La Suisse à vélo
Three days, four cantons (Valais, Ticino, Uri, Bern), three languages, 5 paths ...
8 Route de l’Aar
Three days, four cantons (Valais, Ticino, Uri, Bern), three languages, 5 paths ...
Andermatt–Genève (-Mittelmeer)
... in less than 190km around Rhoneglatcher and Dammastock.
This trip is a very nice digest of Swiss culture in high places surrounded by high peaks, glaciers and fantastic landscapes.
This trip is a very nice digest of Swiss culture in high places surrounded by high peaks, glaciers and fantastic landscapes.
I did this trip with my road-bike. I must say, while beeing a senior, that I particularly like climbing pathes ... I have an Extrawheel trailer with two bags for around 14kg that allows me to have a minimum for the trip (foods, spare parts, medecines, clothes). I usually have nights at hotels, or bed and breakfeasts. Switherland have also these pleasant "Hospice" accomodations.
How funny to get 5 high pathes more at my log-book in less than 190kms, for 5500m ascent ! Moreover, a motivating objective for the 1st day was having the night at the Susten Pass Hospice (2224m alt).
1st day : camping at Ulrichen (Valais, speaking french). I took the way to Airolo at around 8AM, passing the Nufenenpass (2478m, 13km climbing, 1120m ascent). From Airolo (Ticino, speaking italian) climbing Ghotardo pass (2091m, 13km climbing, 932m ascent) using the mythic "via Tremola" paved road . Lunch at hospice, sunny wheater in september, lake ... ...Good time!
Then, downhill to Andermatt (Uri, speaking german) and Wassen back in the valley.
It was nearly 4PM when I began to climb the last 19kms to Sustenpass (2224m, 1300m ascent).
I finally joined the top and the hospice for a pleasant dinner and nice accomodation.
2nd day : sunny day, waking up and good breakfeast at 2200m among mountains and glaciers let's you begin the day in the best conditions ! Moreover, the way was beginning by biking down to Gadmen and Innertkirchen (Bern).
That's the place were begins the long and easy climbing to Grimselpass (2165m, 26km, 1540m ascent). A stay at Handegg to have lunch at a pleasant restaurant, nice views on a magnificent lake, and I reached the top in the afternoon to drink a fresh alpine beer at a bar terrace. Back to Gletsch and Ulrichen for the night.
3rd day morning : how possible to leave such a nice place without a climbing to Furka pass (2431m, 11km, 685m ascent) ? If you look at the map, Furka pass seats just at the center of this round trip. I had made the road by car before, but that time, I took time to have a quiet look at this pleasant area, joking at the eis-grotto near Rhone source. How many sharp bends for those high roads around Gletsch !
So, that's make 5 passes more (Nufenen, Gothardo, Susten, Grimsel and Furka), for 182 kms and 5580m ascent. And a lot of souvenirs !
Switherland is really a nice place for this kind of trip, and I could manage to have these days in good conditions in a relatively low budget. I hope to be soon back here, to visit other places in this pleasant country.
How funny to get 5 high pathes more at my log-book in less than 190kms, for 5500m ascent ! Moreover, a motivating objective for the 1st day was having the night at the Susten Pass Hospice (2224m alt).
1st day : camping at Ulrichen (Valais, speaking french). I took the way to Airolo at around 8AM, passing the Nufenenpass (2478m, 13km climbing, 1120m ascent). From Airolo (Ticino, speaking italian) climbing Ghotardo pass (2091m, 13km climbing, 932m ascent) using the mythic "via Tremola" paved road . Lunch at hospice, sunny wheater in september, lake ... ...Good time!
Then, downhill to Andermatt (Uri, speaking german) and Wassen back in the valley.
It was nearly 4PM when I began to climb the last 19kms to Sustenpass (2224m, 1300m ascent).
I finally joined the top and the hospice for a pleasant dinner and nice accomodation.
2nd day : sunny day, waking up and good breakfeast at 2200m among mountains and glaciers let's you begin the day in the best conditions ! Moreover, the way was beginning by biking down to Gadmen and Innertkirchen (Bern).
That's the place were begins the long and easy climbing to Grimselpass (2165m, 26km, 1540m ascent). A stay at Handegg to have lunch at a pleasant restaurant, nice views on a magnificent lake, and I reached the top in the afternoon to drink a fresh alpine beer at a bar terrace. Back to Gletsch and Ulrichen for the night.
3rd day morning : how possible to leave such a nice place without a climbing to Furka pass (2431m, 11km, 685m ascent) ? If you look at the map, Furka pass seats just at the center of this round trip. I had made the road by car before, but that time, I took time to have a quiet look at this pleasant area, joking at the eis-grotto near Rhone source. How many sharp bends for those high roads around Gletsch !
So, that's make 5 passes more (Nufenen, Gothardo, Susten, Grimsel and Furka), for 182 kms and 5580m ascent. And a lot of souvenirs !
