Schwägalp is a pass road, a mountain pasture and a cable car station all at once, and the third of those is the reason most people stop. At 1,278 metres, on a high saddle between canton Appenzell and the Toggenburg, it is the lower station for the Säntis cable car, which climbs in a few minutes to the summit of the Säntis at 2,502 metres. The mountain is the highest of the Alpstein range, a compact, craggy massif that rises abruptly out of the Swiss plateau, and on a clear day the view from the top extends across six countries.
The pass road, which runs between Urnäsch and Neu St Johann, is an excellent ride, well graded, with bends that open as the road climbs and then drop gently into the Toggenburg. It passes through pasture, forest and clusters of farmhouses, with views of the Säntis rising to the south. The surface is smooth and the road is kept open all year, though snow and ice can make it difficult in winter. On sunny weekends in summer it is busy with riders and cyclists, so start early and take your time.
Because the Säntis stands alone, it makes its own weather. Clouds gather around the summit even when the surrounding sky is clear, and the temperature at the top can be many degrees colder than at the base. A weather station has operated on the summit since the nineteenth century, and the staff once endured long winters in isolation, a story told in the exhibitions on the mountain. Check the webcams before you commit to the cable car, because the view is the whole point.
The Appenzell region has a strong identity, with its painted farmhouses, its folk music, its conservative politics and its cheese. Appenzeller cheese is made from cow's milk and matured in a brine of herbs and wine, the recipe a closely guarded secret, and it has a strong, nutty flavour that goes well with a hot rösti. A restaurant at Schwägalp serves such dishes, with a view of the mountain from the terrace.
Fuel can be found at the town of Appenzell, about eleven kilometres away, a charming place of painted houses and a pedestrian centre, or in Wildhaus. Fill the tank before you climb, and keep a warm layer in the bag, because even on a bright day the wind at this height can be keen.