The Raten Pass, at 1,077 metres, links the Ägerital with the country around Sattel and Biberbrugg, and for a Swiss pass it is quiet and modest, which makes it a very good warm-up. The road climbs from Unterägeri and Oberägeri, villages on the shores of Lake Aegeri in canton Zug, up through meadows and farms, with a view back over the lake and the hills beyond. It is a short climb, but the corners come at a steady pace, with a few well-judged hairpins, and the farmland is as neat as a model railway layout.
Near the lake is a place that matters a great deal in Swiss history. At Morgarten, on the shore, in 1315, a force of Swiss confederates ambushed an Austrian army under Duke Leopold, using the narrow ground between the lake and the slopes to their advantage. The victory is counted among the founding moments of the old Confederacy, and a monument stands by the road. Every November, a shooting contest, the Morgartenschiessen, recalls the battle. The lake itself is clear and quiet, with a swimming beach, a ring of old farmhouses and, on a calm morning, mirror reflections of the mountains.
The road is well maintained, and on a dry day it is one of the most relaxed rides in central Switzerland, with moderate traffic, pleasant gradients and some very good views. Early in the season or in autumn, patches of ice or damp can linger in shaded bends, and heavy rain brings cow slurry onto the tarmac, so be alert. On warm weekends, cyclists climb the pass in numbers, so keep to your side and take the corners wide with care. The best light is in the morning, when the lake lies smooth and mist drifts off the fields.
Fuel is easy at Unterägeri, a town of nearly eight thousand people, and also in Einsiedeln and Zug. Cafés along the lake serve coffee and cake, and are good places to watch the weather. After the warm-up, the higher passes, such as Ibergeregg, await.