Gotthard Pass

Even the name is meaningful. "Gott" is a German expletive meaning `goshdarn` or something like that, and "hard" speaks for itself.  In fact, this appears to be a pattern in the naming of Swiss mountain passes--consider "Furka Pass" (you supply the translation), which we climbed yesterday, and "Grosse Scheindigg" which we climb tomorrow.  

Be that as it may, the old road up the Gotthard compensates mightily for the 7.2% slope with its charming cobblestones.  The pass is famous historically, as it was first traversed in the early 1200`s with the building of the Devils Bridge, when it was seen as uniting the 4 disparate cultural areas of Switzerland.  The first road, the cobbled remains of which are known as the "old road", was built in the 1830`s and opened cart and wagon traffic through the pass, giving rise to Lucerne as an important Swiss city.  The Gotthard area is still considered the point where Switzerland`s four languages and cultures meet.

Today has been a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and temps rising from the 30`s into the 70`s.  Really, only photos can tell this ride story:  few cars, 8 mi. of quaint cobblestones, 18 switchbacks, and lots of historic engineering scattered amidst mountain grandeur.  (Note: see Chris`s blog referenced earlier--his photos are consistently better than mine!).  We rode to the top in small groups, just loving the day and taking in the sights.  At the top, a Swiss man was grilling bratwurst to classical music under the statue of Saint Gotthard, offering it to us and the many sight-seers for $2 a dog.  The sun shone and we relaxed with a picnic lunch before taking a short side trip to a special viewpoint.  The descent was fast, dry, and a bit shaky until we could leave the cobblestones and rejoin the new road into Andermatt.  Tomorrow we leave for our toughest climbs and a new town.