Ideas for a ‘Swiss’ tour and Strada Val Ferret

[Thehairs1970]

We are heading to the Alps next summer to catch up with some friends who live near the eastern end of Lake Geneva. We are trying to get some ideas together of routes to do. Planning on 50km a day (ish) full camping kit for about 10 days. Anybody any experience or ideas to share?

One specific question - is it possible to use a touring bike to get from one end of Strada Val Ferret to the other?

Thanks

[Jezrant]

If you mean going from the Italian Val Ferret to the Swiss Val Ferret (or vice versa), you can do it on a conventional touring bike by walking and carrying it over the col. With full camping kit? Do you like suffering? It is a long slog on foot (it’s part of the Tour de Mont Blanc). It’s possible for a very fit MTBer. You could practice by trying to ride up Scafell.

If your friends are in Switzerland, the cycling in the Vaud is delightful and the passes less tiring and quieter than the alpine cols. You could do a lovely circuit of the Vaud and a bit of the Bernese Oberland. Swiss trains and some buses also carry bikes. On the other hand, if you really want to haul your touring bike with full camping kit across the valleys, there are lots of spots near the col for a superb bivvy with one of the most fantastic views of the 'back' of the Grandes Jorasses. I once spent a wonderful night at the Lacs de Fenetre, which has the most stunning views, but I was on foot.

[roubaixtuesday]

If you fancy a luggage free and traffic light day, the dead end road up the Col du Sanetsch from Sion is wonderful.

[Jezrant]

Ah, think I misunderstood you judging from roubaixtuesday’s suggestion about Sanetsch. Yes, you can ride a touring bike up the Italian Val Ferret for a few miles on tarmac. It then turns into what the Italians call ‘jeepabile’ , i.e. a dirt track, which is used for delivering supplies to the Rifugio Elena and forms part of the TMB.

[pwa]

Ah, think I misunderstood you judging from roubaixtuesday’s suggestion about Sanetsch. Yes, you can ride a touring bike up the Italian Val Ferret for a few miles on tarmac. It then turns into what the Italians call ‘jeepabile’ , i.e. a dirt track, which is used for delivering supplies to the Rifugio Elena and forms part of the TMB.

Is this it?
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.8776146 ... FQAw%3D%3D
You can sometimes recce routes on Streetview, which takes out the guesswork when it is possible.
On that specific bit, I'd be happy with 35mm / 37mm rubber and a generous gap to mudguards if fitted. Wider rubber would be even nicer, but not at the expense of inadequate gap between guards and tyre. And I do like to have guards in northern Italy, even in summer. When it rains there, it really does rain.

[Jezrant]

BTW, since you're thinking of camping, there are quite a few proper campsites within close proximity of the TMB. For example, there's a very good campsite in La Fouly, which is near the end of the road that goes up the quiet Swiss Ferret Val. The Swiss Val Ferret is a bit of a hidden gem (not a lot to do there, which may appeal to some and bore others to death, but you could walk from there up to the Lacs de Fenetre as mentioned before for a bivvy and experience an amazing sunset and sunrise looking out to the south side of the Mont Blanc massif). There's also camping in the charming village of Champed, which is one of those many places in Switzerland that seem to be stuck in a 1960s timewarp. The Rhone valley also has several other beautiful lateral valleys besides Sanetsch suggested above (although Sanestch is pretty spectacular, so much so that coaches go up there stuffed with tourists) if you like going up and down the same road, perhaps the most famous being the Mattertal, the valley that goes up to Zermatt and eventually ... the Matterhorn.

[Jezrant]

Ah, think I misunderstood you judging from roubaixtuesday’s suggestion about Sanetsch. Yes, you can ride a touring bike up the Italian Val Ferret for a few miles on tarmac. It then turns into what the Italians call ‘jeepabile’ , i.e. a dirt track, which is used for delivering supplies to the Rifugio Elena and forms part of the TMB.

Is this it?
https://www.google.com/maps/@45.8776146 ... FQAw%3D%3D
You can sometimes recce routes on Streetview, which takes out the guesswork when it is possible.
On that specific bit, I'd be happy with 35mm / 37mm rubber and a generous gap to mudguards if fitted. Wider rubber would be even nicer, but not at the expense of inadequate gap between guards and tyre. And I do like to have guards in northern Italy, even in summer. When it rains there, it really does rain.

Sorry, I'm having technical probs with google maps on my phone but there are rideable jeep tracks leading up to huts all over the Alps.

PS: ok, got the images now. yes, that looks like the track. The surface isn’t bad, nor the gradient. it gets worse higher up but it’s rideable at least on an MTB. It’s not the sort of thing I’d enjoy on a touring bike, maybe a decent gravel bike ok. And yes, streetview is a fantastic aid for planning a route/trip.

[Nealc]

The col de ferret appears to have c500m vertical climbing once the jeep track runs out on either side. That puts you firmly into MTB I would have thought.

I would be looking away from the biggest mountains for the quieter touring roads i.e. the jura, elemental, and the vaud as mentioned above. The swiss route 4 above aigle is esp good.

[Jezrant]

Sorry it was my misunderstanding about the Val Ferret question. Yes, it’s definitely MTB territory if you were wanting to traverse the col from the Italian Val Ferret to the Swiss Val Ferret.
I once recommended cycling around the Vaud to the OP a few years ago on a thread about a trip to Cern if I’m not mistaken. My view hasn’t changed, and also agree about the Jura and Emmental. Off the beaten track and less hard work than slogging up the big tick cols in the Alps on a touring bike with ‘full camping kit’. Just me 2 centîmes.

[Thehairs1970]

Thanks for the replies. I have checked using street view now ( was on Apple Maps before) and I think it’s a resounding NO! With full touring kit, I think it’ll be too much pain and little pleasure.

My thought at the Mo is to go east up the valley following the same route as the E62 road to Gletsch, then over the top to Innertkirchen before continuing to Interlaken, Spiez and then back over the top to Ollons. BUT it’s early days…

[Jezrant]

You realise the whole long stretch of the Rhone Valley from Martigny until just before Grimsel you won’t see any of the 4000m peaks? Grimselpass will however give you the first real sense that you’re actually in the Alps. Not suggesting a change of plans. Just wondering if you have an idea of what riding up the Rhone valley is really like. That said, there are some pretty vineyards and picturesque villages along the way if you don’t mind a little detour or two.

[MrsHJ]

There are some tours suggested in the Swiss tourism page. https://www.myswitzerland.com/en/experi ... cle-tours/

I’ve only done the Rhone route and if you start at the Rhône glacier it’s both interesting and very pretty but a lot of the route is down a major valley that also houses a fair bit of industry, a motorway and a railway so it isn’t the quietest option! A lot of it is in dedicated paths or very quiet roads though. I haven’t done the Rhine route- that looks a bit more up and down. Having said that Switzerland wouldn’t worry me climbing wise as public transport that takes bikes is so comprehensive that most climbs will have bail out options.

[Jezrant]

Unless you're riding over the big passes, the funny thing about cycling in Switzerland is you don’t see up close the tremendous glaciated Alps of picture postcards. Many tourists first or only experience of the Alps is going to Chamonix, but Chamonix is quite unique in the Alps as a big town right at the foot of enormous glaciers spilling down to the valley floor. You don’t get awesome views like that cycling around on the roads in Switzerland except from the big passes or at the top of dead end valleys (like roubaixtuesday's epic Sanetsch ride, chapeau jeune homme!). The major peaks and glaciers are largely hidden from view or seen from afar. Circumnavigating the Bernese Oberland, which is essentially what this route does, it would be worth a detour or two to see some of the truly breath-taking sights of the Bernese Oberland like the north face of the Eiger up close or the Aletsch glacier from the Valais side.

Great photo (not mine) from Zombie Cyclist blog of a 1960s AYH cycling trip (author's Hetchins in the pic).

[Jezrant]

I was thinking a bit more about this plan of yours. I'd do that route the other way around, i.e. clockwise, coming down the Rhone instead of going up it.
However, I have another suggestion, skipping the Rhone and Grimselpas, which may sound like I'm repeating myself, well, I guess I am. Anyway, the countryside in the Vaud and the north side of the Bernese Oberland is really beautiful. It's worth savouring it. The Pays d'Enhaut, Simmental, etc, these are stunning regions. A large part of the attractiveness comes from the dairy farming that is heavily subsidised by the Swiss govt (we won't go into where they get that money from), much more so than their EC neighbours, where small-family farming has virtually died out. It's quintessential Swiss countryside with chocolate box perfect lovingly maintained old wooden chalets everywhere. Heading that way from your friends in the Vaud, if you wanted to take in some culture, Bern is a lovely town that has the superb Klee museum. Fribourg is charming, too. You could also include a couple of the lakes, and then wind your way back to your friends' place. I think I mentioned it to you in your old thread about going to Cern that the views of the foothills of Haute Savoie from the steeply terraced vineyards in the Vaud overlooking Lake Geneva are absolutely stunning. It's called the Swiss Riviera, and it's not an exaggeration. There are a few very quiet little farm lanes in and around the vineyards well worth exploring leisurely. Very good wine too, worth a visit to a cave (ditto for the Valais if you do decide to ride up or down the Rhone valley).

Some ideas and nice pix here:
https://www.alpesvaudoises.ch/fr/

[Thehairs1970]

I think I mentioned it to you in your old thread about going to Cern

Well that was many moons ago. We went to CERN, son loved it. We also loved the high alps which is why we want to go back so having heard what people say here, we might go south if Chamonix and see what we find.

Thanks for all the info folks!