Close to the top of the Grimsel, the Hospiz is a stone hotel standing beside a reservoir whose water is the colour of slate. It is a landscape of bare granite, scattered snow and wind, and the dam walls, bridges and cables are as much a part of it as the mountains. The Grimsel region is where the Aare begins its journey to the Rhine, with lakes that supply some of the electricity Switzerland uses, and the place has the quiet, purposeful feel of a working mountain.
The hospice has been a refuge on this route for centuries. The Grimsel was an important trade and pilgrim pass between the Bernese Oberland and the Valais, and a hospice has stood on this line for centuries, giving shelter to merchants and travellers caught by weather. The present building is more modern, and the old one, as with much of the area, was submerged or replaced when the reservoir was built. It is now a comfortable mountain hotel with a restaurant, and the food is hearty and generous.
For riders, the pass road is a feast. From Innertkirchen the road climbs roughly fifteen hundred metres, with a series of hairpins, tunnels and big views across the glacier-polished rock. The top of the pass, at 2,164 metres, is a short ride beyond the Hospiz, and on the far side the road drops to Gletsch, where the Rhône Glacier lies above and the Furka and Nufenen passes branch out. The surface is excellent, the bends are wide, and the corners are an invitation to ride at a controlled, steady pace. Be aware of the cold: even in summer the wind at height can bite.
Plan your tank accordingly. The Grimsel is closed in winter, normally from late October to late May or June, depending on the snow, so check before you set out.
Take a moment at the lake. The wind makes patterns on the surface, and the light changes quickly, from grey to bright and back again. In autumn the larches lower in the valley are gold, and the first snow lies on the peaks.