roubaixtuesday
self serving virtue signaller
Just back from a 15 day tandem tour from Basel, where we drove and dumped the car with friends.
The route was based around swimming in as many lakes as possible, and featured five countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and France. There was significant climbing in the Black Forest, Alps and the Jura.
First was the Black Forest, climbing in the heat from the Rhine to the Schluchsee. This really took it out of us, but we soon recovered a reviving swim and walking around the amazing flower sculptures
Then down to the Bodensee, with a day envisaged as a gentle potter through the vineyards by the lakeside. Alas, as it pissed down from dawn to dusk, so we instead charged as fast as possible into Austria and our accommodation, dripping dirty water over the fancy reception.
Onwards back to Germany (Bavaria now) and the beautiful Alpsee
then briefly through Austria and up the stunning Rhine cycleway with a detour to Vaduz, Lichtenstein to our first "rest" day at the amazing Walensee, with its 1500m cliff wall.
A lovely day walking in the mountains, taking advantage of the gondola, then a couple of very hard days with 1500m+ cols: over the Pragelpass to Brunnen on Lake Lucerne, then a ferry over the lake to climb the Glaubenbielen pass to Sörenberg in the mountains behind Interlaken.
Brunnen
Lunch spot before suffering up the 1100m ascent of the Glaubenbielen
A very scenic ride to Thun
and then started to head to lake Neuchatel, via Fribourg and the small but wonderful and bonkers Espace Jean Tinguely - Niki de Saint Phalle in Fribourg
More restful rest day in Estavayer le Lac in a camping cabin
with a memorable view of the lunar eclipse, then into the Jura, which was new to us.
There *should* have been an amazing panorama of the Alps from the 1502m mountaintop Col du Chasseral, but nature intervened, with us inside thick cloud at the summit.
A very enjoyable couple of days in the Doubs valley with its cheeses, then back to Basel.
Looks like I've run out of pics, only 10 allowed...
Overall ~1000 km, 11000m climbing
The route was based around swimming in as many lakes as possible, and featured five countries: Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Liechtenstein and France. There was significant climbing in the Black Forest, Alps and the Jura.
First was the Black Forest, climbing in the heat from the Rhine to the Schluchsee. This really took it out of us, but we soon recovered a reviving swim and walking around the amazing flower sculptures
Then down to the Bodensee, with a day envisaged as a gentle potter through the vineyards by the lakeside. Alas, as it pissed down from dawn to dusk, so we instead charged as fast as possible into Austria and our accommodation, dripping dirty water over the fancy reception.
Onwards back to Germany (Bavaria now) and the beautiful Alpsee
then briefly through Austria and up the stunning Rhine cycleway with a detour to Vaduz, Lichtenstein to our first "rest" day at the amazing Walensee, with its 1500m cliff wall.
A lovely day walking in the mountains, taking advantage of the gondola, then a couple of very hard days with 1500m+ cols: over the Pragelpass to Brunnen on Lake Lucerne, then a ferry over the lake to climb the Glaubenbielen pass to Sörenberg in the mountains behind Interlaken.
Brunnen
Lunch spot before suffering up the 1100m ascent of the Glaubenbielen
A very scenic ride to Thun
and then started to head to lake Neuchatel, via Fribourg and the small but wonderful and bonkers Espace Jean Tinguely - Niki de Saint Phalle in Fribourg
More restful rest day in Estavayer le Lac in a camping cabin
with a memorable view of the lunar eclipse, then into the Jura, which was new to us.
There *should* have been an amazing panorama of the Alps from the 1502m mountaintop Col du Chasseral, but nature intervened, with us inside thick cloud at the summit.
A very enjoyable couple of days in the Doubs valley with its cheeses, then back to Basel.
Looks like I've run out of pics, only 10 allowed...
Overall ~1000 km, 11000m climbing
