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We both arose after a good night’s sleep at Socio on Lake Maggiore knowing that we were setting of for a different country after spending almost two weeks in Italy. The drive to Switzerland was going to be via the Simplon Pass. This was the one section of the whole road trip that should stand out due to its elevation through the Alps as most of the previous mountainous stretches have been via lengthy tunnels with heafty tolls attached. We we were advised that this road was worth the effort if we had the time to take it in. Options for a reduced journey time were via the Lotschberg Tunnel (14.6km) but we committed to the more scenic route right from the off.
The weather predictions were for rain and thunder so we were expecting a challenging drive. My concerns were that it would be raining with fog & cloud that would potentially spoil the journey for the duration. This proved not to be that case. We had heavy rain during a paticularly bad stretch of road as we moved towards the Italian / Swiss boarder, but after that we found ourselves climbing above the clouds.
The new engine in my van has been performing impeccably since it was installed last year. The reconditioned gearbox was really smooth also. However, I did find myself trying to shift up from third to fourth, only to have to drop it back down again. It liked third at 3x1000rpm and seemed to want to pull into fourth, but time and again after the shift I had to drop down. All seemed a little odd, but this made sense when we got out for a photo session. The steepness of the incline wasn’t immediately obvious when in the drivers / passenger seat. It was ridiculously steep!
I had been advised that opening the windows and putting the fan on full blast whilst having the heater on hot would also help to keep the engine temperature down. I kept an eye on the temp gauge and saw it raise well above the norm as we climbed, but how much this heater action helped is not 100% clear as I’m sure the electric fan would have helped to maintain a safe working temperature.
We approached another vantage point at the very top of the Simplon Pass, and a good photo opportunity. The Simplon Pass Hotel and Restaurant was most likely the point at which you stop elevating, and start to defend. I stepped out of the van to be hit with a massive drop in temperature. Not surprising as there was snow all around, but the shock of the heat from the heater, and the cold air was a stark reminder of the difference in altitude from sea level to the upper alpine regions. This was made worse by the fact I was still only wearing my flip flops, vest and short. We had a small coffee at the Simplon Pass Hotel and Restaurant (€10 eek!). We knew prices would rise in Switzerland but this was a reality Check! Fortunately we stocked up with food at Lidl as we left italy, so we should reduce the cost if we manage to resist the temptation to go to coffee shops and restaurants in the land that has “prices as high as the mountains”. This is a quite apt quote from a friend that lives in Switzerland who we met in Wales a couple of years ago. Suffice to say we still stay in touch!
Our destination at Camping Jungfrau was mid to late morning on 7th June 2018. This was another destination that we were really looking forward to based on social media posts from friends that had been before.