Switzerland West and the Jura - Itinerary

August 2-16, 2008
15 days/ 14 nights
Best for Single Bikes

August 3 - Le Pont (Switzerland) – 81mi, 6300ft, or 69mi, 5300ft, or 55mi, 4000ft
The highest mountain of the Jura (Crete de la Neige 1717m or 5666 ft) looms above us as we start our tour.  Our first challenge, the 3000ft climb up the Col de la Faucille is also the single biggest climb in the Jura.  Today is a great example of what to expect in the days to come.  There is the descent of the Gorges du Flumen and the gradual climb of the Gorges de la Bienne, there will be many small lakes and rivers, a couple climbs in the deep forest and finally a descent to the Lac de Joux, the biggest lake in the Jura.  Our Hotel sits at the north end of the lake, where, on the patio we will discuss and analyze the first day’s ride over a tall cool beer.

August 4 - Couvet – 80mi, 7000ft, or 50mi 4000ft
Today we have more of the same, small cols, lakes, valleys, forests, meadows, gorges and quaint villages.  To start the ride, the long route does a loop of 32 miles, and includes two passes of approximately 1000 feet of climbing.  Also on today’s agenda is the village of Orbe (coffee factory and Roman ruins), and the 2000ft switchback climb up to the city of Ste Croix (famous for its 200 year history of making elaborate music boxes), plus a couple more small passes.  Finally, this is topped off with a climb up to a mountain top restaurant, where there will be great views of the Alps in the distance.  A short walk brings us to an amazing geologic formation, the Creux du Van, where a mountain top meadow ends in a large vertical, horseshoe-shaped cliff.  We then have a long descent to our destination, the small village of Couvet.

August 5 - Delémont– 92mi, 9500ft, or 60mi, 4500ft
Today is one of the more exciting days of cycling. We leave Couvet on a very small road along the river l’Areuse; soon the road becomes a bike trail as it enters the Gorges de l’Aruese and descends almost to Lac de Neuchatel.  This is a beautiful and somewhat rugged ride but must not be missed. We then climb back into the mountains to La Chaux de Fonds. This city is the historic center of the world famous watch making industry in Switzerland.  The optional ride up le Chasseral, one of the highest mountains in the Jura, provides some great views of the even mightier Bernese Alps in the distance.  Our hotel is near the medieval center of Delémont making it easy to stroll through the historic streets, do a little shopping, find a bar and enjoy an afternoon beer.

August 6 - Delémont – loop rides, 46mi, 3200ft, or up to 84mi, 4800ft
Today can be a rest day with a mellow loop ride or an easy rolling 84 mile jaunt.  Most of the riding is in the hills and valleys of the French region of Alsace.  This area is mostly forest and farm land, beautiful scenery to say the least, and the roads are small and plentiful with little or no traffic.  As we cruise from village to village, this will prove to be perfect for a relaxed day of riding.  The historic village of Altkirch is a good destination for lunch and of course we must stop for snacks and beers in the old town of Delémont when we get back.

August 7 - Burgdorf – 85mi, 7500ft, or 45mi 3500ft
We have cycled much of the length and are now near the northern end of the Jura mountains, so today we head south towards the high peaks of the Bernese Oberland.  Still there is some very tough riding on today’s route.  After the usual morning ride over a few Swiss rollers, our first big challenge will be the Passwang where the optional 2.5 km to the top averages over 10%.  The easier route descends out of the mountains past the castle ruins of Neu Falkenstein across the Aare River and then rolls over the hills of the Mittelland to our hotel in Burgdorf.  The long route climbs the Sheltenpass and then tackles the steep 15% climb of the Weissenstein, the 2^nd highest pass in the Jura.  The steep 22% descent brings us quickly to Solothurn, soon there after connecting with the shorter route.  Burgdorf is a true gem.  Dating from the 12^th century the city has plenty of historic buildings crowned by the 832 year old Schloss Bergdorf.  Allow plenty of time to explore the historic part of town.

