Zürcher Oberland · Tösstal · Hulftegg

A 112 km loop from Pfäffikersee warm-up

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Why this ride

The local curve pantry when the Alps are too much. A 112 km loop that starts and ends near Pfäffikon, about 2 h 07 of riding. It goes by way of Bauma Tösstal entry, Ricken ridge road and Rapperswil. The climb of the day is Hulftegg passlet. It tops out at 954 m. The passes are the reason to go.

Roadbook

1. Pfäffikersee warm-up start · 537 m

   The Pfaffikersee is the quiet one of the Zurich Oberland lakes, a long, narrow stretch of water in a hollow left by a glacier, ringed with reeds and meadows and almost free of the big villas and motorboats that crowd its neighbours. It lies at about 537 metres, between Pfaffikon and Wetzikon, and the lakeshore is largely protected as a nature reserve. As a warm-up for the climb to Hulftegg, it is ideal: flat, gentle and just far enough from Zurich to feel like countryside, with Pfaffikon, a town of about eight thousand people, two kilometres away for fuel, bakeries and coffee.

   The riding on the flats is easy and civilised. Narrow roads run between meadows and farm buildings, past the reed beds and the little harbours, and it is a good time to let tyres and engine come up to temperature before the hills. After the lake, the route climbs east into the Tosstal, through forest and farmland, with tighter bends and short, steep ramps toward the Hulftegg, a modest pass with a reputation among Swiss riders for its twisty, narrow road. Traffic is light in the early morning, and weekends bring cyclists, walkers and Sunday drivers. Swiss speed limits are low and radar traps are frequent, so keep an eye on the signs.

   The shore has a remarkable history. At Robenhausen, on the south side of the lake, archaeologists have found the remains of prehistoric villages built on wooden piles over the water, some of them more than five thousand years old, and the site is part of the UNESCO World Heritage listing for pile dwellings around the Alps. At Irgenhausen, near Pfaffikon, stand the remains of a late Roman fort, from the late Roman period, built to guard the road, and its walls are visible in a quiet meadow. People have been drawn to this water for thousands of years.

   The reserve is rich in wildlife. Reed warblers, grebes and kingfishers nest on the shore, and the wet meadows are home to orchids and dragonflies, while in autumn the mist rising from the lake is magical. The air smells of wet grass and reeds, and on a still morning the water is like glass.

   Fill the tank in Pfaffikon, bring a jacket for the early morning, and use the lake as a quiet start.

2. Bauma Tösstal entry scenic · 640 m

   The Tösstal is the quiet valley of the Zürich Oberland, carved by the Töss river as it runs from the hills near the Hörnli toward Winterthur. Bauma sits near the top, at about six hundred and forty metres, where the valley is still narrow and the slopes are close and wooded. It is not a place that features in guidebooks, which is part of the appeal. People here worked in textile mills, and the old factory buildings along the river still show how the water power and cheap labour of the nineteenth century made this a cradle of Swiss industry.

   Bauma has one quirk that tempts railway lovers. The local heritage society runs steam trains on a historic line, with old locomotives and carriages chugging through the hills on selected days in the warmer months. If you arrive on the right weekend you may hear a whistle across the valley and smell coal smoke, a fine change from petrol and rubber.

   For riders, the Tösstal entry is the start of a gentler kind of fun. The road leads up from Pfäffikon and the Zürich side, with moderate bends and good visibility, then climbs into hills of dairy farms, forest patches and hamlets. It is not wild, but it is varied, and on a weekday you may have long stretches nearly to yourself. The corners tighten as you rise toward the passlets, and the road gets narrower, so keep an eye out for tractors and the occasional walker.

   Pfäffikon, about seven kilometres away, is the nearest town of any size and the place to find fuel, shops and cafés. Bauma itself is small, though you will find basics such as a bakery or a small restaurant. The Swiss tendency to close early on Sundays is a real issue in villages like this, so do not assume anything will be open late.

   The valley has its own weather. Fog gathers in autumn mornings and clings to the river, and the hills above can be bright while the bottom is grey. In winter, snow can fall a little earlier here than in Zürich, and the shaded corners may stay icy. Spring and early summer, when the meadows are green and the flowers are out, are the best time to ride it.

3. Hulftegg passlet pass · 954 m

   The Hulftegg is a pass for people who know where to find it. At 954 metres it is modest, and it sits among rounded forested hills at the meeting point of three cantons, where Zürich, St. Gallen and Thurgau lean toward each other. There are no glaciers, no dramatic cliffs, and the guidebooks say little. But among Zürich riders it has a loyal following, because the road across it is a ribbon of well-judged bends through meadows and spruce, with hardly a straight run between them.

