Швейцариядағы Гримсель өткелі

Mountain pass in Switzerland through the Bernese Alps

The Grimsel Pass (Grimselpass; ; ) is a mountain pass in Switzerland, crossing the Bernese Alps at an elevation of The pass connects the Haslital, the upper valley of the river Aare, with the upper valley of the Rhône. In so doing, and as the Aare is a tributary of the Rhine, the pass crosses the continental divide between the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. A paved road follows the pass, running from Gletsch to Meiringen. The road is normally closed between October and May, due to the high snowfall on the pass. As it is the only direct road pass between the cantons of Bern and Valais across the Bernese Alps, attempts are made to keep the road open as long as possible with snow ploughs. A PostBus Switzerland service uses the pass several times a day, connecting Meiringen and Oberwald. The Grimsel Pass road is part of the Aare Route, which is national cycle route 8 of Switzerland. It has been used on several occasions by the Tour de Suisse. In 1400, the hospice on the pass is mentioned for the first time. The Grimsel Pass formed, along with the Nufenen and Gries passes, a regional trade route between the Haslital and Domodossola and the Lombardy plain. Cheese and cattle were sent south, whilst wine, rice, corn and olive oil came north. This trade continued until the opening of the Gotthard railway in 1882.

The Grimsel Pass connects the cantons of Bern, to the north, and Valais, to the south, with the summit of the pass lying on the cantonal boundary. The northern slopes of the pass are in the Bernese municipality of Guttannen, whilst the southern slopes are within the Valais municipality of Obergoms. At the summit are several hotels and an extensive area of parking. Here the road runs alongside the Totesee , a natural lake that has been enlarged into a reservoir. To the west of the pass and lake is the peak of the Sidelhorn , whilst to the east is the mountain range Schafberg .