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Writer's pictureMike West

The Grimsel Pass


Taking you up to 2164 meters above sea level, Grimsel is the high alpine road that links the Bernese Highlands and the Obergoms. 23 miles in length, it is a wonderful mix of bends curves and switchbacks with some fantastically long straight sections - perfect for overtaking. The road surface is pristine and wide enough to be able to stop by the side for taking in the wonderful vistas on offer. It is one of the safer of Switzerland's many passes, but that makes it no less enjoyable.


Some History



It is known that the Grimsel Pass was used way back in Roman times. The trading route was an important source of income for the residents of the Haslital and Goms, which came to an abrupt end around the end of the 1800's when the Gotthard Railway was opened.


The Grimsel pass gained international significance at the end of the 1800's when the famous explorers Horace Bénédict de Saussure and Franz Josef Hugi chose the Grimsel as the centre of their alpine research.


The pass road was constructed for horse-drawn wagons in 1894 and they travelled over the pass until 1925 when the KWO Hydroelectric Power Company widened the roads to make construction of their hydro-dams and power plants possible.


The canton of Bern continually extended the pass road between 1950 and construction ended on the Bernese side in 1972. The canton of Valais didn't begin widening the road until 1975. Final construction on both sides ended in 1986.


Things To See

To the north of the pass in the village of Handegg is the Gelmerbahn funicular, one of the steepest in Switzerland. If you have the time to spare, take the funicular of the 448m up to the Gelmersee lake.



After Handegg the road climbs through several hairpin bends and an 850 metres (2,790 ft) tunnel to the Räterichsbodensee reservoir, follow by the Grimselsee and the Grimselpass Dam.


At the top of the pass is the Totesee, a natural alpine lake, enlarged into a reservoir.







An immense view awaits those who dare to look over the south side from the pass summit, where you can see much of the Furka pass and the Rhone Glacier.




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