Ibergeregg · Sihlsee · Muotathal Short Alpine

Two passes and 96 km, high point 1406 m

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Why this ride

Close, punchy and better than its distance suggests. 96 km round from Unterägeri - plan on about 1 h 50 of riding. On the way it passes Einsiedeln, Sihlsee water line and Muotathal valley. The climbs: Ratenpass warm-up and Ibergeregg pass road. It tops out at 1,406 m. Ibergeregg Pass is subject to seasonal closure - check it is open before you set off. The passes are the reason to go.

Roadbook

1. Ratenpass warm-up pass · 1077 m

   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.

2. Einsiedeln coffee stop food · 882 m

   Einsiedeln is a town built around a single building, the Benedictine abbey, whose white baroque towers rise above the rooftops from every approach. The monastery grew from a hermit's cell. Meinrad, a monk from Reichenau, settled in the forest here in the ninth century and was murdered by thieves in 861, and in 934 a community was founded at the site. For a thousand years since, pilgrims have come to the Black Madonna, a dark wooden statue in the Chapel of Grace within the church, and the town sits on the old pilgrim road toward Santiago de Compostela, with a yellow shell on a blue sign marking the way.

   The present church, finished in the 1730s, is a riot of stucco, gilt and ceiling frescoes, one of the great baroque interiors of Switzerland. Outside, the huge curved forecourt, the Klosterplatz, is used every few years in summer for the Einsiedeln World Theatre, an open-air performance of Calderón's play that has been staged since 1924. The abbey also keeps a stud farm, and the monks have bred horses on the meadows nearby for centuries, a feature that explains the horse tradition in the area.

   For a rider, Einsiedeln is a handy and agreeable stop on the way between the Sihlsee, the Ibergeregg pass and the lakes of Zurich and Zug. At 882 metres, the air is fresh and clear, and the town has a lively main street of cafés and pastry shops. Many riders stop for a coffee and a pastry on the street facing the abbey, and the bike can be parked in the town's squares. The roads in and out are smooth, with gentle gradients and broad curves, although traffic through the town centre can be busy, and coaches fill the pilgrim season.

   Fuel is easy in town, and there are plenty of places to eat, from simple cafés to gasthofs with Swiss specialities. In winter, snow and ice may linger on the pass roads, and the town can be cold and foggy. Take ten minutes to step inside the abbey, since the interior is worth it.

3. Sihlsee water line swim · 889 m

   The Sihlsee is a reservoir, and it is honest about that, which is part of its charm. The Sihl river once wandered through marshy farmland south of Einsiedeln. In the 1930s the Swiss Federal Railways dammed it to store water for hydroelectric power for the railway network, and by 1937 the valley floor had become a long blue lake, with farms moved and a stretch of moorland drowned. The lake still has the job of feeding the Etzel power station, so the water level changes with the seasons, and in late winter you can see the tide-line of bare shore.

   Today the setting is as pleasant as any natural lake. The water is surrounded by meadows, small farms and low forested hills, with the Mythen peaks above Schwyz showing sharp on the southern skyline on a clear day. A causeway crosses the lake at Willerzell, where you can pause and look out in both directions. Swimming is possible from the shore in warm months, and the water is cooler and clearer than you might guess, though it never gets properly warm until August.

   Riders reach it from the Ibergeregg side or from the lake of Zurich, and the road around the water is open, easy and scenic, with moderate bends and a good surface. After the climb and descent of the pass, the lake feels like a pause. It is also close to Einsiedeln, a short ride away, where the great Benedictine abbey has been a pilgrimage destination since the Middle Ages, famous for its Black Madonna and the baroque church on a broad square. The abbey is believed to have been founded in the tenth century, and the pilgrim route to Santiago de Compostela passes through town.

   Fuel and food are in Einsiedeln, about three kilometres away, and the town has plenty of cafés near the abbey. At the lakeside the facilities are simple, so bring water and a snack if you plan to linger. Parking is easy near the shore, but check signs because some areas are for locals.

