Switzerland
with Ryan Sommerville

First big day in the Swiss Alps and an amazing loop over 3 Hors-Categorie climbs. Highlight of the day is, without a doubt, the cobbled Saint Gotthardpass. Only the Swiss could maintain such perfect cobbles, painstakingly repairing the road every spring. There are 2 other roads that lead to the summit, so you can enjoy the old, cobbled road without any traffic. In addition to the Saint Gotthard you’ll also conquer the Furkapass and the Nufenenpass, both of which rise to over 2,400m (7,900ft).

The  journey through the Swiss Alps continues with this magnificent ride across 2 giant climbs, the Sustenpass and the Grimselpass. Leaving the hotel in Andermatt, enjoy the fast 10km descent to Wassen, there’s a lot of climbing to do from there. Both the Susten and the Grimsel reach heights of 2200m, and they’re long – 18km and 28km. After conquering these 2 giants, you’ll have a nice gentle ride along the valley to your next hotel in Fiesch.

After yesterday’s huge ride,  you’ll start of the day with a relatively gentle ride along the Rhone river valley until you reach the village of Getwing after 46km. The 5km climb to Bratsch, at an average of 8.8%, starts from teh village square and provides some stunning views 500m above the Rhone valley. The climb also provides a good warm-up for the main challenge of the day, the hors-categorie Col de Crans-Montana, which features as the final climb in the 3-day Haute Route race.

Today’s highlight is no doubt the magnificent Col du Sanetsch, a hidden gem known for its dramatic views and serene alpine lakes.

Riding from the hotel, you’ll immediately start climbing with the 14km climb to Anzère, often included in the Haute-Route Crans Montana event. A short descent from Anzère will take you to Savièse and the start of the climb to the Sanetsch. With a total elevation gain of 1500m over 20km, this is one to settle in to a steady pace and enjoy the spectacular scenery that surrounds this climb. At the summit, continue to the Lac de Sènin where you’ll jump on the cable car that descends to Gsteig, and the continuation of the ride over the Mittelberg to Bulle in the heart of the Gruyères region..

After 5 days of challenging rides, let’s have a short ride and recover for the final 2 days that lie ahead. Bulle is in the heart of the famous Gruyères region and today’s ride will explore the rolling fields and hills of this beautiful area. Towards the end of the ride you’ll head in to the village of Gruyères, a picture-perfect medieval village with it’s 13th century castle, cobblestones, chocolate and of course cheese.

A beautiful ride today through the Gantrisch Natural Park. No huge mountains to contend with but a series of rolling hills and the climb to the Gurnigel ski station make for a tough day in the saddle. This is your quintessential Swiss ride through immaculate Swiss mountain villages, rolling hills with spectacular mountain back-drops and Lindt cows in every field.

We’ve saved the stunning climb to Grosse Scheidegg for your final ride. This remarkable climb winds its way through some of the highest peaks in Europe including the famous north face of the Eiger. Ask any cyclist who’s had the good fortune to ride this climb and they will no doubt tell you that it’s in their list of Top 10 climbs in Europe – it’s that good!

Unfortunately, your trip across Switzerland has come to an end.

Our shuttle will drop you off at Zurich Airport.