Today's goal is Oberaarsee, the 20th highest paved road in the Alps.
I had considered trying to do Sustenpass as well and then take the
train back to Oberwald again, but I decided that would be a much longer
day than I was up for...
Sustenpass was the only true stretch goal for this trip that I missed,
I knew I wouldn't see it this year if ever...
I had seen much of this climb in 2017 from Furkapass, and I was excited
to see the other side of the valley.
Despite the graphic below, I decided that the climb technically started
in Ulrichen, the nearest
major intersection, another 4km down the valley from Overwald, so I
rode down to Ulrichen before starting uphill again.
I got an awesome view of a 4000m peak from 30km away in Obergesteln,
but I couldn't tell what peak(s) I was looking at.
When I compiled my trip report, I still couldn't tell until I purchased
the Peakvisor app.
The prominant glaciated peak with over 1000m of exposure is Weisshorn, which Kent solod in 2016 ZinalRothorn, which Kent solod in 2015, is to the left
Ulrichen, looking southwest
08:47 Switzerland time 00:47 California time
08:50 Switzerland time 00:50 California time
Looking back uphill northeast toward Obergesteln
09:00 Switzerland time 01:00 California time
The western outskirts of Oberwald
09:00 Switzerland time 01:00 California time
Weisshorn and ZinalRothorn from the outskirts of Oberwald
09:49 Switzerland time 01:49 California time
After a few switchbacks in the trees and a climb up the valley, I got
an awesome view of Grimselpass.
The train tracks make a loop in the tunnel to climb up Furkapass
10:01 Switzerland time 02:01 California time
I stopped to top off my Camelbak in Gletsch.
10:09 Switzerland time 02:09 California time
Gletsch
10:32 Switzerland time 02:32 California time
10:47 Switzerland time 02:47 California time
15:32 Switzerland time 07:32 California time
15:33 Switzerland time 07:33 California time
PANO - scroll right
The stuff of cycling dreams...
South side of Grimelpass, the pass I just climbed, is on the far right
The top of Grimselpass is on the far left
A small part of the quickly diminishing Rhone Glacier is visible above
the rock face at the head of the Rhone valley
The west side of Furkapass is across the valley
I stopped frequently to take plenty of pictures on the way up
and the view got better and better.
I hoped to take better pictures in the afternoon when the lighting
improved, but you never know when visibility will disappear in the
mountains..
11:09 Switzerland time 03:09 California time
Grimselpass with Lauteraarhorn and Schreckhorn
Lauteraarhorn 4042m is the leftmost of the 4 peaks, Schreckhorn 4078m
is the rightmost of the 4 peaks; the 2 center peaks are both over 4000m
as well but are unnamed and are not considered 4000m peaks.
11:22 Switzerland time 03:22 California time
Totesee
11:22 Switzerland time 03:22 California time
11:22 Switzerland time 03:22 California time
I bought a coke and a snack at the kiosk and wolfed them down.
Note the signs for the marmot park in the top left...
I did not attend, I've seen plenty of marmots...
11:29 Switzerland time 03:29 California time
The one way road is timed, and you have to buy a ticket to park at the
end of the road before
you drive up the road.
For a second or two I had resigned myself to waiting for 30 minutes for
the top of the
hour before realizing the kind of crap is for cars, not bikes.
I realized I'd have the road all to myself and proceeded...
The views got more and more amazing...
15:11 Switzerland time 07:11 California time
PANO - scroll right
Grimsel
Hospiz at the head of Grimselsee just above the dam dates back to
at least 1142ad and after numerous rebuilds is now a very remote 4 star
resort.
There are two small gondolas headed over the lake and into the
mountains from near the dam as well as a third gondola that goes down
below the dam.
Sidelhornbahn
runs to a spot just uphill of the Grimselpass parking lot along the
road to Oberaarsee, it seemed
very out of place.
The trail up to Husegghütte and Sildenhoren continues uphill from near
the end of the gondola.
Oberaarbahn
opened just two months ago in June 2021 and takes you all the way back
to Oberaarsee.
15:10 Switzerland time 07:10 California time
Looking back at southeast toward Grimselpass and Totesee
15:01 Switzerland time 07:01 California time
Grimsel
Hospiz, Grimselsee, and the north side of Grimselpass
14:55 Switzerland time 06:55 California time
PANO - scroll right
Oberaarbahn halfway point.
Vorder-Zinggestock 2921m is the mountain at the elbow of Grimselsee
From the left, Vorderes-Galmihorn 3506m is at the edge of the picture,
then Hinteres-Galmihorn 3488m (mostly glaciated), Overaarrothorn 3477m,
Oberaargletscher, and Oberaarhorn
3631m are to the left of Vorder-Zinggestock
To the right of Vorder-Zinggestock are Finsteraarhorn 4274m,
Agassizhorn 3947m, Grosses Fiescherhorn 4049m (barely visible above a
white snowfield).
