Runda Curnera – Grisons' Road cycling Menu

The Oberalp Pass: a Graubünden classic like Capuns and Salsiz. The serpentines in front of the pass are built for racing bike dreams, the climb to Lai da Curnera is an insider tip. Concentration is required on the rapid descent to Disentis.

The tour starts in Disentis (1129 m above sea level), whose townscape is characterized by the imposing Benedictine monastery. From here you tackle the east ramp of the Oberalp Pass, a real classic of the Swiss Alpine passes. The incline starts slowly and allows the legs to get moving. Only after Sedrun (1406 m above sea level) does the first of the steep ramps, which are characteristic of the Alps, await. Now the road meanders into the valley, with the Vorderrhein always on the left. After passing through the picturesque pass village of Tschamut (1643 m above sea level) there are serpentines in a class of their own. The bends let the last meters of altitude to the Oberalp Pass (2046 m above sea level) melt effortlessly. At the top of the pass stands the only lighthouse in the Alps, which here marks the source of the Rhine as a tribute to the mouth of the Rhine in Rotterdam.

The serpentines you have just climbed are a little more fun going down, but you shouldn't miss it, stop for a moment and admire the panorama. In a curve you turn left into a small road (1830 m above sea level). Not far after that you pass a barrier that is not an obstacle for racing cyclists, but keeps unwanted motorized traffic away. The following ascent to Lai da Curnera is an insider tip. It's short, but one to enjoy. The dam wall at Lai da Curnera (1958 m above sea level) invites you to linger and the surrounding three-thousanders allow you to fully immerse yourself in the high alpine ambience. The descent back to Disentis is quick and requires concentration. But be careful: with a headwind, it can cost you a few beads of sweat even downhill.