The Grimsel Pass

The Grimsel Pass is a high mountain pass in the Swiss Alps and tops out at an elevation of 2164m.

It's one of the highest passes in the Alps and due to high snowfall on the road, generally only open from around May to October. The pass is well surfaced, offers the driver reasonable visibility of the road ahead and provides miles of stunning views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It also has plenty of parking near the top to take in the scenery.

The southern approach, viewed from the Furka Pass

Depending upon the direction of travel, the pass will give a different driving experience. Approaching from the north via Innertkirchen, the pass is long and takes you through pretty forested valleys as it gradually rises to the tree line and beyond. A mix of open straights and sweeping bends with a scattering of wide hairpins and tunnels thrown in will see you reach the reservoirs, dams and hydroelectric power plants, the valley narrowing towards the top. You will have gained around 1100m along the way.

One dirty Ferrari, somewhere around the top

Tackling the road from Gletsch to the south is a different prospect and this is the direction we travelled. If you're travelling from the Furka Pass you'll already have around 1750m beneath the wheels and the route to the top is very visibly shorter although it makes for a great photograph. Consisting of half a dozen or so tight hairpins, you'll climb the 400m of this narrower section in no time at all, especially if the road's clear and you feel like making a bit of noise. If you're driving down this section rather than climbing it you'll need to keep your concentration all the way down to the valley floor due to the tighter corners and steep gradients.

A great road and with the two different aspects on offer, I'd say that's a good excuse to visit more than once.