August 8 - Kemmeriboden – 54mi, 5100ft or 64mi, 8100ft
We have left the Jura behind, and we have a few Swiss rollers left before we enter the big Swiss Mountains, precisely, the Bernese Oberland.  Dairy is still the main industry here, and the green fields seem to go on forever.  Grass: if the cows aren’t eating it, then the farmers are cutting it, often by hand, and family members raking it for winter storage.  The mileage is the shortest yet, but this will be one of the hardest days of riding.  Leaving Burgdorf we have a couple 800 ft climbs, from Huttwil we have a 1000 ft climb and then after Wassen we have three 1600 ft climbs.  The short route misses two of the big climbs but still does the last one.  It climbs a very gentle valley, home of the well-known Emmenthal cheese.  A higher valley adds beauty to an already wonderful day, and then drops to the Emme River. The hotel is located on the banks of the Emme near its source, high in a mountain valley, surrounded by tall rocky peaks.  The hotel is an historic building and was until recently still part of a working dairy farm.   

August 9 - Grindelwald - 80mi, 9600ft, or 61mi, 3700ft
Mile for mile, today’s ride is probably one of the most incredible and beautiful you will ever encounter.  We have two totally different routes, both staggeringly beautiful. The first route starts with a climb of the Shallenberg, and then we have one of the best descents of the trip, followed by a beautiful lakeshore road along the Thuner See to Interlaken.  Here we see for the first time, up close, the big mountains of the Bernese Oberland.  As we start our climb up towards Grindelwald, the massive north face of the Jungfrau towers above us.  We enter the Lauterbrunnen Valley, one of the most spectacular 15 miles of bike riding anyone will ever do.  The vertical cliffs rise up 1500 ft from the valley floor.  Waterfalls line the walls above us, torrents turning to mist before reaching the farmland below.  Later, as we approach Grindelwald, we are greeted with the north face of the Monch, the Eiger, the Schreckhorn, and the Wetterhorn.  Words can hardly describe these views, so sit back, and enjoy the ride.  The longer route tackles three major passes with the last 5000 ft up the Grosse Scheidegg being one of the most beautiful rides (and hardest) of our tour.  The final descent into Grindelwald with the huge mountains all around, is so amazing that maybe we should ride it again tomorrow.

August 10 - Grindelwald rest day or various loop rides, 36 mi, 4000ft up to 109mi, 19000ft
Grindelwald and the surrounding mountains are one of the most beautiful places on earth.  Enjoy your day off with a hike or cable car ride to a restaurant, or take the cog rail to the Jungfraujoch at 11,400ft  The views are staggering from anywhere, be sure to bring lots of film or an extra memory card.  For those who would like to take a ride there are some incredibly beautiful options.  The Grosse Scheidegg, the Sustenpass, the Grimselpass, and even the Furkapass are all with in cycling distance.  If you are crazy enough to cycle all four passes you would have a total of 109 miles and 19,000 feet of climbing.  A more reasonable ride would be over Grosse Scheidegg, around the Brienzer See, and back to Grindelwald.  This enjoyable ride would be 48 miles with about 5300 feet of climbing or take the train from Gundlischwand for 36 miles and 4000 feet.

August 11 - Fribourg - 74mi, 5700ft,
The day starts with an easy 43 km of downhill and flat riding from Grindelwald along the Thuner See to Thun.  As the grand peaks of the Bernese Alps dwindle in the distance, beautiful new vistas open up along the Thuner See.  As we climb into the hills above Thun, new mountain views come and go until we find ourselves traversing a mountain ridge, in and out of the forest.  Occasional views of the big mountains to the south impress the mind while the climbing will impress the legs.  Fribourg is another wonderful historic city, well worth exploring on foot.

August 12 - Fribourg – rest day or loop ride, 21mi, 2000ft, or 44mi, 4800ft, or 52mi, 5800ft and up to 75mi, 9000ft
Today can be a true rest day (last chance) or a loop ride with plenty of options for longer or shorter routes.  There are a couple roads that climb up into the mountains that could be very interesting to explore, including one dirt road that goes over the top.  There are numerous small restaurants open for lunch, so a morning spin followed by a nice lunch and a relaxed afternoon, might be the thing to do.

