Splugen Pass

[shaggy]

Hi all just arrived back 10 days ago from a memorable trip to Italy. On the return trip we decided we wanted to go over the Alps rather than through them, and let the Tom Tom plot the route (first mistake). After wild camping on a lake on the Italian side of the alps we decided to follow the Tom Tom route which took us via the Splugen Pass. Whilst happily travelling along taking in the scenery I completely missed a sign indicating a height restriction of 2.30 meters on the route ahead. The road got progressively steeper (well we were going up the mountains) and progressively narrower ( I don't mind a challenge) with the hairpins getting sharper and steeper with only a one foot wall between us and oblivion, at which point the other half whilst having palpitations decided it was all too much and disappeared into,the back of the van. After what seemed like hours we came around this hairpin to be confronted with a dark and narrow small tunnel with a sign displaying a height restriction of 2.30m (we are 2.90m tall). I stopped and just starred into the entrance for what seemed like minutes, with the thoughts of having to reverse all the way down the mountain going through my head and with the other half now displaying sheer panick.

I then asked my 18year old son to get out and walk ahead of the van to check clearance as we edged our way slowly into the one car wide tunnel watching for any large rocks which may have been protruding in the darkness, thankfully the road was not very busy and slowly we made it through.

There then followed several more similar tunnels which we negotiated before reaching the top.

We then found out that this was the old road and had I been paying more attention most of the traffic uses a much wider new road which was clearly signposted.

The moral of the story plot your route and don't just follow the Tom Tom , and keep you eyes open for warning signs.

I wonder if anyone else has made the same mistake?

 

Gavin

[rupert123]

Yes, we followed another van over and although I found the pass an easy one to drive, have been over a lot worse, the tunnel is a show stopper. Not sure what I would have done here but the van in front did same as you, wife jumped out and away they went so we did the same.

[maggyd]

8-) That sounds heart stopping no wonder your poor wife went into the back!! TomTom can be a b*gger we were caught unawares as well and quite shocked this last holiday to find when we thought "dont like this site there is one just up the road that looks better " what we didnt know that just up the road was taking us over the Fukka pass in Switzeland (lol) NO tunnels thankfully and the views are breathtaking, there is quite a few hairpins where we met trip buses coming to-wards us and the site we were going to we had to climb a very hairy 3.500 mts to lovely though. :-D

 

 

[laimeduck]

We stayed the night in the Splugen ACSI site which was very pleasant - friendly & good facilities then went over the Splugen Pass in June going south from Switzerland to Italy. A bit tight for us at 7.3 metres on some of the hairpins, but a great drive! Beleive it or not there were 2 guys at the Italian customs point!

 

Going north to south the tunnel is well marked so we came down the newer bit of road which is straightforward. We stopped by the lake near the tunnels in the slopes above & wondered who on earth decided to put a road up there? It must have taken years & years to build and the route of the newer bit was so much easier. Baffling, but then........ it was the Italians who built it. :D