Passo del San Gottardo

Information

Date:	14 May 2022
Maximum height:	2107 m
Difference in height:	590 m
Length:	13 km
Kilometers effort:	20.8 kmef
Duration:	4 hours and 30 minutes

Difficulties (Automatic translation in english)

	The road sections.
	The trail sections.

Comment (Automatic translation in english)

Due to the severe lack of snow, the Tremola road is already easily passable this year. Since the Gotthard Pass is still closed to cars, we decide to reach it on foot.
We start at Motto Bartola where parking spaces are limited and most of those present are reserved for the nearby military barracks. In order to save a few kilometres, we do not take the Tremola road immediately, but climb up the path to Motto di Dentro. We then continue to an altitude of 1687 metres, where we finally reach the Tremola. At that point we walk along it for about 500 metres until we reach two stone bridges, after which we begin to admire the famous hairpin bends that have made this road famous. We climb them all and, having passed 2000 metres, we also encounter some marmots enjoying the spring sunshine without fear of us.
After a final stretch, we finally reach the Gotthard Pass, which seems unrecognisable without the usual traffic of cars and people. We are in fact almost the only people there and the tranquillity is impressive.
We then head over the Piazza Lake to the exact spot where the pass is located (2107 metres), after which we turn back and climb up to see the monument to General Suvorov, which I had never seen up close.
After the lunch break, we start to descend, this time following the path so as to avoid numerous hairpin bends and save about 2 km.
We finally return to Motto Bartola from where our excursion started.

Water (Automatic translation in english)

There is a cow pond, at an altitude of 1880 metres, which has already been put into operation although there are no grazing animals yet. There are also several streams along the way.