TDE2022’s last day has come. Two weeks and an epic trans-European TWIKE adventure…is going to end today. Best to make the most of this day!
The hotel I chose and the simple room I got was a perfect choice: I slept like a baby. I get up early, as every day and am, as with every hotel I’ve stayed this year, the first to have breakfast.
The place is just incredible – it feels like the 70’s … everything is as it was 50 years ago, except for the WiFi one could, theoretically, connect to. All mobile phone providers have rather bad coverage here…except for older RAT’s which are, due to the lower frequencies (EGSM900 and utran-8) acceptable for calls. eutran-20 is available, but at very low field strengths…but I digress.
Breakfast was fully locally sourced and very tasty. I got to speak to the owners once more and was impressed by the conviction with which they were keeping this place afloat against all odds.
An hour later I was on the road again and started climbing toward the Simplon pass. The name of the region ‘Zwischbergen’ (between mountains) is apt and fully correct. The road snakes along a very narrow valley for many kilometres.
Just a few km later I arrive at the pass, which is just 5 metres above TW560′ bucket list abitrary cutoff of 2000m!
From here, as during my last stage from Vars, I need to be very careful on my way down to the Valais valley – only with a very low speed and no high currents I’m able to get all the energy back into the batteries.
Having arrived, I’m back to enjoying cruise-controlled driving up the valley. Temperatures are perfect and the traffic is much less than anticipated for a Saturday in Summer.
With 0°C at 5000m+ it is unsurprising that all passes are open and viable.
Instead of driving across the Furka pass (…again) I decide to see how the Nufenen pass (after driving across it in the opposite direction just a month ago) looks like from the Valais side.
And I’m not disappointed! Perfect driving conditions and eerily traffic-free.
This is another day with infinite visibility. The views are like 8k – maximum sharpness and detail.
At the pass there are the usual motorbikes, but all of them are parked and not driving – I take some pictures and head down toward Canton Ticino. My plan is to arrive at Airolo, then take the motorway back home.
Beautiful views with a TWIKE are always worth a pic!
On my way back down the Nufenen on the Italian Swiss side I stop at a farm that specializes in catering to travellers…
I order the only thing that makes sense here: Pizzocheri – at 18 CHF without anything I’m reminded that I’m back in Switzerland but can confirm that the quality is exquisite and it was well worth the price.
I’m not surprised when I’m in Airolo that the entry to the motorway has been closed – it’s the last weekend before work and school starts again in Switzerland and there is a 20km long traffic jam waiting to go through the tunnel.
This doesn’t bother me too much… I really like the old pass road over the Gotthard pass (except for the fact that most of it is cobblestone and my 8+ bar pumped tyres are rock hard and my suspension is as direct) It will be 12 km of testing if all screws and bolts on my TWIKE are tightly screwed-on.
Up we go!
Very soon I’m taking things very slowly. The road itself is following a very unusual pattern: many, many hairpin bends – very different to modern pass roads – see below.
The road is taking a very different route to the normal pass road and is steeper than the normal road – at least there is virtually no traffic here.
The old road leads me to the old pass sign which I hadn’t discovered until now.
Time for a pic!
The rest of the drive will be 100% motorway.
At a service station in Affoltern am Albis I decide it’s time to check on an artefact of early electric mobility whilst buying some liquid energy – the former TeXX charging station.
It used to be part of an initiative to enable EV’s to charge at 22kW whilst crossing Switzerland.
Costing a fortune and with added difficulties to get the corresponding key, unsurprisingly, this initiative was doomed and abandoned after a few years. What I liked about them was the fact that they were barrier-free and accessible with normal plugs – from 3.7kW all the way up to 22kW with all relevant RCD’s user-accessible.
The charging stations themselves still exist – no sign or information is left, just the charging stations infrastructure. I was interested in checking-in on them and seeing if they were still operational.
The new, expensive quick-charging station has been in operation since 4 years. It still looks new.
The same is true for the ‘normal’ 15-year old -charging station just beside it – it still fully operational!
Another 45 mins later I arrive back home – 3056 km later. Zero energy costs and lots of very nice experiences later!
What a trip this has been – yet again!
Let’s see how the tyres have faired during this trip. Minimal abrasion. All is nominal.
The last thing to do today is check the stats and calculate the totals – 3056 km and 124kWh used to travel to Spain and back.
Thanks for following this blog – don’t forget that the comment functionality is back. I love to hear back from readers and am very happy to answer questions.
This will be the last long-distance trip this year. My usual trip to Styria will not take place (missing the white wine already). Maybe there will be another One-Day-Trip but nothing is planned for the moment.
Stay safe and TWIKE on!
