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Archive for June, 2007

2007.06.23: Goppenstein-Leuk Endless Singletrack (non-fiction)

Saturday, June 23rd, 2007

+2000,-2500, 43km

With so much to explore in Switzerland, it is unusual to ride some trail 3 times. That says something about this ride. While far from all singletrack, there is an awful lot of it, with nice views, and mostly rideable.

Video: Right click here to download 4 minute, 31MB video (.WMV format):

Bike ready for free train transport:

Starting point, Goppenstein:

Ferden chalets:

Faldumalp:

Honor system drinks, pay the stated price in a little box:

Now for a variant, instead of descent to Loesch-les-Bains, descend to Loesch – much better and more singletrack all the way down:

Chermignon in distance:

Posted in Bike, Valais | No Comments »

2007.06.17: Gental Singletrack Fiction

Sunday, June 17th, 2007

+1900m, -2000m, 47km
Sarnens-Melchsee-Baumgarten-Gentalhutten-Innertkirchen.

In some ways this could be another typical Swiss ride. Great views, quite a few pieces of excellent trail, lots of climbing. And too many bits of too difficult trail - too narrow, too many rocks - and no pictures of these bits. Despite a bike map saying it is ‘medium’ difficulty singletrack. Excellent to do once, probably won’t do this again as a bike ride unless the trail is worked on. So watch out what you believe, and don’t worry there are still lots of excellent rides elsewhere.

Video: Right-click here to download a 1 minute, 9 MB video (.WMV format):

Obligatory dessert photo:

Obligatory mountain and cow photo:

It is a good idea to respect the time no-biking sign on a sunny Sunday afternoon it a very touristy area. Fortunately it was only a short bit around the lake like this.

Buy some cheese direct at the source:

Posted in Bike, SuisseCentrale | No Comments »

2007.06.10: Grindelwald Explorations

Sunday, June 10th, 2007

+1900m, -1900m, 45km

I found what I expected – great flowers, big panorama, a few short excellent trails, a few trails that are not completely bikeable, and lots of road – not for everyone. It is possible to take buses to subtract huge amounts of paved roads and climbing, but the riding would be much shorter. I was pleasantly surprised to find one high trail particularly excellent, and no ‘no biking’ signs blocking any of the trails I planned to take – although a few of these signs exist in the area. The area has a big potential for development, as do many other areas in Switzerland – but additional gorgeous, swooping, gentle slope singletrack trails (and protected from the ravages of cows) need to be built – to bypass a large network of boring paved and dirt roads signposted for hiking and biking.

Change of weather:

The choice is clear:

The choice is re-confirmed as the right one:

More good surprises:

Sorry singletrailmap.ch – this part of the trail is not medium difficulty singletrail – plus more stairs before and after. Obvious something like this would happen from the 25000 map.