June 7, 2014

We set off with high hopes of our trip over the next couple of days along the Rhone, especially, as for once we are going the right way – that is we are following the river down the mountain. We established last night, however, that there are two possible routes out of the valley – one involves a four-hour climb to a glacier and the other involves a 30 minute journey through a tunnel on a car transporter train. What would you choose? For once, we choose the route you would have done and get on the train.

The other side of the tunnel the cycle track is marked with the same system as we have been using all the way up from Holland. The route is a long distance cycle route following the Rhone from its source to the Mediterranean sea. However, the first part of the route is along the main road, busy with weekend traffic. In Switzerland the traffic has a much larger than normal proportion of classic cars, sports cars and supercars like Ferraris, Lamborghinis and such like, and the driving is as you would expect – fast and furious. Not really compatible with wobbly overloaded bikes. Fortunately, after about 10 kilometres the signs point us off onto a cycle track. This turns out to be a mixed blessing. The scenery is still stunning but the path is a nightmare. It is a stone and rock track with lots of short, steep inclines which just cannot be ridden up on touring bikes. Even the mountain bikers going by had to get off and walk.  At one point it takes both of us to push one bike at a time up an incline. We spend more time off the bikes than on. We’re losing heart fast.

The last straw is when one of Ken’s panniers collapses with the steel rivets broken through by the continual bouncing of the back wheel over the rocks. We spend an hour doing makeshift repairs with the multi-tool and nuts and bolts. We’ve been on the track for four hours and we’ve done 17 kilometres – at this rate we’ll need to cancel our flight. We decide that we’ll have to make for the main road, even with the horrible traffic and head to the next main place, Brig, to look at the option of travelling with the bikes by train.

On the main road we covered just over 30 kilometres in just over an hour. A complete contrast with the last four hours, but there is nothing pleasant about this type of cycling. At the railway station we find that we can catch a train, there and then, to Geneva and that every train has facilities for carrying bikes. At this stage we just want to get to Geneva and relax. The train journey is two and a half hours, not quite as relaxing as it could have been because we have the worry of getting the two bikes and 10 bags off the train in Geneva in the 2 minute stop time. We have visions of us and the bags on the platform and the bikes being carried off on the train or vice versa. We’re lucky that a group of young lads help us when we arrive by grabbing some of the bags. Geneva is heaving with people as there is some sort of festival going on and getting through and to the camp-site we have located on the map takes an age. Nevertheless, we get there – it is closed for the evening, but we set up anyway with the intention of sorting it all out in the morning and staying for the couple of days before our flight.

So the trip is over – shame, but we made it and we’re already discussing plans for the next one.