Route 11 · Switzerland

Susten Pass

An engineered pass road between Innertkirchen in the Bernese Oberland and Wassen in Uri, crossing the pass through a short tunnel at 2,224 m.

StartFinishHairpin

45.7 kmLength

336Pace-note calls

18Hairpins

26Tight corners (1–2)

↑1,640 ↓1,360Climb and drop, m

≈2,290 mHighest point

Counts are from Turini’s pace-note engine on this route. Heights come from terrain data and can differ from signposted figures by a few tens of metres.

Where is the Susten Pass?

The Susten Pass is in Switzerland, on route 11. The route on this page: Innertkirchen to Wassen, through the summit tunnel at 2,224 m, 45.7 km.

Why the Susten Pass is famous

It was built as a motor road and officially opened in 1946, with 26 bridges and tunnels along its length. The climb is 27 km from Innertkirchen and 17.7 km from Wassen.

Susten Pass hairpins

Over 45.7 km Turini calls 18 hairpins, 1 square corner and 265 corners graded 1 to 6, plus 1 crest and 2 dips. That is 336 calls in all, one every 136 metres on average. Grade 1 is the tightest, 6 is nearly straight (how to read pace notes).

HP18

222

375

459

560

645

Susten Pass elevation profile

From 633 m at the start to 916 m at the finish, with a highest point of about 2,290 m. Red marks are the hairpins.

2,300 m600 m

0 km22.9 km45.7 km

Susten Pass pace notes, first few km

The first 25 calls, exactly as Turini reads them, with the distance from the start.

10 mLeft 1

29 mLevel crossing

100 mRight 3

325 mRight 2

390 mLeft 2 tightens

490 mLeft 3

600 mRight 4

655 mLeft 1 long

745 mRight 2 very long tightens

1.10 kmLeft 4

1.16 kmRight 2

1.26 kmRight 4

1.36 kmHairpin left

1.65 kmDip

1.66 kmBridge

1.68 kmRight 2

1.79 kmLeft 3

1.99 kmLeft 5

2.15 kmRight 2 opens

2.25 kmRight 5

2.27 kmTunnel

2.34 kmLeft 4

2.45 kmRight 5

2.50 kmLeft 5

2.60 kmRight 6

That takes you to 2.60 km. 311 more calls follow over the remaining 43.1 km.

Before you drive the Susten Pass

Closed in winter. It usually opens in early summer and closes in autumn, depending on snow.

There is parking at both ends of the summit tunnel. Summer weekends are busy with motorcyclists.

How to drive the Susten Pass with Turini

Set the route before you leave and Turini saves its notes on the phone, so it works with the screen off and no signal. On the road it reads each call about 4.5 seconds before the corner, timed to your speed, and you never touch the phone. It also works through Android Auto. If pace notes are new to you, start in Simple mode (Easy, Medium, Hard) and switch to the 1–6 scale once it feels natural.

Always drive within the law, the conditions and what you can see. Turini tells you what the map says; the road is what counts.

More roads like the Susten Pass

Grimsel PassSwitzerland38.2 km · 227 calls · 23 hairpins

Furka PassSwitzerland22.9 km · 185 calls · 24 hairpins

Gotthard Pass via the TremolaSwitzerland13.6 km · 109 calls · 38 hairpins

Best driving roads in the Alps · Best driving roads in Europe · Best driving roads in Switzerland · All famous roads · How to read pace notes

Sources: Wikipedia: Susten Pass.

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