ALPINE BIKE SWITZERLAND - SELF GUIDED BIKING HOLIDAY … · Days/Biking Days: 7/5 Nights: 6 Average Daily Distance/Height: 42km/1209m Grade: Strenuous DAY 1 Arrive Starting Point:

ALPINE BIKE SWITZERLAND - SELF GUIDED BIKING HOLIDAY

Ride the Swiss Alps and experience huge climbs, epic descents and the spectacular mountain

scenery on The Alpine Bike trail. The Alpine Bike Trail is a 665 km fully sign-posted mountain bike

trail across Switzerland through the Swiss Alps. The Alpine Bike Trail passes through some of the

most spectacular Alpine Passes and is perfect for fit riders with good technical skills as some of

the descents are very challenging.

Starting in the East of Switzerland in Scuol the fully way marked trail passes through some of the best

mountain scenery Switzerland offers. It goes without saying that the riding is mind-blowing. You stay in

famous resorts including St. Moritz and Grindelwald and ride past the Eiger. This trip delivers a true

mountain biking adventure of epic proportions.

Macs Adventure offers “Alpine Bike Switzerland” in three sections of unforgettable riding. So you can

choose to simply bike a fiver or six day section or take on the full transalpine challenge from Scuol to

Aigle. Your holiday includes hand-picked overnight accommodation in high quality hotels, country inns,

and guesthouses, daily door to door baggage transfers, comprehensive route notes, a detailed map and

pre-departure information pack as well as emergency support.

Breathtaking views of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau as you bike through theBernese Oberland.

Traditional Swiss hospitality in this spectacular mountain area.

Big Alpine climbs and even bigger descents.

Arriving at a new village each afternoon after a great day of riding.

Achieving a true Trans Alps mountain bike adventure.

WHY CHOOSE A SELF GUIDED MOUNTAIN BIKE HOLIDAY WITH US?

Macs Adventure is a small, energetic company dedicated to delivering adventure excellence. We are

passionate about delivering outstanding mountain bike holidays where every last detail is taken care of. As

active mountain bikers with a passion for travel we understand what makes for an unforgettable

adventure. Great trails, breathtaking scenery and warm, welcoming accommodation, all backed up by

outstanding customer service.

Each holiday we offer is unique, tailor made to meet your requirements. From your first contact with Macs

Adventure you will deal with a local specialist who knows the region intimately. They will help you to make

the most of your time biking in Switzerland with their in-depth knowledge of the route, accommodation and

must-see attractions on the way.

Self guided mountain bike holidays are an unforgettable way to discover some of the best riding

Switzerland has to offer. Choose your own start dates, customise your itinerary and ride with your

mountain biking friends. Free to ride at your own pace and discover hidden singletrack you will discover

the beauty of the landscape, the most amazing biking and true essence of Switzerland.

TO BOOK PLEASE VISIT WWW.MACSADVENTURE.COM OR CALL +44 (0) 845 527 7871

HIGHLIGHTS

WHAT’S INCLUDED?

Accommodation: Hand-picked 3 and 4* hotels andcountry inns in ensuite rooms.Meals: Breakfast included. Lunch and dinner notincluded but always available at accommodation ornearby.Baggage Transfer: Door-to-door baggage transfer.Guidebook: Guidebook including mapsSupport: Emergency HelplineTravel: Not included, transfers available.

IS IT FOR ME?

This is a challenging mountain bike tour suitable forexperienced and skilled mountain bikers. If the thoughof between 1000 and 1500m of ascent/descentthrough spectacular alpine scenery gets you hot underthe collar this is the trip for you.

Tour: Alpine Bike SwitzerlandCode: BSSwABType: Self-Guided Mountain Biking HolidayPrice : See websiteDates: 1st June—15th OctBiking Days: 5, 10 or 16Nights: 6, 11 or 17Start: ScuolFinish: AigleDistance: 210, 250 or 665kmGrade: Strenuous

SUMMARY

ALPINE BIKE SWITZERLAND

SELF GUIDED MOUNTAIN BIKING HOLIDAY


Code: BSwSA

Days: From 7 to 18 (5-16 Days Riding)

Nights: From 6 to 17

Average Daily Distance/Height: 42 Km/1420m

DESCRIPTION

The Alpine Bike Trail is a challenging but

inspiring mountain bike route across Switzerland.

We offer the route in three separate sections so

you can choose to ride just one 200km section or

combine two or even three together for a 665km

epic.

GRADE

This route is graded strenuous as it passes

through a tough mountain region, averages over

1400m ascent/descent each day and both the

ascents and descents are technical at times.

Although some of the route is on good paths and

minor roads much of the route is on rough and

challenging singletrack and some days you will

resort to pushing.

NAVIGATION

This route is fully signposted but we recommend

that you can read a map and use a compass.

ITINERARY

Choose from one of the following itineraries or

join two or more sections together for a longer,

more challenging holiday.

SECTION 1: SCUOL TO THUSIS (210KM)

Description: The first section of The Alpine Bike

Route passes through the Swiss National Park

and the well known mountain resorts of Livigno

and St.Moritz on its route through this beautiful

section of the Swiss and Italian Alps.

Days/Biking Days: 7/5

Nights: 6

Average Daily Distance/Height: 42km/1209m

Grade: Strenuous

DAY 1

Arrive Starting Point: Scuol

We recommend flying to Zurich and catching the

train for making use of our transfer service to the

start at Scuol.

DAY 2

Scuol to Sta.Maria 40 km (1172m)

The first stage leads from Scuol on the border

with the Swiss National Park along to the little

Alpine village of S-charl and over the Pass da

Costainas (2251m) into the Münstertal valley.

Overnight Sta.Maria.

DAY 3

Sta. Maria to Livigno (IT) 35 km(1361m)

The Val Mora valley is renowned for its

magnificent mountain landscape and rich wildlife.

From the Passo Val Mora (1934m), the route

crosses the border to Italy and leads on to the

Lago di S.Giacomo and Lago di Livigno and the

well-known Winter and Summer sports resort of

Livigno / IT. Overnight Livigno

DAY 4

LIVIGNO to ST.MORITZ 44 km(1196m)

The Chaschauna pass is one of the highest

obstacles on the Alpine Bike route at 2694m

high. This is followed by a descent down to

Oberengadin and on to S-chanf and a relaxing

journey through the champagne climate on to

St.Moritz. Overnight St. Moritz or surrounding

area.

DAY 5

ST.MORITZ to BIVIO 50 km (1170m)

The stretch along the magnificent Oberengadiner

lakes is pure pleasure. The easy going, however,

ends just before the Malojapass (1815m) where

even the strongest mountain bikers are sure to

walking by the time they reach the Pass da Sett

(Septimerpass 2310m). Overnight Bivio

DAY 6

BIVIO to THUSIS 54 km (1150m)

The valley stretch from Bivio down to

Tiefencastel and Thusis (720m) offers a chance

to relax and offers a cracking mixture of fire

roads and singletrack riding. Overnight: Thusis.

DAY 7

Onward Travel

It is an hour and a half transfer to Zurich by

minibus or you can travel by train.


Day Route Km

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Arrive Scuol

Scuol to Sta.Maria

Sta.Maria to Livigno(IT)

Livigno to St.Moritz

St.Moritz to Bivio

Bivio to Thusis

Onward Travel

0

40

35

44

50

54

0

Total Distance 210

DETAILED ITINERARY: BSWSA1




SECTION 2: THUSIS TO MEIRINGEN(211KM)

Description: Five days of classic riding through

the heart of Switzerland. You will visit the

Safiental valley, home of the Wals culture,

Surselva, one of the last remaining regions

where Rhaeto-Romance languages are spoken

and of course cross some huge alpine passes.


Nights: 6


Grade: Strenuous

DAY 1

Arrive Starting Point: Thusis

We recommend flying to Zurich and catching the

train for making use of our transfer service

(1h30) to the start at Thusis. Overnight Thusis.

