The Susten Pass

The Susten Pass, climbing to over 2200m between Innertkirchen and Wassen is possibly one of the best known and highly regarded driving roads in the Alps and for very good reason.

For its entire length if offers a great road surface, a good width and a mixture of sweeping curves and tight hairpins but above all, in either direction you'll have decent view of the road ahead meaning a good pace can easily and safely be achieved. Add to this the stunning vistas once you climb above the tree line and it's not hard to understand why it's on the must-do list of many drivers and bikers alike.

The view of the road you've travelled from high on the Susten Pass

The pass is almost certainly best driven from west to east, starting at Innertkirchen from where it undulates along the open but scenic valley floor before reaching the steeper terrain and forested switchbacks. Constantly climbing and increasingly hugging the mountainside, it's not too long before you begin to breach the tree line and encounter the beauty of the snow-capped mountain peaks. There are plenty of stopping points, including a couple of establishments where you can park up to grab a drink or a bite to eat. Providing the weather is favourable, there are ample opportunities to take photos, particularly towards the upper slopes around the Stein Glacier.

The clouds rolling over the glacier like dry ice

The top of the pass sees you travelling through a tunnel before beginning the long and flowing descent. It begins with a few hairpin corners with huge drops beside (definitely not a place to lose it, see the picture at the top of the page) and great views as the valley opens up in front of you. As on the climb, there are several stopping points as you make your descent towards Wassen. I think most would agree the west to east direction is the most enjoyable due to the nature of the road.

Of the passes we travelled in the high Swiss Alps, the Susten Pass may well be the highlight of a road trip in this area.

You may well find yourself travelling through Meiringen, close to Innertkirchen at some point in your journey. Time permitting and depending on your itinerary, there are a couple of places well worth a visit that wont cost you much of a detour. They are the Aare Gorge and Reichenbach Falls. The former being a long, narrow and deep gorge, accessible by a system of tunnels and walkways. The latter is a series of waterfalls featuring in the Sherlock Holmes story, reached by a steep funicular railway.