A joyful ride on lots of side roads
Tour:
Rapperswil – Sattelegg – Einsiedeln – Rapperswil
It is a wonderful day in early summer and our start into a new road bike season. The big passes (Gotthard, Lukmanier,..) are still closed, but we found some smaller passes that are already open and snow-free. Our round will be 65km long and a bit more than 1000 hm of climbing and is located in the heart of Switzerland. We start in Rapperswil, from where we will ride towards our first pass: Sattelegg. From here down to Einsiedeln and over the second pass Etzelpass, back to Rapperswil.
We meet at the lake in Rapperswil and start over the dam to Päffikon SZ. The first few kilometers continue along the lakeshore to Lachen. This section is heavily frequented by other road users, but luckily there are enjoyable side roads and where we can enjoy a free and fun ride.
We more or less succeeded in doing so throughout the whole day. Wherever possible, we avoid the main roads.
From Galgenen the actual ascent to Sattelegg begins. It’s a long ascent, but as we cover it on the old road, the landscape is a wonderful experience and again, almost no traffic.
The pass road winds its way past farms with a view of the mountains of Glarus up to the highest point. A rapid descent leads us to the Sihlsee. We enjoy the ride along the lakeside. The surrounding scenery is beautiful. The mountains in the background are still covered with snow on their peaks, but the lush green meadows and the clear blue of the lake give the entire scenery a wonderful contrast.
Over the Mini-Pass at Gross, we reach Einsiedeln once again on side roads. For all lovers of coffee, it is worthwhile to stop at the coffee house Dreiherzen in Einsiedeln. Although we have already completed two-thirds of the round, another short ascent to the last pass is still awaiting us.
The Etzelpass lies at 950 m.a.s.l. At the top of the pass are the St. Meinrad chapel, named after Meinrad von Einsiedeln, and a stately restaurant. They are located on the pilgrim route of the Way of St. James, which leads from the Zurich Oberland over the Etzel Pass to the pilgrimage site of Einsiedeln and from there to Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.
From the top of the pass we can roll everything down towards Lake Zurich – therefore we decided to do a quick stop here and get something to eat while enjoying the view.
After the descent, we cross again the lake dam at Päffiken and end the tour with a satisfied laugh and a fine ice cream in Rapperswil. Yes, it was a wonderful day on the road bike and the perfect start into the new season.
GPS Tracks and more information
For GPS Tracks and detailed information about the ride, have a look at the article at outdooractive: