Category: Mountain Passes and Tunnels

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The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December

The Italian side of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. Photo: The-Ski-Guru

If you are planning to cross the Mont Blanc Tunnel, now it is closed till 16th December. This is part of a yearly plan to work on the tunnel’s maintenance. This year they will be completing the reconstruction of two portions of the tunnel vault of 300 meters each. This is one of the first major European tunnels undertaking deep renovations structural works.

This makes the tunnel being closed from 2nd September at 5 PM till Monday 16th December at 5 PM, just before the Christmas traffic.

It is estimated that most of the heavy traffic will go through the Frèjus tunnel on the A43 motorway, and then going into Torino.

Driving towards Martigny - Photo. The-Ski-Guru. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December
Driving towards Martigny – Photo. The-Ski-Guru. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will be closed till 16th December

If you are driving by car, you have some options. Until the snowstorms come, you can go through the Petit St Bernard Pass up from Bourg-Saint-Maurice into La Rosière to La Thuille, or take the Grand St Bernard Pass, up from Martigny in Switzerland. You can go to Martigny, if coming from France, driving to the end of the Chamonix Valley into the Col des Montets down to Martigny.

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Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.

Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
On our recent trip to our home in Morgex, we have to use the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel, instead of the Mont Blanc Tunnel. This is because the latter has closed for repairments. It will be doing so for many more years to come. The Mont Blanc Tunnel will open in the night of 18th December 2023, in time for Christmas.
Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
Grand St Bernard Tunnel, another option into the Aosta Valley. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. Using the Grand St Bernard Tunnel as the Mont Blanc Tunnel is closed till 18th December.
Coming from Britain, the way to come into the Aosta Valley is then via the Grand Saint Bernard Tunnel. That implies driving through Switzerland.
Martina Diez-Routh with her painting of the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado. Soft Pastels on paper, 60 x 80 cm (24"x31") You can check it out in the shop here.
Martina Diez-Routh with her painting of the Maroon Bells in Aspen, Colorado. Soft Pastels on paper, 60 x 80 cm (24″x31″) You can check it out in the shop here.
It has some pros and cons.
 

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The Mille Miglia is coming to the Alps- Coppa delle Alpi

The Mille Miglia is coming to the Alps- Coppa delle Alpi. Photo: Coppa delle Alpi.

The Mille Miglia is coming to the Alps- Coppa delle Alpi.

The organisers of the Mille Miglia in Italy have announced that the Coppa delle Alpi will take place across 15 of the most spectacular Alpine passes in Italy, Switzerland, Austria and Germany in early December.

The Mille Miglia is coming to the Alps- Coppa delle Alpi.
The Mille Miglia is coming to the Alps- Coppa delle Alpi.

The 2019 edition of the Coppa delle Alpi by 1000 Miglia, the first winter regularity race for vintage cars organised by 1000 Miglia S.r.l., will take place from 4th to 7th December.

The competition, officially included in the Italian Great Events Championship, will consist of four legs through some of the most evocative mountain locations in Italy, Austria, Germany and Switzerland.

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Opening of the Stelvio Glacier-Stelvio Pass- Passo dello Stelvio

Opening of the Stelvio Pass - Passo dello Stelvio.

Opening of the Stevio Glacier-Stelvio Pass. Passo dello Stelvio

LIFTING PLANTS OF THE STELVIO GLACIER (2760 meters – 3450 meters)

From Friday 7 June open facilities from 7 am to 12 am

STREET INFORMATION:

From Thursday 6 June open from 06.00 to 12.00 (reduced time due to avalanche danger) the Stelvio Road on the Bormio side (Bagni Vecchi) – Quarta Cantoniera

Timelapse on Passo dello Stelvio. Photo: Samuele Errico Piccarini- Unsplash. OPENING THE STELVIO GLACIER. Passo dello Stelvio
Timelapse on Passo dello Stelvio. Photo: Samuele Errico Piccarini- Unsplash. OPENING THE STELVIO GLACIER. Passo dello Stelvio


From Thursday, June 6, open from 14.00 from Switzerland, the Umbrail road. 

From Thursday 6 June open all the time the Quarta Cantoniera Road – Passo dello Stelvio. 

The Bolzano side road remains CLOSED until further notice.

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The Gran San Bernardo pass has reopened

The Gran San Bernardo pass has reopened. Photo: AostaSera

The Gran San Bernardo pass has reopened

From AostaSera

Today the Gran San Bernardo Pass has reopened to the public. The pass, at 2,450 meters links Valais in Switzerland to the Aosta Valley in Italy. Lots of people came to the open ceremony. The opening works started by Anas personnel in April. Snow has accumulated on the sides of State Road 27 up to 12 meters of height.

The Gran San Bernardo pass has reopened. Photo: AostaSera.
The Gran San Bernardo pass has reopened. Photo: AostaSera.

Anas personnel started opening a gap in the snow reaching a stretch about 4 km from the state border. As the road was cleaned, the side barriers and vertical signs were also restored, removed before closing and stored to avoid damage due to possible avalanches.

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A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland

Nufenen pass on a cloudy and foggy day. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland

A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.

I like having our summer holidays, whenever possible, near the mountains. And each trip, we need to try a new mountain pass. That is part of the adventure!

A couple of years ago, the idea was to stop by at Interlaken, on our way back from Lago di Como. Looking online, the best way to go was via the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and the Grimsel Pass. The Grimsel Pass is very well known by everyone I’ve asked about, but the Nufenenpass, not so much. Some friends of us that have a house in Moltrasio, and whom their father lives in Lago di Como and knows ‘all the mountain passes’, have not heard of the Nufenenpass, but we’ve checked it out online and he suggested me that it should be fine as it was paved.

The view towards Valais from the top rifugio of the Nufenenpass. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.
The view towards Valais from the top rifugio of the Nufenenpass. Photo: The-Ski-Guru. A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.

Looking in Google Maps, the pass seemed pretty wide enough for two cars – which was what I wanted to see, but I did not see too much of a guardrail on the side. Another option was to go towards Airolo and then Andermatt and take either the St Gotthard Tunnel, or the St Gothard pass. The St Gothard Tunnel was not an option, as this was a Saturday, where you can be stuck for hours. On our way from Engelberg to Lago di Como, we did the St Gothard Pass, which was very nice. It is very busy too, but at least the traffic goes through.

Panorama of Nufenenpass on a nice day. Photo: Alexander Hoernigk. A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.
Panorama of Nufenenpass on a nice day. Photo: Alexander Hoernigk. A drive through the Nufenenpass (Passo della Novena) and Grimsel Pass in Switzerland.

Going back this way, we should have taken afterwards the Furkapass, which is a very renown way to go – mostly for bikers and cyclists alike!

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South Tyrolean passes with 12 meters of snow

Passo del Rombo, Timmelsjoch, Sudtirol. South Tyrolean passes with 12 meters of snow.

South Tyrolean passes with 12 meters of snow

The clearing work is continuing ahead of the summer opening

From AltoAdige.it

The exceptional snowfall, even out of season, forced us to postpone the opening of the main passes in Alto Adige, after a particularly rainy winter. These days the clearing crew is working on the Rombo Pass, on the border with Austria, on the Stelvio Pass, Passo Stalle and Passo Pennes. The snow is able to form walls of 10-12 meters. On the Rombo pass, at an altitude of 2,500 meters, the snow mass accumulated by wind and landslides reached a height of 21 meters.

Timmelsjoch- Passo del Rombo, Sudtirol. South Tyrolean passes with 12 meters of snow.
Timmelsjoch- Passo del Rombo, Sudtirol. South Tyrolean passes with 12 meters of snow.

“Every year mountains of snow are removed. Our road service does its utmost to prepare our mountain roads for the summer season. It is a difficult job but also dangerous because of the risk of avalanches,” stresses councillor Daniel Alfreider . The experts are however confident of opening the passage to transit by the end of May, at the latest in the first days of June.

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Our Route des Grandes Alpes to cross from France into Italy

A stop for lunch at Notre Dame de Bellecombe. Our Route des Grandes Alpes to cross from France into Italy.

Our Route des Grandes Alpes to cross from France into Italy

This past summer we went to have a holiday in the mountains. From Chamonix we were off onto Courmayeur. But it was a Saturday – what is considered here in the mountains as a Samedi Noir or Sabato Nero, meaning very long queues to cross the Mont Blanc Tunnel.

This past summer was ridiculously hot – even in the mountains – with the temperature being 31 C in Chamonix in the morning – imagine staying a couple of hours in line to cross the Mont Blanc Tunnel did not seem too much fun at the time.

How adventures start - with a good map. The IGN Route des Grandes Alpes. Our Route des Grandes Alpes to cross from France into Italy.
How adventures start – with a good map. The IGN Route des Grandes Alpes. Our Route des Grandes Alpes to cross from France into Italy.

I’ve asked the evening before some friends I have in Chamonix on how other way we could go – and how about taking the Petit St Bernard Pass. Arnaud Jamson, the deputy director of the Chamonix Tourism Office suggested me to go all around and stop in Megève for lunch, then go to the Lac du Roselend and from there go up to La Rosière to cross into La Thuile through the Petit St Bernard. This is a typical road for motorcyclists and bikers alike – many of these roads have been used by the Tour de France!

As I have a memory of a mosquito, I’ve asked at the hotel’s reception where I could get a good map, and I was told to go into the main street in Chamonix. There is a wonderful books and magazine store – that I could stayed for hours just looking around, where I bought the IGN Map of Route des Grandes Alpes. I love maps and this one was a great addition to my collection.

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A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

Via Alpina. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

The passes of the Via Alpina

The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine passes and six cantons of Switzerland, with a great variety of cultures, geology and topography. Broad roads give way to exposed ridge paths. The variety of flora and fauna along the route is among the most diverse in the world.

The Via Alpina goes from Vaduz to Montreux in 20 stages, staying north of the Swiss Alps. Over 390 km, hikers enjoy the many highlights that Switzerland has to offer.

Vertical drops from the Via Alpina trek. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.
Vertical drops from the Via Alpina trek. A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

While the sections initially pass through relatively flat terrain in St. Gallen, the altitude being climbed increases quite steadily in the Glarnerland. When it comes to that Alpine feeling, the highlight of the route can be found in the Bernese Alps.

Day by day, hikers work their way through majestic mountain landscapes, with each pass crossed opening up a new world. This trail covers a total of 14 passes in six cantons and involves 23’600 m of ascent and 24’800 m of descent.

A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.
A Hike for your Bucket List: The Via Alpina crosses 14 of the most beautiful Alpine Passes in Switzerland.

The route takes hikers to the secluded Surenen Pass, the famous Grindelwald, the Kleine Scheidegg pass with views of the Eiger, Mönch und Jungfrau mountains, the well-visited Blüemlisalp hut, perhaps one of Switzerland’s most beautiful lakes in Lake Oeschinen, the enchanting Bunderchrinde Pass and the sleepy Rochers de Naye mountains with unique views of Lake Geneva, to name but a few highlights.

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Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Ski Map of La Rosière and La Thuile.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow.

From AostaSera.it

LA THUILE – The abundant snowfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters above sea level, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the snow accumulations reach 7 meters in height. The reopening of the pass is scheduled for the end of May.

Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera
Work is underway to open the Petit St Bernard Pass – up to 7 meters of snow. Photo: AostaSera

ANAS is at work at the Colle del piccolo San Bernardo (Petit St Bernard’s pass) for its reopening. The abundant rainfall on the Piccolo San Bernardo hill, at 2,200 meters, has led to the formation of a thick layer of snow along the highway that leads to the border crossing with the territory of Savoy, in France. In some sections the accumulations reach 7 meters in height.

“The activities are carried out with turbine blades able to cut the compact front, collecting and channelling the snow which is then ejected at a distance of several meters from the roadway using the ejector pipes”.

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