Switherland is really a nice place for this kind of trip, and I could manage to have these days in good conditions in a relatively low budget. I hope to be soon back here, to visit other places in this pleasant country.
... in less than 190km around Rhoneglatcher and Dammastock.
This trip is a very nice digest of Swiss culture in high places surrounded by high peaks, glaciers and fantastic landscapes.
This trip is a very nice digest of Swiss culture in high places surrounded by high peaks, glaciers and fantastic landscapes.
I did this trip with my road-bike. I must say, while beeing a senior, that I particularly like climbing pathes ... I have an Extrawheel trailer with two bags for around 14kg that allows me to have a minimum for the trip (foods, spare parts, medecines, clothes). I usually have nights at hotels, or bed and breakfeasts. Switherland have also these pleasant "Hospice" accomodations.
How funny to get 5 high pathes more at my log-book in less than 190kms, for 5500m ascent ! Moreover, a motivating objective for the 1st day was having the night at the Susten Pass Hospice (2224m alt).
1st day : camping at Ulrichen (Valais, speaking french). I took the way to Airolo at around 8AM, passing the Nufenenpass (2478m, 13km climbing, 1120m ascent). From Airolo (Ticino, speaking italian) climbing Ghotardo pass (2091m, 13km climbing, 932m ascent) using the mythic "via Tremola" paved road . Lunch at hospice, sunny wheater in september, lake ... ...Good time!
Then, downhill to Andermatt (Uri, speaking german) and Wassen back in the valley.
It was nearly 4PM when I began to climb the last 19kms to Sustenpass (2224m, 1300m ascent).
I finally joined the top and the hospice for a pleasant dinner and nice accomodation.
2nd day : sunny day, waking up and good breakfeast at 2200m among mountains and glaciers let's you begin the day in the best conditions ! Moreover, the way was beginning by biking down to Gadmen and Innertkirchen (Bern).
That's the place were begins the long and easy climbing to Grimselpass (2165m, 26km, 1540m ascent). A stay at Handegg to have lunch at a pleasant restaurant, nice views on a magnificent lake, and I reached the top in the afternoon to drink a fresh alpine beer at a bar terrace. Back to Gletsch and Ulrichen for the night.
3rd day morning : how possible to leave such a nice place without a climbing to Furka pass (2431m, 11km, 685m ascent) ? If you look at the map, Furka pass seats just at the center of this round trip. I had made the road by car before, but that time, I took time to have a quiet look at this pleasant area, joking at the eis-grotto near Rhone source. How many sharp bends for those high roads around Gletsch !
So, that's make 5 passes more (Nufenen, Gothardo, Susten, Grimsel and Furka), for 182 kms and 5580m ascent. And a lot of souvenirs !
Switherland is really a nice place for this kind of trip, and I could manage to have these days in good conditions in a relatively low budget. I hope to be soon back here, to visit other places in this pleasant country.
How funny to get 5 high pathes more at my log-book in less than 190kms, for 5500m ascent ! Moreover, a motivating objective for the 1st day was having the night at the Susten Pass Hospice (2224m alt).
1st day : camping at Ulrichen (Valais, speaking french). I took the way to Airolo at around 8AM, passing the Nufenenpass (2478m, 13km climbing, 1120m ascent). From Airolo (Ticino, speaking italian) climbing Ghotardo pass (2091m, 13km climbing, 932m ascent) using the mythic "via Tremola" paved road . Lunch at hospice, sunny wheater in september, lake ... ...Good time!
Then, downhill to Andermatt (Uri, speaking german) and Wassen back in the valley.
It was nearly 4PM when I began to climb the last 19kms to Sustenpass (2224m, 1300m ascent).
I finally joined the top and the hospice for a pleasant dinner and nice accomodation.
2nd day : sunny day, waking up and good breakfeast at 2200m among mountains and glaciers let's you begin the day in the best conditions ! Moreover, the way was beginning by biking down to Gadmen and Innertkirchen (Bern).
That's the place were begins the long and easy climbing to Grimselpass (2165m, 26km, 1540m ascent). A stay at Handegg to have lunch at a pleasant restaurant, nice views on a magnificent lake, and I reached the top in the afternoon to drink a fresh alpine beer at a bar terrace. Back to Gletsch and Ulrichen for the night.
3rd day morning : how possible to leave such a nice place without a climbing to Furka pass (2431m, 11km, 685m ascent) ? If you look at the map, Furka pass seats just at the center of this round trip. I had made the road by car before, but that time, I took time to have a quiet look at this pleasant area, joking at the eis-grotto near Rhone source. How many sharp bends for those high roads around Gletsch !
So, that's make 5 passes more (Nufenen, Gothardo, Susten, Grimsel and Furka), for 182 kms and 5580m ascent. And a lot of souvenirs !
Switherland is really a nice place for this kind of trip, and I could manage to have these days in good conditions in a relatively low budget. I hope to be soon back here, to visit other places in this pleasant country.