TransSwitzerland: Peak Experiences and Mountain Magic
The Swiss Alps are on just about anybody’s life list of travel destinations - and for good reason. Mind-boggling panoramas of glaciated peaks, car-free pastoral villages, an internationally renowned cuisine and first-class service all wrap into an ideal vacation experience.
When we compiled the map of all the “must-see” places and connected the dots, we noticed that they naturally fell into line - along spectacular trails. The result is a complete traverse of the Swiss Alps by mountain bike that doesn’t leave out any of the panoramic superlatives or unforgettable sights – at a value that would be hard to beat by an independent traveler.
Tour Map
| Tour Length |
9 days
|
| Days of Riding |
9 days
|
| Tour Rating |
(easy option)
or
(epic option) |
| 2006 Tour Dates
|
30 July – 07 Aug; 12 – 20 Aug; 26 Aug – 03 Sep; 09 – 17 Sep; 24 Sep – 02 Oct.
|
| Tour Price |
€ 1,995.-
(if needed, add € 200 for rental bikes; €300 for single supplement)
|
| Tour meeting point |
Lucerne, Germany
|
| Tour starting point |
Lucerne
|
| Tour destination |
Zermatt
|
| Country visited |
Switzerland
|
| Max. # of participants |
12 riders in two groups plus 2 guides
|
| Min. # of participants |
4 riders in one group plus 1 guide
|
| Total vertical |
4,600 m
/
15,500 ft. (easy option) to
13,500 m
/
44,000 ft. (epic option)
|
| Total distance |
280 km / 172 miles (easy) to 366 km / 227 miles (epic option)
|
| Services included |
8 x accommodation, breakfast & lunch; 7 x dinner; all fees & gratuities for 3rd-party services; accredited & multi-lingual guide(s); all transportation needs (incl. cable cars, ship fare) from our rendezvous point to our final tour destination.
|
| Additional info. avail. |
comprehensive e-itinerary (tour prep. guide) upon your booking
|
Lucerne, Grindelwald, Interlaken, Kandersteg Zermatt,…immerse yourself in the picture-book landscapes of the Western Alps that have inspired mountaineers, artists, and the aristocracy for centuries. Let yourself be captivated by the accounts of homesteading in high places and learn about the rich natural history through interpretations of our experienced guides. Or if movies are your thing: Look into the abyss of Reichenbach Falls where Sherlock Holmes met his fate in 1891; grab a cup of coffee on the Grosse Scheidegg where Clint Eastwood contemplated “The Eiger Sanction” in 1975; or gaze up at the icy steeps of the Schilthorn (Piz Gloria), which James Bond skied while “On her Majesty’s Service” in 1969.
Most foreign travelers come to hike Switzerland, although in many places mountain biking clearly presents a superior mode of transportation – including this particular traverse. We offer our trademark “Easy or Epic” option on the TransSwitzerland, which provides our guests a daily opportunity to split up into two teams that ride different routes. The “Easy” option requires much less vertical gain than would be expected by “Epic” riders, yet we all arrive at the same evening destination.
If you’re not yet sold on this concept, read on…
| 1 |
meet us mid-morning at an internet café half-mile from Lucerne Central Station for a welcome and tour briefing; after a short sight-seeing ride through old town we hop a boat for the south shore of Lake Lucerne; clip in for the afternoon and ride up charming Melch Valley.
|
| 2 |
choose your group of easy riders or epic cranksters for today’s climb of Engstlen Pass from where the descent is either on wicked singletrack or gentle fire roads; visit Ballenberg, the National Heritage Site on Swiss homesteading through the ages; continue on to Meiringen where we enjoy a sumptuous dinner before drifting off to sleep under fluffy down comforters.
|
| 3 |
grind up Grosse Scheidegg Pass (the hard way) or hop the bus (for part or all the way) to start the day on a less strenuous note. Crane your neck to take in Wetterhorn Peak, towering yet another 6,000 ft. above your lunch plate. We ride rolling alpine meadows for the best bird’s-eye view of Grindelwald in front of the imposing north face of the Eiger. Descend on endless switchbacks to Glacier Canyon, our last stop before checking into our cozy hotel.
|
| 4 |
wake up to a hearty breakfast with an unforgettable view of the Eiger Mtn. As we climb up (or ride the cogwheel train) up the Kleine Scheidegg, the flawless mountain panorama of Jungfrau, Moench and Eiger unfolds. Descend into Lauterbunnen Valley via moderate or screaming trails. We climb to the hamlet of Gimmelwald and Muerren before calling it a day.
|
| 5 |
start the day with a delightful spin down to Interlaken and the fruit orchards along the shores of scenic Lake Thun. Alternatively, bike ‘n hike over spectacular Chilchflueh Pass before heading south into the Kander Valley. The group reunites in Kandersteg where there are the options to stretch our legs on a short hike or to visit the famous Ricola (cough drop) medicinal gardens.
|
| 6 |
easy riders choose to start the day with an airy gondola ride to the glaciers, whereas purists crank as hard as they ever will. An easy spin above treeline then takes us to Gemmi, a mountain pass so sheer we have no choice but to take a cable car down to Leukerbad, the famous spa resort. The endless downhill into the vineyards of the Rhone Valley offers awesome views and some exquisite singletrack. Visit a local cheese factory and end the day with a tasting of local wines.
|
| 7 |
check out the “bisses”, century-old irrigation systems for high-altitude farming, as we ride through cool forests high above the sun-drenched Rhone Valley. Alternatively, spin up the Rhone Valley for a pilgrimage to poet Rainer Maria Rilke’s gravesite before transferring by rail to our destination, a picturesque hamlet of stone-clad chalets.
|
| 8 |
head up towards Zermatt on forest trails in the valley bottom or ride to tree line to be the first to catch sight of the Matterhorn; continue on to Riffelalp or take the cogwheel train to Gornergrat. We stay high above town in an inn with fantastic views of town and Switzerland’s highest peaks.
|
| 9 |
awake to one of Europe’s finest mountain panoramas and enjoy the downhill back into Zermatt. We take time to visit some of the town’s famous sights before freewheeling to Taesch down the valley. We catch the train back to Lucerne, but you may alternatively consider leaving the tour here to visit the nearby Mont Blanc or Lake Geneva region.
|
This tour itinerary is for guidance only. Forces of nature, trail closures or extraordinary opportunities may compel us to change the program at short notice for the sake of your safety, comfort and satisfaction. Our Transalp rides are de facto mountaineering endeavors and require some flexibility on your part.
