Swiss roll – the Heidi-land challenge

“Why cycle in Switzerland when you live in Austria? Aren’t there plenty of lakes and mountains where you live?”

A reasonable question posed while on tour along the Veloland Lakes Route 9. This crosses Switzerland in a north-easterly direction taking in mountains and the best-known lakes.

 

It really looks like Heidi land

Climbs 235m over 4km!

The first answer is scale. The mountains are higher, more massive, more impressive. The lakes bigger, bluer, more beautiful. The mountain slopes are steeper and even more perfectly groomed. The bike trails are generally smoother than anywhere else.

The second answer is a sentence in a magazine article which stated “the 4000 meters of climb were not evenly distributed and there are some really tough hills to overcome. It would be a shame if for the sake of a few climbs not to view the many lakes along the way." Red rag to a bull.

The article was right…to an extent. But there were more than just a few tough climbs. The useful Veloland website also understates the challenge. What they described as a “moderate” etappe included numerous tough ascents totaling over 600 meters vertical climb. There are hills steeper than 20%. And there were not just a few of these stages. We recorded eight days with more than 500m height difference.

 

Fabulous scenery, quiet roads, but "moderate"?

Beginning at Lake Geneva close to the French border at Montreux, the route passes a dozen lakes, the biggest and most beautiful in the country. It includes cities such as Lucerne and tourist highlights at Interlaken. Here a train will take you through the Jungfrau mountain to 3400m. So the Veloland Route 9 has a lot to offer.

 

Meeting other cyclists was a rare event

The route is very well signposted. It’s easy to ride the whole way without a map. The tourist offices in each Canton offer maps – but not all are much good. It follows tiny rural lanes through pretty villages and past beautiful houses. There’s not much that is not smooth asphalt and with very little traffic.

 

Plenty of short, sharp climbs on smooth asphalt

So why, at the height of the holiday season, were not more than a handful of people riding along the route? Probably because the eye-watering exchange rates make Switzerland expensive.

Booking each night on the previous evening made price comparisons and good deal possible. But this break from finding accommodation on a whim at the end of the day meant that each

day had a fixed destination. Deciding when and where to stay on the spur of the moment wasn’t possible. Some of the spontaneity was lost.

This is a beautiful bike ride but it is challenging too. Is it the challenge or the scenery which grabs your attention?

Photoshoot at Lake Zug

Veloland Route 9: Route du Lacs / Seen Route. 505km

http://www.veloland.ch/de/routen/route-09.html 

You said it!

Switzerland would be a big country if you rolled it flat. 

- Mark Twain

Coffee

Coffee is just coffee in Switzerland. Forget the macchiatos, flat whites or grand noir, just order coffee. It’s not bad, not great.

  

Steep, steep descent to Lake Zurich

Swiss spectacular

Alarming descents - you could end up in the next vintage

A ride that was expected to be a gentle cruise in pleasant surroundings, ended up as one of the most spectacular in 40 years of cycling. Only 25km, the route clambered up through vineyards with magnificent views of mountains and blue water.

 

A patchwork of vineyards climbing the hill

There is something about riding through vineyards that adds a special ambience. Probably it’s the thought of drinking the wine at the end of the day. The lines of vines trace the contours, curling round the curvaceous hillsides. Narrow terraces on tall stone walls, piled one above the other. Bunches of fruit hang low, roses bloom brightly at the ends of rows.

 

Lakeside riding in Lausanne - before the climb into the vineyards

This ride wasn't really meant to be. We’d travelled by train across Austria to Lausanne in Switzerland via Zurich. It seemed a shame to change trains again for the remaining 30km to Montreux. This is where Velo Route 9, the Lakes Tour begins. Outside Lausanne’s main station it is easy to find the lake – it’s straight down the hill. Suddenly, there is lake Geneva, a huge expanse of glistening blue, fringed with mountains.

There's plenty to see and do in Lausanne. It’s a sophisticated "seaside" city with grand hotels and a strong smell of money. But the urge to pedal the bike says turn left at the lakeside and start riding along the shore between the cruising cabrios and great displays of flowers. This should be an easy ride…how wrong can you be?

 

Route 46 is part of the Rhone Cycle Trail and a popular training ride

A maroon-coloured sign for Bike Route 46 indicates left and begins to climb. We follow the signs up into the vineyards. The road climbs and to the right the vista of Lake Geneva opens out beneath us. The small road parallels the shore, high above the tiny communities.

 

The busy main road lies far below on the lake shore

There is but a single village along the way and often the road appears to be mainly for access to the vines. Monorail tracks have been built up the hillsides for the pickers - there's just a seat behind the motor and space for baskets of fruit behind. They look precarious and the brand “Plummet” doesn’t encourage confidence.

 

The Plummet - monorail grape pickers' transport

Short, sharp climbs puncture the idyll, one so steep it was hard work to push a bike with its 20kg load to the top. There are a number of alarming descents with only a low wall between completing the ride and tumbling headfirst into this year's vintage.

 

Just a low wall along the brink

All the way, on a bright sunny day, you will be stopping to take pictures or gasp at the view. The green of the vines against the blue sky and lake, the misty mountains in the background are classic images.

Finally descend into Vevey, another classy resort, former home of Charlie Chaplin and present home of Nestle. Just around the corner is Montreux where the Veloland Lakes Route 9 to 13 of Switzerland’s lakes begins. 

Profile of route 46

Sunset over Lake Geneva - the end of a great ride