The Albis is the long, wooded ridge that rises between the Sihl valley and the Reppisch valley south of Zurich, and the road over it has been the traditional way from the city toward Zug and central Switzerland for centuries. The ride begins near Langnau am Albis, a town of about seven thousand people on the eastern flank, with the Albis Pass, at about 790 metres, a few kilometres up the hill. It is an excellent warm-up: just enough bends and gradient to get the tyres warm without asking for much, and close enough to the city for an after-work ride.
The road climbs from the valley through beech forest in a series of easy bends, with the ridge close on one side and views over the Sihl valley, the Zurich lake and the Alps on the other. The surface is well maintained, the corners are open, and the traffic can be dense at commuting times, with heavy flows of cars and buses and the occasional cyclist grinding up the slope. After the pass, the road drops toward the Knonauer Amt and the Reuss valley, with farmland, orchards and small villages. Speed limits are strict and cameras are common, so ride accordingly. The best conditions are on dry evenings in late spring and early autumn, when the light is gold on the forest.
The ridge has a history as a frontier. In 1799, during the Napoleonic wars, French and Russian armies fought in the area around Zurich, and the heights around the Albis were part of the lines. The old road over the pass was a major route for merchants and pilgrims. Today the Felsenegg viewpoint, on a spur near Adliswil, is a popular spot for sunset, reached by cable car, and the Uetliberg, at the northern end of the ridge, is Zurich's local mountain, with a lookout tower and a railway.
Nature on the ridge is surprisingly wild. Beyond Langnau, the Sihlwald is a former working forest that has been left to regrow and is now part of a wilderness park, with deer, foxes and a rich bird life, and the old trees there are slowly returning to a natural state. In spring the beech leaves are an unreal fresh green, and in autumn the forest glows copper. The air smells of earth and leaves, and the quiet in the woods is welcome after the city.
Fuel and food are plentiful in Langnau and the villages nearby. Bring a light waterproof, since the weather changes quickly on the ridge, and take care on damp leaves.