The Julier is the pass that stays open. At 2,284 metres, it carries the main road between Chur and the Upper Engadin, and the cantonal snow crews work to keep it passable through most of the winter, which makes it unusual among Swiss crossings of this height. That reliability is why it has been a trade road since Roman times, when merchants carried goods north and south over the same saddle, and why it was recorded in travellers' accounts for centuries.
The summit is a bare, rounded rise of grey rock and thin grass, with a restaurant close to the road, and it has the particular austerity of the high Alps. The peak that dominates the pass, Piz Julier, stands to the east, and the Romans' old line over the saddle runs close to the modern one. It is easy to feel that the road has been here forever.
The ride is a pleasure at any pace. From the north, the road climbs from Bivio in a series of bends and then passes through open, rolling terrain, and from the summit it descends toward Silvaplana in long, open sweeps, with the Engadin lakes appearing below. The surface is generally smooth, but the road is busy with coaches, lorries and holiday traffic, so you may find yourself in a queue on a sunny Saturday. Mornings are best, when the light is low and the road is empty. Wind and cold are the usual hazards, and even in July a shower of sleet can fall.
The water on the pass divides in an unusual way. A stream on the northern side runs toward the Rhine and the North Sea, while the lakes on the southern side feed the Inn, which flows into the Danube and the Black Sea. The Engadin itself is wide and bright, with larch forests, blue lakes and a dry, clear air. Silvaplana lake is famous for the wind that blows up the valley in the afternoon, which draws windsurfers and kitesurfers in summer.
Services at the pass are limited to the restaurant. Fuel can be found at Silvaplana, about five kilometres down on the Engadin side, and in nearby St Moritz and Sils, and in Savognin or Tiefencastel on the north. Chiavenna lies across the Maloja Pass to the south. Fill the tank before the climb, and carry a warm layer for the top.