   The climb from the Tösstal side starts gently and builds into a sequence of curves that follow the contours of the hill, opening here and there to views of the Hörnli and the Alpstein range to the east on clear days. The surface is generally good, and the radius of the bends rewards a smooth line. On weekends, other bikes and cyclists use the same road, so the pace is rarely wild. On weekdays and early evenings it is calm, with cows grazing right to the edge of the tarmac.

   The cultural backdrop is quietly interesting. Down the eastern side lies the Thur valley and Fischingen, where a Benedictine monastery has stood since the Middle Ages and still shapes the village. Its church and buildings sit in a fold of land, and the abbey has long been a centre of pilgrimage and learning in a corner that seems otherwise remote. Farther along are small villages such as Mosnang, where the architecture shifts toward the sturdy timber farmhouses of eastern Switzerland.

   Kirchberg, about eight kilometres away, is the nearest town with a decent range of services, and Wattwil and Bauma are alternatives on either side. There is usually a farm shop or inn along the way selling simple food and local cheese, but opening hours vary, so carry a snack and some water.

   The weather matters more than the altitude suggests. Cloud lingers on these hills and the forest holds damp in the shade, so corners may be slick after rain, with moss and wet leaves on the verge. In winter the road may carry ice for longer than the valley floor. Go on a dry spring morning or an early autumn afternoon, and take your time on the descent.

4. Ricken ridge road scenic · 790 m

   The Ricken pass lies between two worlds. On one side is the Linth plain with its flat valley floor, and on the other is the Toggenburg, a region of green hills, farmsteads and a distinct musical tradition. At about 790 metres, the pass is a saddle rather than a peak, but the approach and descent give a great sense of crossing from one valley character to the next. Behind the ridge you will see the long wall of the Churfirsten and, on clear days, the bright mass of the Säntis farther east.

   The Toggenburg is known for its natural yodel and for the hackbrett, a Swiss dulcimer played with small hammers, and for farmhouses that look like they have been there forever. Wattwil, the nearest sizeable town on the eastern side, has about eight thousand people and a history in textiles and later in small industry. The railway between the two valleys passes under the ridge in a long tunnel, built in the early twentieth century to avoid the climb. The old road remains for those who prefer the view.

   The ride up from Kaltbrunn or Gommiswald is a series of broad bends with moderate gradients, shaded by forest and framed by meadows. Surface quality is typically good, though patches around the hairpins can be rough after winter. It is not a demanding road, and the real pleasure is in rhythm and scenery. Early mornings give you the best light and the fewest vehicles, and in autumn the mist lies in the valley below as you ride along the ridge.

   For practical matters, fuel is available in Wattwil, about five kilometres away, and in the larger towns on the Linth side. The ridge itself has a few farm restaurants and small inns, some of which serve simple dishes with local cheese, sausage and bread, though opening times are irregular. Bring water if the day is warm.

   Watch for cattle. The upper pastures have grazing animals in summer, and sometimes they stand on or beside the road. Cyclists use the pass heavily at weekends, so take the corners with some margin. The weather changes quickly on the ridge, with a sunny start giving way to cloud by afternoon, so keep a rain layer handy and an eye on the sky behind the Churfirsten.

5. Rapperswil food return stop · 408 m

   Rapperswil sits on a little promontory on the northern shore of Lake Zurich, joined to the other side by a long causeway and a wooden footbridge, and it has the feel of a town that knows it looks good and does not need to say so. About thirty-five thousand people live in Rapperswil-Jona, though the old town is compact, with a castle above, arcaded lanes below and a harbour full of boats. After the Hulftegg and its farm roads, it is a pleasing place to come down to.

   The castle holds an unexpected story. In the nineteenth century, Polish exiles who had fled their country after failed uprisings against Russian rule made Rapperswil their base, and in 1870 they founded a Polish national museum in the castle, preserving documents and relics for a country that did not then exist on the map. The museum eventually moved on, but a Polish connection remains in the town, and a column in the castle square honours Polish heroes. The town is also known as the town of roses, with several rose gardens, and from the promenade on a summer evening you can see the Glarus Alps lined up across the lake.

   The ride into Rapperswil from the hills is easy and agreeable, with winding roads through orchards and meadows above the lake, and long views across the water. Surfaces are good, and traffic is moderate, though weekends can be crowded around the lake. Weather can change quickly in the Pre-Alps, and the lake has its own breezes. Early evening is ideal, when the light turns gold, the streets fill with people and the cafes put out their tables.

   As a food stop, Rapperswil is an easy choice. There are lakeside restaurants serving fresh perch fillets, called Egli, with fries and sauce, and bakeries selling Zurich-area pastries, and in the old town small cafes serve coffee and cake. Fuel is available at several stations in town and in neighbouring Jona. Parking can be tight in the old town, but motorcycles can usually find a space near the harbour. A short walk along the wooden bridge, over the water, is the best digestif.

6. Back to Pfäffikersee warm-up finish · 537 m

   The route ends here after 112 km.

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