Above the front entrace of the Oberaarbahn halfway point, Lauteraarhorn
4042m is the leftmost of the 4 peaks, Schreckhorn 4078m
is the rightmost of the 4 peaks; the 2 center peaks are both over 4000m
as well but are unnamed and are not considered 4000m peaks.
This turned out to be the only time I could see Finsteraarhorn today, I
was too close, it was blocked by all the other mountains.
From the summit of Vorderes-Galmihorn you can see nearly the entire
Valais alps all the way to Mount Blanc, as well as Finsteraarhorn,
Schreckhorn and Lauteraarhorn.
14:58 Switzerland time 06:58 California time
Oberaarbahn halfway point.
Vorder-Zinggestock 2921m is the mountain at the elbow of Grimselsee
From the left, Vorderes-Galmihorn 3506m is at the edge of the picture,
then Hinteres-Galmihorn 3488m (mostly glaciated), Overaarrothorn 3477m,
Oberaargletscher, and Oberaarhorn
3631m are to the left of Vorder-Zinggestock
To the right of Vorder-Zinggestock are Finsteraarhorn 4274m,
Agassizhorn 3947m, Grosses Fiescherhorn 4049m (barely visible above a
white snowfield).
Above the front entrace of the Oberaarbahn halfway point, Lauteraarhorn
4042m is the leftmost of the 4 peaks, Schreckhorn 4078m
is the rightmost of the 4 peaks; the 2 center peaks are both over 4000m
as well but are unnamed and are not considered 4000m peaks.
This turned out to be the only time I could see Finsteraarhorn today, I
was too close, it was blocked by all the other mountains.
From the summit of Vorderes-Galmihorn you can see nearly the entire
Valais alps all the way to Mount Blanc, as well as Finsteraarhorn,
Schreckhorn and Lauteraarhorn.
11:43 Switzerland time 03:43 California time
11:43 Switzerland time 03:43 California time
PANO - scroll right
From a little beyond the Oberaarbahn halfway point, Finsteraarhorn and
Agassizhorn are now almost completely hidden
12:07 Switzerland time 04:07 California time
Finally the road had opened to vehicles.
I pulled off the road to let everyone else pass.
12:17 Switzerland time 04:17 California time
Oberaarsee
12:17 Switzerland time 04:17 California time
PANO - scroll right
Oberaarsee
12:21 Switzerland time 04:21 California time
Oberaarsee
12:28 Switzerland time 04:28 California time
Oberaarsee
12:32 Switzerland time 04:32 California time
Oberaarsee
From the left, Hinteres-Galmihorn 3488m (mostly glaciated), Oberaarrothorn 3477m, Oberaargletscher, and Oberaarhorn
3631m
Very pleasant, I'm a sucker for a nice glacier
I'd say I've never been anywhere nicer, but i have, a few other places
here in Switzerland
I sat on that dam, drank my beer, and savored every second of the view..
15:53 Europe time 06:53 California time
Ray: heavenly!
16:44 Europe time 07:44 California time
Paul: That looks pretty darned nice
Paul: Ive been reserving a couple of weekend campgrounds to take the
boys up to the mountains, but they've just closed all the national
forests due to fire danger
Paul: Apparently most of our firefighters in Southern California are up
at the Calder fire that is currently burning hundreds of buildings in
the outskirts of S Lake Tahoe
Paul: Third year in a row that they've closed all National Forests in
So Cal in the fall
Paul: Last year the closures lasted maybe 3 months
12:36 Switzerland time 04:36 California time
Oberaarsee
12:37 Switzerland time 04:37 California time
Oberaarsee
Berghaus Oberaar
A delightful lunch at Berghaus Oberaar
PANO from Berghaus Oberaar
wide angle from Berghaus Oberaar
After a beer and a snack on the dam, another beer and lunch at the Berghaus, I finally started to head back down.
15:23 Switzerland time 07:23 California time
15:23 Switzerland time 07:23 California time
16:10 Switzerland time 08:10 California time
I took even more pictures on the way back down since the light was even better.
18:24 Switzerland time 10:24 California time
Pork courdon bleu.
Nice, but nowhere near as good as the veal cordon bleu I'd had a few days ago.\
One of my favorite rides ever.
Awesome.
I got to see six 4000m meter peaks today!
Previous
Tuesday August 31, 2021
Nufenen and San Gottardo
Wednesday September 1, 2021
Oberaarsee and Grimselpass
