Theodulpass
Description
The route starts in the village of Châtillon, where you warm up with a climb up a small road to Isseuries. From here you head into Valtournenche. A short stretch on the main road follows until a gravel path on the left rides to the village of Grand-Moulin. Continue unabated on routes parallel to the main road as far as Buisson, where you board the gondola to Chamois. A wonderfully fun trail now leads downhill to Valtournenche, where the next cable car comes into operation shortly afterwards. The Salette cable car rides up to the high plateau, from where you reach the route of a former ice rink a little later. Now follow this almost flat path until you reach the freeride route above Cervinia. Follow this down to the valley station of the cable car and take the lift up to Cime Bianche. This is the starting point of the steep ascent on gravel slopes to the Theodul Pass. For the descent, you switch to Swiss soil and initially follow the glacier ski slope to Trockener Steg. The following downhill trail in the face of the Matterhorn is first-class but technical. You pass the Furggbach stream and head down to Furi on a narrow path. On the last stretch to the center of Zermatt, you follow the Moos Trail, which was specially built for mountain bikers.
The route is not yet complete; the Europaweg is the final, spectacular section. You can take the gondola up to the Unterrothorn and enjoy a highlight right at the start with the descent through the Tufterchumme. A little above the Tufterenalp, you reach the Europaweg trail, which you follow northwards to the Täscheralp. Here the route continues on the other side of the valley, and after a few crisp hairpin bends you reach the military trail, which branches off to the left and rides to Täsch. It is quite challenging, especially in the upper section, but then becomes increasingly flowy and fun. Finally, you reach the valley floor at Täsch, from where you ride along the marked mountain bike route to Visp. Although this is a little boring as far as St. Niklaus, as it primarily leads along small roads, it then becomes really attractive again and singletrail-heavy all the way down to Visp.
Tip: The Theodulhütte is a good place to spend the night!
Note: The tour is logistically complex because the ride from Visp back to Châtillon is possible by public transport, but takes a long time. Ideally, you should incorporate this route into a longer multi-day tour or use it for the return journey home from your Aosta vacation.
Details of the tour
93 km
2090 m
5630 m
455 above sea level
3297 above sea level
2 days
Châtillon
Visp
1734
well suited
More information
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User comments (5)
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
Does anyone know whether the glacier passage is currently passable?
I rode the Theodul Pass on August 24, 2023, from Cervinia towards Zermatt. The ascent on the Italian side is easy. The crossing onto the glacier is a bit tricky. You have to carry the bike down about 50 meters of loose scree interspersed with large, unstable boulders. I shouldered the bike and needed a hand to support myself from time to time. Good shoes are highly recommended, it can be difficult with racing shoes. It's best to head straight down to the glacier at the top of the pass. Higher up, the glacier is closer, but steeper, and without crampons it gets very slippery when there is no more snow.
There was no ski slope (the old ski lift was dismantled), but simply a pressed slope on which off-road vehicles can also be ridden. You should check the condition of this beforehand (e.g. via temperature history), depending on the temperature it can be very slippery or too soft.
Did the Theodulpass from Zermatt on Friday, September 16. The passage has become difficult due to the receding glacier. From Trockener Steg it is better to change directly to the glacier (old lift route) as the path after the Gandegghütte requires a descent of approx. 50 m onto the glacier. The ascent to the Theodulpass is also only possible through boulder scree terrain. Only tackle in good weather and with appropriate equipment.
Has anyone been to the Theodul Pass this year and down the glacier piste? What is the condition like? We want to ride in mid-September and are worried that it might not be rideable due to the heat. What alternative is there - especially if you are already at the top of the pass and then realize that the glacier is not passable?
The year before last (2019), we wanted to descend from the Theodulpass to Trockener Steg in September, which was not possible due to the lack of a "piste", as written in the tour description. Climate change is probably making the descent in late summer/autumn history with a mild winter and balmy summer.