The Grimsel Pass is one of the great engineering landscapes of the Alps, a high granite country where glaciers, dams and lakes have been fitted together into a kind of outdoor power station. The summit sits at 2,164 metres, and the road climbs to it from Meiringen through the narrow Haslital valley, passing the Handeck waterfall, where the Aare drops some distance in a single leap, and the cable-car and funicular stations that lead to remote reservoirs.
The granite itself is the star. Smoothed and polished by glaciers into rounded humps and shining slabs, the rock lines the road and the shores of the lakes, and its pale grey colour gives the whole landscape an austere, cold beauty. The Grimsel Hospiz, a traditional mountain inn, has stood near the top for centuries, serving travellers on the old mule track that connected the Bernese Oberland to the Valais and Italy. Dams at Räterichsboden and Oberaar hold back turquoise lakes, and the water they release powers turbines deep within the mountain. The nearby Gelmerbahn, an extremely steep funicular, climbs to a small lake in minutes.
The road is a joy to ride. The bends are wide and well banked, the surface is good, and the views of lakes, rock and glaciers open up with each corner. Traffic is heavy in summer, with cars, buses and motorcyclists, and the road can become congested at weekends. Mornings are better, and so are weekdays. The weather can change quickly, and cloud often settles on the summit, so carry waterproofs and a warm layer. In late spring and early summer, snow walls may line the road.
The pass is usually open from about June to October, though dates vary with snowfall, and the road is closed in winter. The Hospiz and several restaurants near the dams serve hot food, and a plate of rösti or a bowl of soup is welcome in the thin air.
The vegetation is sparse, with mosses, lichens and hardy alpine flowers growing in cracks between the stones. Marmots are common, and chamois and ibex can sometimes be spotted on the slopes. The air is cold, clean and still, except when the wind rises.