For a great cycling holiday, you always look at scenic routes. A nice route is often a round trip. Many cyclists are focused on the possibilities of cycling a lap. With that, routes where you ride back and forth along the same road are suddenly taboo. What many forget is that on a climb, the descent and ascent are substantially different, even though you ride along the same road! We were inspired by an article by Patrick Seabase about Switzerland and its dead-end-climbs. According to the extreme cyclist, it is a hidden beauty. Not for nothing is there an event in Switzerland that 'dead-ends and cake' hot. What's not to love? At Cyclingdestination, we can go along with that. See here the top 5x beautiful dead-end climbs in Switzerland!
Mauvoisin
Just beyond Verbier in the canton of Valais-Valais find a hidden beauty: the climb to the Mauvoisin dam. This will take you some 1,100 metres higher in 15 kilometres than at the start. The start is at the bridge over the river Dranse. You start fairly easy but at Le Fregnoley the percentages start to come. It goes up and down towards the Fionnay reservoir and the hamlet of Bonatchiesse. What makes this route beautiful is the various tunnels and galleries you ride through, as well as the wooden bridges. Towards the top, it gets a bit rougher in terms of vegetation and the roads also get narrower the further you drive up.
Along the way, you have stunning views of Mont Rogneux, Rosablanche and the Grand Combin (4314 altimeters!). Once at the dam, the view over the lake is an absolute must! The finish is finally at the restaurant at 1841 metres altitude. Nothing wrong with that!
Engstlenalp
If you still have some anxiety about riding the Süstenpass, you still have the beautiful escape to Engstlenalp. This cul-de-sac from Innertkirchen is no easy ride, by the way. The 14-kilometre route consists of two steep climbs. The first section to Wagenkehr does not drop below 10% for 4 kilometres. Then it flattens out completely for two and a half kilometres and then it goes up fast again! The last five kilometres are also the steepest with 10.2% average and one kilometre above 11%! But we wouldn't recommend it if there weren't some great views. In the Gental, one of the most remote but also most beautiful valleys in central Switzerland, your effort will be rewarded! The last stretch up, you have stunning scenery where soft moss is replaced by dry grass and the beautiful trees slowly turn into shaggy pines. Happy days.
Männlichen
At Grindelwald, you can ride to the summit of Männlichen via a narrow and painful climb. That it is a masculine climb is easily guessed. Steep, to great heights, but with stunning views of the Eiger, the Mönch and the Jungfrau.
Climbing this route is truly one of the most spectacular routes in all of Switzerland. There are usually all sorts of paragliders flying over the valley and you can indeed look down at Eiger. The first part of the climb is probably not going to hurt much and watch out that you don't get lulled to sleep, as you will need proper climbing legs after that.
After Wärgischtalbach, things take off at a brisk pace. But rest assured, should you need to swing for a while (we do), you need not fear being driven off your bike. The route up is well-shielded and closed to motorised traffic. But it is narrow and it is really painful. Kilometres above 10-11%, a maximum of 12.9% and 10 kilometres of leaning. But yes, that view is one to frame or send with a postcard.
Col du Sanetsch
This climb actually has to be in here. Labelled by many in Switzerland as the best-kept secret. From Sion in the Valais region, you first climb up through vineyards. Then it goes steep and punishingly uphill, with percentages that more often than not exceed 10%. The total climb is 29 kilometres long, but from kilometre 18 below the summit it's nothing but uphill. Once you reach the top it can be a bit haunting, but that in itself is not a problem. In fact, if you drive a little further, you will pass a small lake and there is another hidden gem: the auberge du Barrage.
So why go here per se? The bonus is in the cable car that can take you to Gsteig from the top. Hang your bike from the gondola and enjoy the insane views. Then roll right into Gstaad, where you can take a moment to marvel at all the splendour. Technically, it's no longer a dead-end, but we think it should be in there per se!
Miss
In the canton of Graubünden, you will find several wonderful routes to ride. One of the routes is the Splügen Pass but a little further on you will find the dead-end climb to Juf. This is the highest village in Switzerland, making it an interesting route right from the start. You won't be completely broken after the 30-plus kilometre route. Certainly not compared to other routes. The climbing percentages are a lot friendlier and you also don't finish as high as, say, the Sanetsch or Männlichen. But the views, the surroundings and the fact that you end up in the highest village in Europe do make it a special climb. Before you leave, it is wise to always check the weather, because once you have set off in the direction of Juf, there is no turning back. Headwinds and rain are your biggest enemies in this long valley.
Another thing to take into account: up to Andeer, you do suffer from some traffic. After that, it seems like you have the road all to yourself. So don't be put off!
