We returned from Europe in mid-September. After swearing that this year we would not, like last year, take the entire summer to plan our trip we did just that, agonizing over details until the last minute. But thanks mainly to Chris the planning got done, the reservations got made, and off we went.
This year we split our cycling between Switzerland (10 days) and France (4). I quickly reunited with my old nemesis, The Alps. I hated driving in the Alps last year, and I hated it this year. Why? Because the roads are narrow and winding with lots of blind corners and steep drop-offs, none of which phases other drivers, all of whom drive like maniacs. Cycling there is fun, driving is not.
Here we go.....
Rides: Ellen and Chris
* Col du Grand St. Bernard
* Sanetsch Pass
* Furka Pass
* Grimsel Pass
* Susten Pass
* Gross Scheidegg #2 (w/Ellen)
* Col du Columbiere (Ellen DNF, sick)
* Cormet de Roseland
Additional rides: Chris
* Climb to town of Champex
* Climb to town of Feschel
* Nufenen Pass
* Climb to Männlichen cable car (Grindlewald)
* Grosse Scheidegg #1 (w/o Ellen)
* Col de la Croix Fry (partial, raining)
* Col du Colombiere
* Col des Annes
* Col de la Madeleine
The Stats
* Chris: 353 miles, 64,131 feet of climbing
* Ellen: 186 miles, 28,575 feet of climbing
We arrived in Geneva and promptly dragged our bike boxes, luggage, and shoulder bags to the wrong car rental. We'd rented from Hertz in the French side of the airport, so naturally we walked directly to Hertz in the Swiss side of the airport. You can't exchange one for the other without great penalty to your wallet. So off we went to find French Hertz on the other side of the airport. This was a minor inconvenience except for the fact that the bike boxes and luggage were heavy and cumbersome. After getting ourselves squared away with the car we drove a short distance to the hotel where we would stay the night before returning to Portland. The hotel allowed us to leave our boxes in storage for the duration of our trip. After a sleepless night, Chris always gets to do the honors....
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| Airport hotel, Chris builds the bikes |
After dropping off the boxes we drove a few hours to Champex, a mountain resort town in Switzerland.
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Hotel Splendide, indeed.
A sight for tired eyes. We can finally pass out. |
Last year we rode Le Petit St. Bernard. This year we rode its big brother, Col du Grand St. Bernard. We climbed up the Swiss side of the Grand, then down and back up the Italian side. We agreed the Italian side was prettier and a nicer climb.
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| Col du Grand St. Bernard |
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| Grand St Bernard, from the Italian side |
Our next ride, Sanetsch Pass, almost took the "Hardest Damn Ride Ever" award away from last year's winner, Col du Sabot. But I think Sabot was a little tougher. Still, Sanetsch was hard. I bonked about 400 feet from the top so waited while Chris finished the climb. I know it seems impossible that I stopped so close to the top but, when the tank is empty, it's empty. It would have been better to take a rest day between it and the Grand St. Bernard.
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| Sanetsch Pass awaits |
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Road to Sanetsch.
I'm not a fan of riding through tunnels. Thankfully, this one was short. |
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Onward and upward to Sanetsch Pass.
Yes, that's a two-way road.
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After Sanetsch we stayed in a B&B in the tiny village of Feschel. Like every other Swiss town this one was perched way up a mountain. The driveway to the B&B was too steep for mere mortals to drive. We left our luggage in the car and walked up with a few things for the night.
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| Feschel B&B |
Our next stop was the town of Obergestein, which we used as a base for rides to Furka Pass, Grimsel Pass, and Nufenen Pass. Furka and Grimsel were a two-for-one special. After riding 5-6 miles up and out of the valley the road split, Furka to the right, Grimsel to the left. We tackled Furka first, then after lunch back at the crossroads, rode up Grimsel.
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| Furka Pass ahead |
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View from Furka
Grimsel Pass is in the distance on the other side of the valley |
The next day I took a break while Chris rode Nufenen Pass. This was the most difficult of the three passes so I opted to use this as a rest day.
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| Nufenen Pass |
Continuing on, we drove to Hasliberg, yet another tiny village straddling yet another steep hillside. Once I got over the fear of rolling off the edge of the road or crashing into some oncoming maniac I could appreciate this pretty little town.
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Hasliberg
The Eiger in the distance
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The next day we drove down the mountain from Hasliberg for the start of the climb to Susten Pass, which at 18 miles may have been the longest climb of the trip. This was the ride I was looking forward to the most but an endless stream of motorcycles and cars made it difficult to enjoy the scenery. Plus, there were 10 tunnels along this route. I'd brought my back and front bike lights from home specifically for this ride. Still, long dark tunnels on a bike aren't fun.
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| Susten Pass |
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My constant companions
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| Back in Hasliberg for dinner. Simple food is the best food. |
Next stop was Grindlewald, a tourist town of the worst kind that we'd planned to avoid except perhaps for a day trip. But we found a great hotel a mile or so above the town that had such a nice setting and was so quiet we ended up staying two nights. It turned out to be one of our most pleasant stops along the way. Many of the roads above the hotel were closed to cars, but they were too steep for me to ride. Chris, though, is always game.
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| Chris on the road to the Männlichen cable car, above Grindlewald. |
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| Steep even for cows |
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| End of the road |
Our second day in Grindlewald we took a train partway up the mountain and hiked around.
On the morning of our departure we rode the Gross Scheidegg from the Grindlewald side. Chris had ridden it already while I was lounging at the hotel but now it was my turn. It's a short climb of just 7-8 miles, but very steep, with an average grade of 11-12%. The road was "closed to traffic" except that it really wasn't, as local villagers and the public bus used the route. The road was extremely narrow and so it made the occasional bus and farm vehicle passings a little harrowing, at least for me.
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| Gross Scheidegg |
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Grosse Scheidegg
Eiger in the distance |
And now, a word from our sponsor...
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| Ah, the sweet pain of chocolate |
Following Grindlewald we headed to France for our final few days of cycling. First stop was in La Clusaz. We stayed at Chalet Alpage, a small B&B known for its excellent food. Our stay occurred just a few nights before the Alpage closed for the season, perhaps the reason the owner was drunk the two nights we were there. But he was a pleasant drunk, and very welcoming.
We'd had great weather until this point, but it rained our first full day in France. I was in bed most of the day anyway with a stomach virus, but Chris dashed out for a ride toward the Col de la Croix Fry at the first sign of clearing. It wasn't much of a break in the weather and eventually the rained turned him around.
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| Col de la Croix Fry |
The skies cleared the next day and I was looking forward to my first ride back in France. On the schedule for this day was Col du Colombiere. But it was not to be, at least not for me. My stomach was still gurgling so I called it quits a just a few miles in. Chris continued to the top while I sunned myself in the town. After making the top he turned around before heading up again, this time to the Col des Annes. I was happy to sit in the sun a little longer.
When he finished his rides we drove to a village (yes, on a steep mountainside) near Beaufort. The next day we rode Cormet de Roselend. It was gray and a little cold but I was happy to be on French roads. There were a number of other cyclists making the climb, something we hadn't seen as much of in Switzerland.
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| Cormet de Roseland |
The last ride of the trip was the huge Col de la Madeleine. I'd originally planned to ride this but frankly was too wiped out to bother. Instead, I drove the car and met Chris at the top. It was sunny at the bottom but got progressively more foggy and cold toward the top, and I think he was glad that he did not have to ride back down.
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| Almost there |
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| 1 KM from the top |
It was too cold at the top for pictures. Chris scampered into the car and we headed back to Geneva. That's it for another year.
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| It's a Wrap |