August 13 - Saanen – 86mi, 7400ft or 48mi, 2700ft
The morning’s ride is pure fun as we are back in the Swiss rollers of the Mittelland.  These are hills that roll through the countryside, looking easy but ending hard, never really too big to intimidate, but big enough to get you tired.  Most of the countryside will be the beautiful green Swiss farmland with occasional patches of forest and our winding route will make for a fun fide to the castle city of Gruyères (cheese anyone?)  From here we climb into the mountains following a broad valley, the Pays d’Enhaut.  We are staying in Sannen 3 km from Gstaad.  A quick ride into Gstaad will give us the opportunity to experience the glitz and glamour of the 'rich and famous' who seem to populate this pretty village.

August 14 - Châtel (France) – 60mi, 8300ft, or 54mi, 7000ft
Leaving the beauty (and spectacle) of Sannen and Gstaad behind, we have an even more beautiful, yet easy climb through Gsteig, and over the Col du Pillon.  A short descent brings us to the steeper climb of the Col de la Croix and a very long descent to the Rhone valley below will be exhilarating.   Just as we begin the long climb into France, the longer route turns off and has a gorgeous hillside climb with numerous great views across the valley.  After the climb up the Pas de Morgins it will be a very beautiful coast downhill to our hotel.

August 15 - Ferney Voltaire – 64mi, 3800ft or 72mi, 6500ft
This is the last day of riding, so most of you will be stressed about getting back, packing your bike and packing and repacking your bags.  Well, that will be unfortunate because this is a great day of cycling, where you should worry about how many miles you can get in, how tired your legs can get, how long you can take for lunch and how drunk on beers you can get, and still finish the ride; not how fast you can get back to the hotel and end the tour.  We are in the French Alps and there are numerous cols between here and Geneve, with most being 1000 ft or less and not very steep.  We will spend the day mostly on small winding roads with little or no traffic.  There are numerous quaint villages, and small farms dotting the hillsides, with tall, forested peaks towering above.  All in all this will be one of the most enjoyable days of cycling of the entire tour.

August 16 - Departure - Van transport is provided to the Geneva airport

COST -  $3495 per person based on Double Occupancy                                        $550 Single room supplement

INCLUDES
·2-3 star Hotel Accommodations ·                                                                 ·Breakfast daily (except arrival day)                                                                 ·Dinner daily (except one night and arrival/departure days)                                         ·Airport transfers from/to Geneva airport
·Bike mechanic and van support with cellular phone                                           ·Ground transportation for all passengers, luggage & bikes                                 ·Regional map plus detailed daily route maps & cue sheets         

NOT INCLUDED                                                                                 · ·International airfare                                                                                       ·Tips, gratuities, laundry, telephone, & items of a personal nature.                              ·Lunches and alcoholic beverages (a supplemental fee will be charged for those who want wine with dinner, and can be prepaid before departure)

PRE-TRIP PLANNING                                                                                         A complete trip packet will be sent upon receipt of your final payment, including tour t-shirt, hotel lists, maps, and luggage tags. Our guidebook containing information on what to bring, how to pack your bike for flying, equipment list, and changing currencies, will be sent upon receipt of your secondary deposit of $500 (due by March 1). All participants must possess a current passport.

TRAVEL INSURANCE                                                                                                    Erickson Cycle Tours strongly recommends purchasing insurance for trip cancellation, injury, illness, and loss of effects. A traveler's insurance brochure will be included in your confirmation letter.

AIRFARE
We offer the services of our travel agent, Shannon or Steve of Rogue Travel, in obtaining economical, expedient air reservations, and we can assist with lodging for pre- and post-tour plans. For flight information, contact Rogue Travel at 1.800.443.9216, or shannon@mind.net. If you prefer, you may use the services of your own travel agent.

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