Susten is a pass built for driving, and that is rare. Where most Alpine crossings follow old mule tracks or trade routes, this one was planned in the 1930s and finished in the 1940s as a modern road, with smooth gradients, wide curves and sturdy retaining walls, and the result is a ride that flows in a way few others do. It connects Wassen in Uri with Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland, crossing the ridge at 2,224 metres through a short tunnel.
The northern side is the more dramatic. Beyond the tunnel the road drops past the Steingletscher, a glacier that spills into a high cirque and ends in a small lake. The ice has shrunk dramatically, but the rock around it is polished and streaked and the mountains stand around you in a ring. Moraines, rushing meltwater and the smell of cold stone give the place a raw feel, and a stop at the glacier car park is almost compulsory. From there the road continues in a series of long bends, then plunges into the Gadmertal, a quiet valley of meadows and old wooden houses.
On the Uri side, the road rises more gradually from Wassen through the Meiental, with a string of hairpins and views back toward the Fünffingerstock and the Sustenhorn. It is a pass with lots of room and lots of long corners, and the surface is usually excellent. Wind can be fierce at the top, and the temperature drops several degrees as the road climbs, so a warm layer helps.
Fuel is the main practical point. There is none on the pass, and the villages near it are small, so fill at Altdorf or Meiringen before you climb. Susten is closed in winter, generally from late autumn until late spring, and snow patches may still lie at the edges in June. If you can choose, ride it on a weekday morning when the light is clear and the traffic is thin.