   Wind picks up in the afternoons, ruffling the surface into small waves, and the lake shows a different colour in each kind of light. Morning is calm and glassy, and evening is soft and golden.

4. Muotathal valley reset scenic · 610 m

   The Muotathal has a character that the grander Swiss valleys lack. It is narrow, steep-sided and slightly damp, with the Muota river running through the bottom and the village of Muotathal strung along the road at about six hundred metres. Mountains rise on both sides, wooded at the base and rocky above, and clouds sometimes sit on the ridges like lids on pots. It is a farming valley where the cheese is made, the cows climb to the high pastures in summer, and people have a reputation for being stubborn and individual.

   Two things make it famous. Beneath the hills lies the Hölloch, one of the longest cave systems in the world, with explored passages stretching hundreds of kilometres. And in the village lives a group of so-called weather prophets, the Wetterschmöcker, men who claim to forecast the coming season from signs in nature and who are consulted with half a smile and half respect each year. Whether they are right or not, the tradition is a fine example of Swiss mountain stubbornness.

   The valley has a military past too. In 1799 the Russian general Suvorov brought his army through here during the Second Coalition war, crossing the high passes in terrible conditions and fighting French troops in the narrow valley. The campaign ended in retreat, and it is remembered locally more with respect than celebration.

   Riding in the Muotathal is slow and rewarding. The road from Schwyz follows the river, with moderate curves, short tunnels and views of waterfalls after rain. It is quiet midweek, though it picks up at weekends. Beyond the village the road continues toward Bisisthal and the Pragel pass, which is closed in winter and needs checking in early or late season.

   Schwyz, about ten kilometres away, is the nearest sizeable town for fuel and shops. The village itself has small shops and a few places for coffee or a meal, and the mountain inns often serve simple food made with local cheese and dairy.

   Bring a rain jacket. The valley collects weather, and a sunny morning can turn into a soaking afternoon. But even in rain, the green is almost fluorescent and the waterfalls are at their best.

5. Ibergeregg pass road pass · 1406 m

   At 1,406 metres, the Ibergeregg is not one of the great Swiss passes, but it is one of the most enjoyable short ones, and local riders know it well. It links the Schwyz basin, with its two jagged Mythen peaks, to the Alpthal and Oberiberg side, and it climbs through a landscape of cow pastures, scattered chalets and mixed forest. The road is narrow in places, with sharp bends, moderate gradients and sudden long views over the Schwyz valley as it opens up behind you.

   Schwyz gives its name to the whole country. The town was among the early members of the Swiss Confederation, and the Swiss flag and the name Switzerland both grew from it. The charter of 1291, often cited as the founding document of the Confederation, is kept in a museum in the town. You do not need to care about history to enjoy the ride, but it adds a bit of weight to the view as you climb.

   The road itself rewards a steady rhythm. On the Schwyz side the first hairpins come quickly, and the surface can be patchy after winter. Near the top it eases into a rolling stretch across the pasture, with the ski lifts of the nearby Hoch-Ybrig area visible in summer as lines on the hillside. The descent toward Oberiberg is gentler, with more open views and a calmer feel. Traffic is usually light on weekdays, though sunny weekends bring cyclists and other bikers, and cattle sometimes cross the road or graze beside it.

   Weather deserves respect. Cloud collects on the ridge, and fog can appear quickly, reducing visibility to a few metres. The pass can close in heavy snow, usually in winter, so check conditions in shoulder seasons. In summer, afternoon thunderstorms are common, so start early.

   Schwyz, about six kilometres from the foot of the climb, is the nearest town of any size, and Einsiedeln is just beyond the other side. There are mountain restaurants near the top that serve simple food in season, and the benches on the pasture are good for a quiet break.

   The cow bells are part of the experience. In summer they ring across the slope, and with the wind and the smell of cut grass, you feel properly in the Alps.

6. Back to Ratenpass warm-up finish · 1077 m

   The route ends here after 96 km. You lose 329 m on the way down to it, hard.

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