Gurnigel

Gurnigel! What am I talking about, you may ask? Not an easy place to find, but like a lot of hidden places in Switzerland you normally have to be recommended by a Swiss person or someone that has been there. Well today the weather looked ok, some clouds and a forecast of rain, but around 10:00 this morning it looked fine, so I thought I would take advantage of this and get out on my bike, yes my motorbike. Not really sure on where to go, but somewhere not too far in case the rain did come, so I thought Gurnigel. I could barely remember how to get there as it has been nearly a year since I was last there. Although I have GPS on my bike, it only helps if you know the name of the destination and I could not remember, but a had a pretty good idea where it was, and I knew once I got there I could save the coordinates and then I would have this listed in my favorites so as not to forget for next time. The ride out was beautiful, as there was hardly any traffic on the road towards Belp, before I turn right and head off up the hills for Riggisberg. I cannot describe how perfect the scenery is as you climb higher and higher, with the mountains off in the distance and the low lands of Belp airport (Bern airport), disappearing as I wind my way through the smaller country roads. The temperature was perfect, around 24' with a slight breeze and lots of sunny spells with a few clouds dotted around the skyline as I motored along in perfect harmony with my Triumph, which was making easy work of the hills as I passed all the cyclists destine for the summit. Having passed Riggisberg I carried on until I found Gurnigel where I stopped for a comfort break, some lunch and to take in the fanatic view of the mountains and lake Thun in the distance. Once refreshed it was time to complete the circuit and return home, just as the rain started although not too heavy, so I made it home just as the heaven opened up and it poured down, but luckily for me I was home dry! One thing I did notice was a Western style ranch, which looked great fun, so I checked it out on the internet and fancy myself as 'John Wayne' so will inquire about a day’s western style horse riding. Looks fun!

La Chasseral

Having a motorbike in Switzerland can be great fun, but with a country that has thousands of wonderful places to visit, it is often a daunting challenge to think where to go. It's therefore good to ask friends, colleagues or native Swiss people for ideas and start from there. Last week I was on my colleagues sail boat on Lake Neuchâtel (biggest all Swiss lake in Switzerland, around 40klm in length), when I spotted a massive Swisscom communications tower on top of a hill and was told this is La Chasseral in the French speaking region.

So all geared up and GPS system set to La Chasseral as my destination, I was ready to go. Heading off in the direction of Neuchâtel and Biel, I was on my way to explore another region of Switzerland on my list of many. After 30 minutes of riding, passed along Lake Biel to Vingelz and then ascend towards Lamboing. From here I rode around Mont Sujet in a Northwestern direction up to Mét. de Prêles. While one would expect cows to be grazing here, the beasts one sees are actually buffalos. Then follow the asphalted country road (pretty steep and windy), upwards and get to the Chasseral via Mét. du Milieu de Bienne. The views are breathtaking: the Mittelland is bordered by a ring of alpine peaks. If you fancy going further you can then descent to Nods which can either be done on the road or along steep paths, yes getting off the bike and walking and going in the direction of Twann via Prêles, but I was not in any hurry to leave this scenery, and did not want to walk too far in my leather gear as it was still around 20'.

Once at the top and I parked up my bike along with the many others and headed for the Swisscom communications tower which was not a blip on the hill anymore, this was a magnificent Giraffe like creature (from below), laying claim to the highest peak. I then took a walk along the top (very easy and great views in every direction). With the Jura mountain range on one side, and off in the distance more mountains, which you can see on a clear day 100’s of klms. The snow capped mountaion are a beautiful backdrop to the scenery. I thought of an alternative route back home heading towards Le Doubs which is the river that forms the border between France and Switzerland. This is a great area, or go to St. Imier and then to Saignelegier and then down to Goumois. This being a long way round but has to be a terrific ride on a motorbike. Although for me that would have to wait another day as it was already pushing on into the evening and I wanted to get home before dust fell.

My little French came in handy as all the walkers you meet are French speaking and it's amazing what a Bonjour and a smile can bring. :-)

Tour de Gurten

What can you do on a Friday after work? Well stretch your legs and get out from behind your computer and do something less boring. Leave the week behind you and head of for a nice cycle up the Gurten in Bern. The Gurten is around 900 meters and can be very steep in places, such as the bottom section, a part in the middle and the last couple of bends. Great for a nice walk, but a challenge on a bicycle. It's been a while since I last took to my pedal power and actually cycled up a steep hill, actually a year, so today was a mental and physical challenge to see if I could still do it. So dressed in my shorts and a t-shirt, off I ventured, down to the river Aare and then to Wabern to start my hill climb to the top. Having got to the base camp starting point where the cable car starts (which would have been a better idea to take to the top), I quickly engaged the lower gears on my bike, which seemed to run out pretty quickly, leaving me wishing I had more than 24. Luckily for me the road has recently been resurfaced and instead of a rough track there was nice new black ashfelt lining the tree path. 5 minutes into the first section I thought was it the warm Friday evening sun, or am I just getting too fat and lazy to make my legs rotate. Maybe both, but I persevered and at a snail’s pace very slowly climbed up the first section of the hill. By the time I reached the summit of the first section, a bend in the road where it levels out a little, I was sweating like a fat boy, but determined to get to the top without getting off my bike. It was times like this that I wished I was sitting on my motorbike as this would have been an easy climb and no effort for me. The things we do to try and keep fit, but then sitting behind a desk all day, or on a train, plane or taxi, I do need to kick start some fitness and get rid of some of the corporate dinners. Anyway to cut a long hill short, I finally made it to the top, soaking wet and in need of a new pair of legs as these were burnt out. Having rested for 20 minutes, gassing semi paralyzed into the early evening sky, I finally found the energy to go home. Luckily for me I took a drink and an energy bar with me to get me some light refreshment for the journey home. Descending the hill was too easy and within 5 minutes I was at the bottom, which was a bit of a disappointment as it must have taken 30 minutes to get up. I did get the pleasure to pass other tour de Gurten cyclists on their way up, so it wasn't so bad. This also reminded me of a runner I met on another occasion, running up and down the Gurten. He passed me the previous time going up and I never saw him again until I was coming back down later on, so I stopped him and asked how many times he is running up the Gurten. He replied and said ONLY 3 times, up and down in a circuit, running up the road and down the steps by the cable car. Wow I thought; is this guy crazy? He said this was a warm up ready for a run across the Pyrenees later in the year. So when I think of my pathetic one time hill climb in comparison I do need more exercise.