Sustenpass, CH

The Susten Pass connects the Bernese Oberland with the canton of Uri, from the Hasli valley at Innertkirchen up to the summit tunnel at 2,224 metres and down to Wassen in the Meiental. The road was built between 1938 and 1945 purely as a tourist road, and that is exactly how it rides: even, wide, with glacier views. Many consider the western ramp one of the most beautiful climbs in the Alps.

The Susten at a glance

From Innertkirchen it is 27.7 kilometres and 1,628 metres of climbing, 5.7 percent on average, up to nine percent at the steepest. Hors catégorie, not because of the gradient but because of the sheer length. The road does not cross the pass over the top but through a 325-metre summit tunnel at 2,224 metres. The actual pass height sits a little above it at 2,259 metres.

The climb from Innertkirchen

The western ramp takes its time. The first kilometres out of the Hasli valley roll up the Gadmertal at three to six percent, through Gadmen and Nessental, with regular short breathers. From around kilometre 14 it gets serious: the road settles at seven to nine percent and holds it through the big hairpins below the Stein Glacier.

The final kilometres are the steepest and the most beautiful at the same time. The Stein Glacier and the Steinsee to your left, waterfalls and short rock tunnels around you, while the road climbs steadily towards the summit tunnel. Roll through the tunnel and you are on the Uri side above the Meiental, facing the long descent to Wassen.

History

A first Susten road was completed around 1817 as an upgraded mule track. Today’s road was built between 1938 and 1945 and opened in 1946, generously engineered and designed for tourism from day one. Unlike the Gotthard or the Grimsel, the Susten never carried major transit traffic, and you can feel that to this day, in the best way.

In racing, the Susten is a moody host. The Tour de Suisse plans it regularly, but the high mountains do not always cooperate: in 2019 the queen stage had to be completely rebuilt because of avalanche danger on the Susten, and in 2021 snow and rockfall blocked the crossing again. A pass that can still be winter in June.

Practical tips

The season runs roughly from June to mid-October, and the Susten has one of the longest winter closures of the Swiss passes. Food and water in Gadmen and at the Steingletscher mountain hotel just below the top. On fine weekends the road is popular with motorbikes, so an early start pays off. If you are after something big, add the Grimsel and the Furka: the loop of the three passes from Innertkirchen or Andermatt is a classic with three summits above 2,000 metres.

How does the Susten compare?

In the trio with the Grimsel and the Furka, the Susten is the elegant one. The Grimsel is more massive, the Furka rougher, the Susten rides the smoothest: even gradients, perfect corner radii, and with the Stein Glacier and the Steinsee perhaps the best scenery of the three. As a single climb it is long, but never brutal.

The Susten ranks among the top 50 of our 100 climbs. It is on the 100 Climbs posters, and the more compact 50 Climbs edition carries it too.

When is the Susten Pass open?

Usually from early June to mid-October, depending on snow. The Susten has one of the longest winter closures of the Swiss alpine passes, and in some years there is still snow at the top in June.

How hard is the climb from Innertkirchen?

27.7 kilometres with 1,628 metres of climbing at an average of 5.7 percent. The gradient almost never exceeds nine percent, it just refuses to stop. The profile is easy to pace: a relaxed start in the valley, then a consistently steep final section from kilometre 14.

Does the road cross the actual pass?

No. The Susten road passes under the summit through a 325-metre tunnel at 2,224 metres. The true pass height at 2,259 metres is a few minutes on foot from the tunnel portal.