DAY 2

Thusis to Safien 25 km (1974m)

The start is brutal as you climb over 1000m to

cross the Glaspass (1816m) into the Safiental

valley, which is home to the traditional

Walserhaus buildings made from dark wood.

DAY 3

Safien to Lumbrien 41 km (1591m)

A varied and interesting days riding through

classic mountain bike territory. The route which

first passes through the Tomulpass (2412m),

popular with mountain bikers, down to the

Valsertal valley. In Vals, a visit to the thermal

baths, built by a renowned architect, is a must –

the route then leads on to Lumnez.

DAY 4

Lumbrien to Disentis 44km (1050m)

A breathtaking day of riding starts with a long

and steep climb through classic Swiss mountain

scenery to Alp Nova (2078m). An almost

continuous fast and fluid 25km descent ends at

Trun on the valley floor. There are various places

of interest in the 10km’s before you reach

Disentis and its hot springs.

DAY 5

Disentis to Andermatt 44km (1800m)

An absolutely world class day of riding through

high alpine scenery. A long and tough climb

(including some pushing) eventually ends at

Maighelspass. The descent through meadows of

Alpine flowers is fast and technical and will test

even the most skilled riders.

DAY 6

Andermatt to Meiringen 57km(1600m)

Another wonderful day of riding takes you up a

rocky alpine track that leads ever higher to the

Sustenpass (2255m). Your efforts are rewarded

with a fantastic view as the glacier covered

Bernese Oberland reveals itself. The downhill

that follows is surrounded by huge mountains

and glaciers.

DAY 7

Onward Travel.Train (2h00) or private transfer

(1h300) to Zurich. For Geneva add an extra hour.

SECTION 3: MEIRINGEN TO AIGLE(250KM)

Description: Riding perfect mountain bike trails

through the picture perfect Bernese Oberland

you will experience mountain bike heaven. After

six days of grin inducing riding you reach Aigle

on Lake Geneva.


Nights: 7


Grade: Strenuous

DAY 1

Arrive Starting Point: Meiringen

We recommend flying to Zurich or Geneva and

catching the train for making use of our transfer

service to the start at Meiringen.

DAY 2

Meiringen to Grindelwald 28km(1402m)

Today’s route offers the very best the Alps have

to offer: crossing the Grosser Scheidegg

(1962m) provides breathtaking views of the

famous Bernese Oberland peaks of Eiger,

Mönch and Jungfrau. The glacier village of

Grindelwald is also the perfect place to take a





Day Route Km

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Arrive Thusis

Thusis to Safien

Safien to Lumbrien

Lumbrien to Disentis

Disentis to Andermatt

Andermatt to Meiringen

Onward Travel

0

25

41

44

44

57

0

Total Distance 211


Day Route Km

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

Arrive Meiringen

Meiringen to Grindelwald

Grindelwald to Interlaken

Interlaken to Adelboden

Adelboden to Gstaad

Gstaad to Col des Mosses

Col des Mosses to Aigle

Onward Travel

0

28

40

63

44

45

30

0

Total Distance 250

break.

DAY 3

Grindelwald to Interlaken 40 km(1188m)

Take a side trip from Kleine Scheidegg (2061m)

to Jungfraujoch by rack railway through the

Eiger. Facing the Eigernordwand the route

climbs steeply to Kleine Scheidegg to emerge

into a tourist trap, but the steep and technical

descent to Lauterbrunnental via Wengen awaits

you. A gentle coast take you to Interlaken.

DAY 4

Interlaken to Adelboden 63km(2200m)

A technically easy but physically challenging day

as you climb and climb and then climb some

more. The views are great but don’t hold your

breath for any technical singletrack.

DAY 5

Adelboden to Gstaad 44km (1100m)

The Hahnenmoospass (1950m), the magnificent

Simmental valley, the Saanenmöser mountain

pass and finally the resort of Gstaad, popular

with celebrities, all ensure that this is a relaxing

stretch through the picture-perfect landscape of

the Bernese Oberland with no big obstacles to

tackle.

