Author: Will

Central Switzerland has some of the highest, most beautiful paved passes I know. The most famous are big roads, well surfaced. One can make brilliant loops with combinations of Nufenen Pass (2478m), Grimsel Pass (2165m), Furka Pass (2436m), Susten Pass (2224m), Gotthard Pass (2108m), and others. See here for details of the 20 highest paved climbs in Switzerland. This ride I wanted to revisit the amazing hairpins of Grimsel and Furka. But more importantly, to visit for the first time a not-well-known little road that extends for almost 6 kilometres above Grimsel Pass to the Oberaarsee dam/lake. It’s the 5th…

The Monts Jura is the anticlinal* ridge in the Haute-Chaîne of the Jura mountains overlooking the Geneva basin. It includes the highest summits in the entire Jura Mountain range. *right-angled (thx wikipedia.fr) This is a great mountain bike ride up to and along this impressive section of the Juras. But be warned, after a long, fully rideable ascent, the spectacular ridge stretch requires some tough hiking. A fun 3D video: Col de la Faucille is one of the best known paved climbs near Geneva. But, for me, it can sometimes be too busy with both fast cars and trucks. So…

When I am planning an unpaved ride in the mountains often I am not certain if the route is bikeable. So I’ll map a gpx file to try and estimate grade throughout, and I’ll check maps and satellite photos to see if it’s a trail or a gravel road. So I knew the route to Lac Jovet was on the edge of being a bad idea. In summary, it’s a tough surface, and at times very steep, but usually rideable until perhaps 2000 metres altitude. Here any semblance of a road ends. The last couple of kilometres is a steep,…

Don’t confuse this with Colle del Nivolet, perhaps my favourite climb in the Alps. See here. High above Chambéry to the east, is a giant cross – Croix du Nivolet. It juts out from Mont Nivolet just south of Mont Revard, in the Bauges Alps. Nivolet comes from the latin nebolatus (nebulous; cloudy). Niole in Savoyard. A cross was first erected here in 1861. It’s changed over the years. For example, it was rebuilt after a 1909 hurricane, and was also damaged during WW2. These days it is illuminated at night – an impressive sight (at 1547m) from the auto-route…

Here is a fantastic loop of Lake Annecy – with two long, high, tough, gravel stretches – that visits two Cols that you may not know. But if you don’t like pushing your bike for a stretch or two then this ride is not for you. A 3D video of the ride. I started on the north edge of Lake Annecy and headed counter-clockwise around the lake. I advise you to zoom and follow my route exactly – see map at bottom – as it is perhaps the quietest way to escape Annecy here. There is one short stretch of…

Cycle Route 4029373 – via Bikemap.net Les Voirons is the massif east of Geneva, and north-east of Mont Salève. This is a great loop, mainly on gravel roads up high, but also on some trails. Plenty of views of Lac Léman (Lake Geneva). A 3D video: Considering that I have cycled Mont Salève probably a hundred times or more, it’s crazy that I don’t know the next mountain over very well. My Strava advice: Focus on following adventurous cyclists that live nearby or where you may want to cycle. It makes for timeline full of ideas. This route was inspired…

Here is a four col ride, often on gravel, in the shadow of Mont Charvin (Aravis Alps). 3D Video: The plan was to explore some unpaved roads in the Aravis Alps between Mont Charvin and Montagne de Sulens. I know the paved lower roads well, often cycling Col de l’Epine, Col du Marais, and Col de Plan Bois. But this was my first time exploring above these cols. I started in Thônes, following the paved road over Col du Marais (833m) until Bouchet-Mont-Charvin. This is just short of the back side of Col de l’Epine. Here is a paved loop…

I’d like to think I have one cycling talent: the ability to find quiet, interesting roads. But not every ride can be a favourite. Passo Foscagno is beautiful, high, long, etc. But it has a bit too much traffic for me to recommend it with much enthusiasm. It’s a big road, clearly designed to get motor vehicles up and over the mountains. Things never felt dangerous, but, in addition to cars, I was probably passed by 30 or 40 trucks. Oh, and avalanche tunnels near the top. From Bormio, follow the road in the direction to Passo dello Stelvio, and…

This truly awesome ride includes a few different adventures. First, is the absolutely fabulous, paved, hairpin-filled climb to Torri di Fraele – perfect for road-bikers. A must-visit climb for anyone staying in Bormio after climbing Stelvio and Gavia. But I used a mountain bike. As while the paved road ends at the summit of Torri di Fraele, beyond is a huge collection of unpaved roads and trails. I would visit four lakes, cross a couple of dams, ride some cliff roads, and finally descend a crazy trail that eventually joins the Stelvio route 5 kilometres above Bormio. All unpaved. It’s…

I had the good fortune to cycle Passo dello Stelvio the day before the Giro d’Italia. I would cycle the south-western Bormio side, then descend much of the famous east side, allowing me to turn-around and climb the best stretch of hairpins anywhere. Long story short: I cycled 2 sides of Stelvio, while wearing pink, then drank beers. A 3D video of the ride: The weather was great. While relatively busy, there was a festive atmosphere, so I took my time chatting with all sorts of people and of course, I took lots of photos. The Bormio side, has 40…