking is a gear!
I also saw a cyclist taking the main road below me instead of this weird offshoot I took. Damn it. In any case I made it and it went back to a reasonable grade within 15-20 minutes.
The cobblestones started about 3000 feet up (about 3750 feet left). It was pretty slow going but somehow I was honestly all smiles. My wahoo kept auto pausing when I was still doing my best to pedal! I decided that I would take a break every 300-500 feet ascended if I have to. Worked like a charm.
Most of the day I kept getting passed by roadies. Many were very friendly cheering me on a bit and greeting me with a mixture of “ciao!” (The Italian influence) and “hoi!” (The Swiss German influence). At one point I stopped off and took a break to sit on a patch of grassy outcrop. The next group of roadies said I’ve just about reached the most beautiful part.
They were right. I am incredibly glad I did this side for the ascent - the descent didn’t even compare in terms of uniqueness. The cobblestones and windy switchbacks really made it for me.
Around 1300 I summited the Gotthard pass and grabbed an overpriced Fanta at the gift shop. The soda is better in Europe. I don’t really even drink much of it in the states but a Fanta here slaps. I also bought two new stickers for my bike and took a tour of the museum.
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Honestly it wasn’t that bad. Would I break it into two days again? (About 2.5k ft then 4.5k ft) Maybe? Probably since it’s my vacation and I’m not exactly worried about being fast paced. But could I do it in one day? Yeah. Yeah I could.
So then came the equally fun part - the descent. The Uri side did not have cobblestones it was all pavement. But the views were lovely - Switzerland is just too beautiful. I spent most of it laughing at myself for bothering to pack a fleece jacket as I didn’t even use it.
On the way down I stopped in Hospental, a very small town. I stopped here for a meme. There’s a YouTube show I like called Wendover Productions, which teaches you about all kinds of logistics and world news things - they have a side show called Jet Lagged where contestants compete in challenges in a country or city such as capture the flag or hide and seek or whatever. Anyways I made it to the castle they went to- here I am hiding from them but they don’t know I’m playing.
The descent continued to Andermatt where I checked into my campground. The negative google reviews were right that it’s just a converted ski parking lot - in the summers it’s a grassy meadow next to the road. This didn’t really bother me and suited me just fine.
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I attempted to guy out the tent as it was quite foggy and noticeably windy. It was the first time I’ve done it. It worked fine but not sure I did it the right way.
I had a quick camp meal from my groceries stock. A burrito with canned beans. I think if you read these journal entries you must think I’m obsessed with food - actually you’re probably right. It is what it is.
Finally I sat by a charging station in the corner of the campground and chatted with the other cycle tourists- a couple of German men who were headed to Como. And a mother and son who are just climbing a mountain every day apparently and came from where I’m going.
The sleep was peaceful.
Thanks for reading!
Today's ride: 37 km (23 miles)
Total: 162 km (101 miles)
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