DAY 6

Gstaad to Col Des Mosses 45 km(1662m)

The route reaches another challenging point

between Saanen and Château d’Oex, giving you

the opportunity to experience the world of the

Alpine dairies and cheese production at close

range in Pays d’Enhaut.

DAY 7

Col Des Mosses to Aigle 30 km(790m)

The route leads on to Leysin and to the Yvorne

vineyards, ending in the little town of Aigle,

renowned for its white wines and located by Lake

Geneva. A relaxing finish to a fabulous mountain

bike adventure.

DAY 8

Onward Travel

Geneva Airport is 1 hour by car &1h30 by train.

ALPINE BIKE TRAIL: SCUOL TO AIGLE(665KM)

Description: A true trans Alp mountain biking

adventure for the truly dedicated mountain biker

looking for the ultimate Alpine biking adventure.


Nights: 17


Grade: Strenuous

Itinerary: Combine sections 1,2 & 3.

Travel: We suggest you fly into Zurich and out of

Geneva.

East to West

We only offer this route from East to West due to

the logistics of our baggage transfer system.

Additional Nights

Many of our clients choose to add extra nights

along the route, either for a break or to explore

more of Switzerland on your bike or on foot. A

rest day is highly recommended if you are doing

2 or more sections.

Fewer Days/Nights

If you wish to reduce the number of days or

nights we can tailor your trip to your

requirements by combining stages or perhaps

shortening the route.

Accommodation

You will stay in carefully selected local 3 and 4

star hotels each night, although in remote

locations the hotels may be more basic. Ensuite

double/twin rooms with ensuite bath or shower

and w/c are booked as standard. A traditional

Swiss breakfast is included each morning. We

specifically choose the hotels to ensure that you

enjoy every minute of your stay. All offer a warm

welcome to bikers, traditional hospitality and

delicious local food.

Single Rooms

This self guided mountain biking holiday is not

available to solo bikers. If you require single

rooms in your party we will of course try to

accommodate your request, subject to

availability. A single supplement will be payable.

Accommodation Location

We will always try and accommodate you at the

locations detailed in the itinerary, but because of

limited availability we may have to occasionally

accommodate you at an alternative location. We

will inform you if this is the case. Accommodation

will always be ride in/ride out.

Meals

A traditional breakfast is included each morning.

Lunch and dinner are not included so you are

free to choose from the available options. Most of

your accommodations will more than happy to

provide a packed lunch on request and this can

be booked on arrival. Alternatively you can pick

up lunch from local shops and convenient lunch

stops on the way. Dinner is available either at

your accommodation or nearby restaurants.


HOLIDAY INFORMATION

RECOMMENDATIONS




Baggage Transfer

Your bags will be transferred from your

accommodation as per your itinerary and moved

onto your next overnight accommodation each

day. We ask you to limit your luggage to one bag

of up to 20kg per person.

Equipment

Your information pack has a detailed equipment

list. You will need a good quality mountain bike

and gear for a day out on the bike in the

mountains.

Bike Hire

Full suspension mountain bike hire is available.

Bikes are Concept Cycle bikes with Deore disc

brakes, Rock Shox Tora forks and weigh 12.8kg.

Price available on booking.

Availability

This biking holiday is available between 1st of

June and 15th October. You can start on any

date that suits your travel plans and you will find

up to date availability on our website. Note that

some of the high passes may still be snow

covered into June.

Please check our website for current prices.

Included

Hotel accommodation in ensuite rooms withbreakfast.

Door to door baggage transfer.

A detailed info pack, route notes and map forthe group leader.

Emergency telephone helpline in the event ofa problem.

Excluded

Travel to the start finish point of your tour.

Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks.

Travel Insurance.

Personal Equipment.

Taxi transfers or public transport should youneed to skip a stage.

Getting to/from Switzerland

We recommend flying into Zurich for tours on the

east of Switzerland and Geneva for those on the

west.

