I wanted to go to the Eurobike in Friedrichshafen that day, but my companion had canceled with me the day before, I didn't know what I would do with this day off. The weather was said to be good and after my last three mountain pass trips I was in the mood for another adventure.
Without thinking twice, I decided on the Albula and Julier passes, as the Tiefencastel starting point for the tour is not too far away by car. I packed everything that I needed and after the bike was in the car, it started. After an entertaining drive, I was already in Tiefencastel.
From there, after a short descent, it was always slightly uphill to the actual ascent of the Albula, which I already knew from last year when I rode the Flüela and Albula passes. The first 5 kilometers to Filisur were comparatively flat compared to what should still await for me today. This climb goes straight into a 10 % gradient through the Albula Gorge to Bergün. However, the gorge is so nice to ride that the 10 % is not really a factor and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it was going to be. After the aforementioned section it became flat again for a short time before it got steeper again and I followed the road surrounded by conifers to a lake, where I stopped to take in the view.
The moment finally arrived when you ride out of the tree line and you are surrounded by the scree fields, this is an impressive landscape, and a sight to behold. I found it very fascinating how the environment can change with a few turns on the bike. It was in the last kilometers, from there you can always see the top of the pass.
After I got to the top I ate a bar and enjoyed the view, I was not as tired as anticipated, so I kept the break short and jumped straight into the descent 😀 It was a bit adventurous because of the construction site. After that, however, the hardest part of the day has arrived. Through Samedan and Sankt Moritz I was accompanied by a strong wind from both sides, needless to say I was happy to have arrived in Silvaplana, where I went straight to the ascent from the Julier Pass. I had never ridden the pass before and therefore didn't know what to expect. From Silvaplana it is easy to ride once you have the first steeper part behind you. But even afterwards there was always a steep section as I felt at that point in time. But that may also be due to the fact that I was really tired from riding against the wind before. 😉
In the end, the 469 vertical meters were ridden quickly over 7 kilometers and the Julier is definitely worth it in terms of landscape. Only the traffic was a little more here. After a well deserved thirst quencher at the top of the pass, I went straight on because I was cold again.
I then past the Marmorera lake, where a short stop was well with it, it went down to Cunter I chose to stay on the main road. In order to avoid the following tunnels, I cycled a little ascent to Del. This detour through the small, quiet villages was definitely a highlight and the descent afterwards was on a completely new tarred road back to Tiefencastel. I arrived home, this trip will be a fond memory and with what I experienced this will definitely not my last trip in the region. Unfortunately because the high winds I decided to focus more on the road than take photos. 😉
Here you can see the ride on Strava:: Albula - Julier