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MOUNTAIN BIKING: Pedalling Through the Peaks ; Cycling Through Some of Europe's Most Striking Scenery Leaves Anthony Lambert Breathless

Posted on: Saturday, 26 March 2005, 06:00 CST

For the mountain biker, Europe's most mountainous country is a paradise, thanks to the outstanding infrastructure of rails and trails, excellent mapping and easy availability of bike hire if you don't take your own. There is even a website to help you choose the best routes for your level of technical ability and fitness. Stunning scenery can be taken for granted.

The essence of mountain biking is concentration. Focussing on the terrain and using your skills to negotiate it without an embarrassing spill is what it's all about. But even on the most challenging of routes there are always easier sections where the beauty of the landscape can be appreciated. And for many, mountain biking is simply an enjoyable way to reach remote country as well as a great way to eat like a trencherman without worrying too much about the calories.

A good starting point is the Switzerland Tourism website (www.MySwitzerland.com) which has an excellent section on mountain biking with detailed information about 130 routes. Many of the routes are not fully signed, but some mountain bike (MTB) routes are indicated by red signs displaying a bike with a raised front wheel. The tours vary from a couple of hours to days. The site also suggests tours that meet your specification and gives you a description of the route, key statistics such as length, average time and altitude variations. You can then obtain a free pdf-file containing a map and profile of the route.

Those new to mountain biking might prefer to cut their teeth rather than chip them in the Bernese Oberland, which offers plenty of rides for the inexperienced. One of the easiest is the fully signed Nidsi-Obsi-Tour which takes advantage of gravity for most of the 30km from Kandersteg station down the Frutigen valley to Spiez, following the river for much of the way.

The piece de resistance of the Bernese Oberland is a 39km ride requiring extreme technical skill that allows you to commune with the three peaks of the Eiger, Monch and Jungfrau. Starting at Grindelwald station the route takes you past Kleine Scheidegg and down a perilous descent to Wengen, used in winter by skiers on the Lauberhorn race. Reaching the valley floor at Lauterbrunnen, a riverside path leads to Interlaken.

Very different in character from the immense mountains and deeply scoured valleys of the Bernese Oberland is central Switzerland where broader valleys give more open views. Mountain inns are a feature of the Swiss uplands and a circuit from Engelberg station reaches its summit at the Brunnihutte, making it the obvious place to stop for lunch while admiring the 3,238m bulk of Titlis.

The most wooded routes are to be found in Ticino where you can ride through forests of beech and chestnut and along the flanks of remote, steep-sided valleys dotted with tiny churches. The ascent of Monte Tamaro starting at Rivera-Bironico station, for example, is so demanding that it was chosen for the 2003 World Championships. Although it's the descent to Arosio that carries a health warning, one ascent takes you up 1,700m.

At the softer end of the tours is a 13km route from Les Diablerets, taking in the huge, eponymous glacier and a 20km route from Gemmipass, reached by cablecar from Leukerbad, using an old mule track through rugged country that evokes sympathy for the traders who struggled over the passes in all weathers. Aigle is the headquarters of the International Cycling Union (UCI), so it's appropriate that there is a tour starting from nearby Leysin, reached by rack railway from Aigle.

At the other end of the spectrum is a ride that focuses on the 24km Aletsch Glacier, Europe's longest tongue of ice and recently designated a Unesco World Nature site. Starting at Fiesch station, the 55km circuit gives stupendous views of the glacier and surrounding mountains as well as the experience of a 1km tunnel that you don't have to share with traffic.

The Grand Raid Cristalp is considered the longest and most difficult designated mountain bike tour in the world. Traversing six valleys, the route begins in the well-known ski resort of Verbier and ends in Grimentz. At 131km long and a 4,600m difference in altitude, it should be tackled only by the extremely fit and accomplished.

Whether you hire a bike or bring your own (see box), getting to the start of the trails is simple thanks to the bike-friendliness of railways in Switzerland. Very few routes do not accept bikes (the Centovalli in Ticino is a rare exception), though there are restrictions on weekday commuter trains during the rush hours and a limit of nine people travelling together with their bikes. A bike reservation is required for bikes on InterCity tilting trains, denoted in the timetable as ICN, between 21 March and 31 October. For details of train times and bike carriage, contact Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) (00800 100 200 30; www.sbb.ch).

If you prefer to cycle between MTB trails, the official Cycling in Switzerland route map shows all signposted cycling routes throughout the country at 1:500,000 with English text (pounds 9.50). There are also nine long-distance routes that criss-cross the country under the title of Veloland Schweiz/La Suisse a velo. Maps of the 3,300 km of largely traffic-free paths with notes in English are available from tourist offices. Swiss National Survey maps can be obtained from Stanfords (020-7836 1321; www.stanfords.co.uk)

If you want to ease yourself into cycling with a gentler experience, LB Freedom Tours (01442 263377; www.lbfreedomtours.com) offers independent bike tours of Vaud and the Valais with hybrids rather than MTBs (pounds 725 for 7 days to pounds 995 or 13 days excluding flights). Flights are also excluded from eight- or 12-day tours (pounds 599-pounds 829) of the Valais from Freewheel Europe (02920 786650; www.freewheelholidays.com), which leaves plenty of time for exploring family-run and historic hotels.

Anthony Lambert is author of `Switzerland: Rail - Road - Lake' (Bradt, pounds 12.95)

BRING YOUR OWN, OR RENT A BIKE?

Eurostar (08705 186 186; www.eurostar.com) accepts folding and dismantled bikes in zip-up bags as part of your luggage allowance. For an extra pounds 20 bikes can be sent one-way from London Waterloo.

Using trains and ferries avoids having to dismantle the bike. Bikes are carried free on trains from Victoria/Charing Cross to Dover before 4pm and after 7pm, followed by a SeaCat (0870 240 8070; www.hoverspeed.com) crossing (pounds 3 for bike) or free on P&O Ferries (0870 6000 611; www.poferries.com). Bikes are free of charge on trains from Calais and Boulogne to Paris.

Check with Rail Europe Ltd (08705 848 848; www.raileurope.co.uk) which TGVs or other trains from Paris to Zurich, Bern, Geneva and Lausanne accept bikes. Space is limited and reservations are required. A bike bag greatly increases flexibility. For advice log on to www.bikeaccess.net.

Bike hire in Switzerland is made easy by a facility at over 100 stations. Rent a Bike (www.rentabike.ch) offers 24-speed MTBs; rear racks for panniers are generally fitted only to 24- speed Countrybikes. The stock of 4,000 bikes is renewed every year so you are assured of a roadworthy steed. If you hire for a full day or more, you don't even have to return the bike to the station you hired it from, allowing you to plan linear journeys. Day hire is pounds 15, or pounds 18 if you want to return it to a different station. There are discounts for children and longer hire. Reservations are advisable in summer.

Source: Independent, The; London (UK)

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