All start and end points are accessible by rail and

taking your bike on the train is no problem.

We offer a minibus transfer service from all

airports to all start/end points for a fixed fee per

person.

Financial Security

Total Payment Protection Policy (topp) cover:

In compliance with the UK Package Travel,

Package Holidays and Package Tours

Regulations 1992 an insurance policy has been

arranged with Travel & General Insurance

Company plc to protect customers’ prepayments

paid in respect of:

non-flight inclusive packages commencing andreturning to the UK

the ground handling aspects of packageswhere the customer is responsible forarranging travel to the destination offered inthis literature (subject to the terms of theinsurance policy), for:

a refund of such prepayments if customershave not yet travelled

making arrangements to enable the holiday tocontinue if customers have already travelled orin the unlikely event of our financial failure.

Travel Insurance

We strongly recommend taking out travel

insurance to cover cancellation or curtailment of

your holiday. We do not sell Travel Insurance,

but for UK residents would recommend the

services of Sports Cover Direct whose Venture

Guard Product is suitable for our walking

holidays. They can be contacted as follows.

Phone: +44845 120 6400

Web: www.sportscoverdirect.com

Responsible Tourism

We operate adventures in some of the most

spectacular wilderness areas in Europe and try

to operate in an environmentally aware and

sustainable manner. We do this by:

Operating walking and biking adventures which

are a low impact form of sustainable tourism.

Encourage the use of public transport for travel

to or from our adventures by supplying detailed

information on the services available.

We operate small group adventures which

minimize the impact on the environment and

other users.

We support local business by buying local and

using locally owned accommodation and

services.

We encourage the use of Carbon Offsetting as

travel does have a hidden cost. Air Travel

produces an inordinate amount of Carbon

Dioxide emissions which contribute to climate

change. Help to minimise the impact of your

journey by offsetting your carbon emissions. Visit

The Carbon Neutral Company for further details.

Web: www.carbonneutral.com

Once you have read all the information in this

factsheet or our website and decided on your

preferred itinerary, visit our website or give us a

call to confirm availability. You can then book by

any of the following methods:

Book Securely Online:www.macsadventure.com

PRICE




TRAVEL INFORMATION

HOW TO BOOK

Telephone: +44 (0) 845 527 7871

Fax/Post: Download or request a booking formand post it to Macs Adventure, Unit 510, 355Byres Road, Glasgow, G12 8QZ, UK or fax itto +44 (0) 845 527 5688

Please don’t hesitate to contact us by phone on

+44 (0) 845 527 7871 or email:

[email protected] if you have any

queries and one of our expert customer service

team will be happy to help.

“ Cara and I had originally planned too ride

the route unsupported. In the end we went

with Macs Adventure and loved every second

of it. Having a change of clothes ferried from

one hostel or B&B to the next was nothing

short of luxurious. Superb picnic lunches

were a real treat, and it was great not to have

to scrabble around with a bunch of soggy OS

maps when it poured down. As the riding was

so good it also meant we could make the

most of the trails without a heavy backpack

weighing us down. The Atmosphere at Macs

Adventure was superb; organised but laid

back, like we were with a bunch of mates."

Cass Gilbert writing in What Mountain Bike

Magazine about one of our mountain bike

holidays - February 06

“Hey guys;

We really had a fantastic time. Thanks formaking our trip quite memorable, and putting upwith two old folks.”

Dick Gowin, Atlanta, USA

BOOK WITH CONFIDENCE

Macs Adventure has arranged an insurance

policy with Travel & General Insurance Plc to

ensure that all monies you pay for a trip are fully

protected.

Macs Adventure has been operating since 2003

and operates according to the highest

professional standards and the Working with

VisitScotland Code of Conduct.




Documents

ALPINE BIKE SWITZERLAND - SELF GUIDED BIKING HOLIDAY … · Days/Biking Days: 7/5 Nights: 6 Average Daily Distance/Height: 42km/1209m Grade: Strenuous DAY 1 Arrive Starting Point: