It’s Wednesday, the sun is shining and it’s Swiss National Day. These are the best conditions for a nice motorbike tour. Where to is also quickly decided. Since I will lead our club trip in two weeks, I decide to test drive the selected route.
The destination is the Kunkel pass between Tamins and Vättis. Doesn’t sound really spectacular now, I know. But the pass is one of the few legally passable passes with a gravel section. And since we are a BMW-GS-Club, it has to be ridden.
By my standards, I start pretty early – it’s half past seven in the morning …
I ride the first kilometres on the motorway. At Erstfeld I take the exit and then ride comfortably over land up to Andermatt. Although it is a holiday, the roads are almost empty. From Andermatt I drive over the Oberalp Pass to Disentis.
Meanwhile I know the route very well and I cover it quickly. Eventually the turnoff to Obersaxen should come … Then I see it passing me in the corner of my eye. Shit, a little concentration on the track wouldn’t have hurt! This absolutely cannot happen to me while guiding in two weeks. So I turn around and turn back to the planned route.
In beautiful hairpin bends the road winds up the mountain. With every kilometer I gain height and the road gets increasingly narrow. At some point it is only a partially paved dirt road. Now it really is fun.
In Luven, a small and really beautiful mountain village, I will take a coffee break. So today I test the restaurant we selected for the group ride. Rustic, cosy and good coffee. This is my verdict.
I continue through the beautiful and rocky Safiental valley to Bonaduz and finally to Tamins, the entrance to the Kunkel pass. As I leave the village, I want to pay the toll for the pass, when I am suddenly approached from the side and told that it is free today. Perfect! 10 Franks saved.
In enduro mode I tackle the gravel road to the top of the pass. Actually it’s totally embarrassing, because some road bikes approach me very relaxed. But no matter, I am a GS driver. I’m allowed to do that.
At the top of the pass the festivities for August 1st are in full swing. With a fresh bratwurst I enjoy the view. Simply fantastic up here
After an adequate break, I set off again. I go down to Bad Ragaz. Shortly after that I leave the road to reach Flums on narrow paths. Really awesome but occasionally I’m not sure if I should have driven there.
On the way to Glarus, the entrance to the Klausen pass I actually intended to drive, I remember that Wednesday is not a weekend. So the Pragelpass, which runs parallel and is closed on weekends, should be open! And so it is. So I take the opportunity and finally drive the Pragelpass which was still on my bucket list. Apart from the 40 Km/h limit on the first one-third I am not disappointed. The pass is really beautiful and definitely worth a trip.
After a few photo stops, I arrive in Schwyz and ride the last few kilometers home.
It was a really nice tour, that I can offer my club colleagues with a clear conscience. Landscape was breathtaking and driving technique partly challenging. Definitely an insider tip.