Andermatt to Semogo in Val Didentro, Italy
Woke up to our last morning in Andermatt and was certain I would once again open the curtains to see thick clouds, and was more than surprised to find brilliant blue skies and was able to see Andermatt in all it’s brilliance. And brilliant it was. The valley floor was electric green and the mountaintops were imposing and snow covered. Just being able to see the top of the small mountain out our hotel room window was a treat and I found myself often stopping my packing to look out at the views. What would it have been like if we had had weather like this the past 3 or 4 days? Spectacular no doubt but at least we knew today was going to be a beauty.
After breakfast we went for a short walk up the hill behind the town to take some pictures of the cows and the town below but it was not long before I was itching to get on the bike. We left about 10:45 and went over the Oberalp one last time. As I had been over this pass 3 times now I felt very comfortable in the sweeping turns, and near the top we stopped to take some more pictures and video. With the clear weather I was really able to gauge the size of the ski area of Andermatt/Sedrun and it is truly massive. I would love to come back here during the winter.
Down the Oberalp and east towards Chur. The Alps in all their glory are amazing. They are just everywhere with huge snowcapped peaks and lush valleys. I often thought of my father-in-law as the woodwork and craftsmanship of the homes and buildings is truly artful. We rode pretty much non-stop for close to three hours until we reached St. Moritz. In that time we rode up many passes (Lenzerheide, Pass Del Fuorn) and thru beautiful valleys. We saw deep gorges, and crystal clear snowmelt streams. They’re were areas that reminded me of Montana and Idaho. The Julier Pass over to St. Moritz was similar to the moonscape of the Grimsel but with huge peaks that shot straight up around us.
Dad and I kept radioing each other to stop and take pictures but would then decide to continue on. I think it is true that after a while all pictures of the mountains look kind of the same. Certainly to those who did not share in the experience.
We were both very excited to visit St. Moritz, the sight of two Olympics and were disappointed to find it to be just another glitzy ski town. There were tourists everywhere, lots of impatient drivers and nothing really worth noting. The hotels are neat in architecture and the lake we ate lunch around was quite picturesque but it is not a place I am yearning to return to. We had lunch (Dad got some bread, meat and cheese from the Co-Op grocery store) on a grassy knoll over looking the lake and got on our bikes for the final, exhilarating leg of our trip… The Umbrail!!!
We crossed the Pas Dal Fuorn (more spectacular views) and got gas in the very small town of Tschierv. In Valchava, a beautiful town with extremely tight roads thru the center, we made a sharp right and immediately began our ascent up the Umbrail. Dad had not given me any indication that this pass would be any different than the ones we had already crossed. I wouldn’t say I was “used” to riding in the Alps yet but my confidence was much higher and I felt I at least knew what to expect. Not so on the Umbrail. This pass was perhaps one of the craziest things I have ever experienced. 
You start to climb up a steep wooded mountain and only have a view of the road in front of you. You can see up a .10 of a mile or so as there is a decreasing radius hairpin ahead. It honestly seemed as if the hairpins were so tight and steep they would begin to turn back on themselves. The road was the most narrow we had been on yet. It was maybe 12 feet wide. It’s no wonder they don’t drive big SUV’s over here, as they would not both fit on many roads. Add to all this bicyclers’, motorbikes (fast ones), some cars, and construction equipment like pavers and such and you can get some idea of the thrill of this road.
As the Umbrail breaks out of the tree line, the road turns to dirt for a short portion. I am not sure if this is the way it always is or part of a repaving project as only 2K up the road returns to solid asphalt. It flattens out in a high valley just enough to let you catch your breath before it sends you right back up hairpins. We were so high now the snow would get deeper with each turn and you began to see snow plowed walls on the side of the road.
We stopped to take some video in the bend of a turn and Dad pointed out the top of the Passo De Stelvio on top of a mountain. The Stelvio is perhaps the most famous motorcycle road in the world and we decided to go take a look at the top before we descend it tomorrow. The end of the Umbrail is also the Italian border where you come to a fork. You can go down to Bormio in one direction or up to Stelvio another. We went up and now were riding in a total snowfield. We stopped briefly at Stelvio as it had been getting late and we needed to find our hotel so we descended into Bormio, as we would be returning this same way in the morning. The descent was another scary road with stacked hairpins which were actually numbered for cyclists’ and tunnels which were so narrow and dark it was like driving at night.
Our Hotel, the Meuble Rosealpina, in the village of San Carlo, Valdidnetro, sits on the side of a hill overlooking some of the most spectacular mountains to date. I know I sound like a broken record but I mean it this time. The peaks of northern Italy are stunning and imposing. Dad found a hotel so small and in such a remote town that no one here, and I mean no one, speaks any English whatsoever. I tried to ask about internet and I am not sure the innkeeper knew what that was. Unfortunately the only Italian I know I’ve learned from The Sopranos and Frank Sinatra songs. Thank God for my iPhone applications.
We had dinner at an adjacent hotel and the waitress did speak very good English although she did not think so. I had a Curry Chicken which doesn’t seem very Italian but as I am in Italy, at and Italian restaurant, it’s counts as Italian food. It was the Raspberry Panachetti I had for desert that was the literal icing on the cake. The wine wasn’t so bad either.
Back to the Stelivo tomorrow and off to Covara in Badia in the Dolomites. Looks to be another amazing day.
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