Pig Crossing

At the top of Gotthard Pass, a narrow country lane runs off the main road for about 2.5 km along a high mountain meadow, through a small rugged Swiss farm and around the next mountain to a panoramic viewpoint.  A sign designates this a mountain bike trail, so Rick and Markham scouted it and found it passable with road bikes--despite a couple gravel stretches--and well worth the effort.  Several of us then biked out to the viewpoint.

On the return, Jim trailed us and, passing through the little farm, nearly T-boned a 300 pound pig.  Or pork-chopped it.  Luckily, Jim`s farming experience in suburban Connecticut  (chickens, goats, fish, and one pig) had prepared him to handle the situation.  He yelled, loudly, "Hey, guys!  Stop!  A pig!"  This caused a couple of us to dismount our bikes on a very steep slope, look back and decide we couldn`t be of help.  

Jim pulled out his cell phone and began snapping pictures, allowing the pig to safely cross the road, which, in turn, allowed Jim to remount his bike and chase us back to Gotthard! 

Sauna, Nakedness and Beer

Markham decided to use the hotel sauna yesterday to speed muscle recovery.  On Todd´s suggestion, he bought a cold beer and took it along, prepared for cool refresher on top of the unclothed European sauna experience.  A fellow hotel patron was already reclining in the heat, a large, SwissGerman speaking gentleman with generous body hair.  He bolted forward when Markham entered and exclaimed emphatically, "No beer!  Hot beer, no!"   Markham placed the beer outside the sauna and re-entered, to the gentleman`s satisfaction.

This has lead us to a number of theories.

1)  the man is a beer lover and objects to hot beer

2) cold beer would adversely change the microclimate of the sauna

3) beer would be too quickly absorbed by a sweaty body, leading to delirium

4) there is a rule that you take NOTHING but yourself into a Swiss sauna

5) the Swiss STILL do not have a sense of humor!

Your insights are appreciated.....

 

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Gotthard Pass

Even the name is meaningful. "Gott" is a German expletive meaning `goshdarn` or something like that, and "hard" speaks for itself.  In fact, this appears to be a pattern in the naming of Swiss mountain passes--consider "Furka Pass" (you supply the translation), which we climbed yesterday, and "Grosse Scheindigg" which we climb tomorrow.  

Be that as it may, the old road up the Gotthard compensates mightily for the 7.2% slope with its charming cobblestones.  The pass is famous historically, as it was first traversed in the early 1200`s with the building of the Devils Bridge, when it was seen as uniting the 4 disparate cultural areas of Switzerland.  The first road, the cobbled remains of which are known as the "old road", was built in the 1830`s and opened cart and wagon traffic through the pass, giving rise to Lucerne as an important Swiss city.  The Gotthard area is still considered the point where Switzerland`s four languages and cultures meet.

Today has been a gorgeous day with clear blue skies and temps rising from the 30`s into the 70`s.  Really, only photos can tell this ride story:  few cars, 8 mi. of quaint cobblestones, 18 switchbacks, and lots of historic engineering scattered amidst mountain grandeur.  (Note: see Chris`s blog referenced earlier--his photos are consistently better than mine!).  We rode to the top in small groups, just loving the day and taking in the sights.  At the top, a Swiss man was grilling bratwurst to classical music under the statue of Saint Gotthard, offering it to us and the many sight-seers for $2 a dog.  The sun shone and we relaxed with a picnic lunch before taking a short side trip to a special viewpoint.  The descent was fast, dry, and a bit shaky until we could leave the cobblestones and rejoin the new road into Andermatt.  Tomorrow we leave for our toughest climbs and a new town.

Day 4: Punting the Passes

Day 4 was supposed to be the hardest day, 102 mi. with 10,000 ft. vert.  Last night, our tour guide, Nel, suggested we simplify our planned route to the one "can´t miss" climb of the trip--the famous Gotthard old road ascent.  We´ve come to trust Nel´s appraisal of our abilities and knowledge of the Swiss terrain.  She`s native to this area, after all.  And so !voila! we turned the hardest day into the easiest day.  Which makes tomorrow the truly hardest day, featuring what Todd has dubbed, "The Red Climbs."  Red is the color of slopes in excess of 10% on our elevation profiles.  

So, today was a 28 km, 3,000 ft. vert. day for some of us.  Howie, Rick, Markham, Todd and Todd added 22 km & 2,000 ft. vert to the itinerary by climbing Oberalp Pass in the afternoon.  I took a nap and gave my legs a rest.  My excuse is, "I need to blog."  Charles and Rich took the day off entirely in favor of a train ride.

Photos, More Blog

Chris, a member of our group, is also blogging and has a number of wonderful photos.  Check it out at:  swisscycling2009.posterous.com

Day 3 - Furka Pass

Six of us set out into a stiff wind toward Furka Pass, the others lingering at the support van.  The wind had been strong all day, and now kicked up to 20 mph with gusts that would knock our bikes sideways.  After a couple miles, Howie, Rick and I separated from the others and led up the climb.  Furka Pass is an 18 km climb, 5.6% ave., with a couple steep (12%) ramps near the top.  The wind whipped along the mountainside, sometimes with us, sometimes against us on the many switchbacks.  When it was against us, we would have all we could do to keep the bike moving upward, and one wind chute across a small bridge had us leaning sideways and forward to stay upright.  A couple times, one of us would stop to take a photo and the others would keep moving, meaning you had to pay the price of catching back on if you wanted to stop.  The chocolate milk I had at the top of Nufenen seemed to have fortified my legs--they felt stronger on the afternoon climb than the morning climb.  

We had an unspoken determination to get to the top first, and the specter of Markham bridging up from behind kept us hammering forward.  Markham, a total force on a bike!  At one point, we could see a cyclist on a switchback below, gaining on us.  "Here comes Markham," observed Rick, and we kicked up the pace.  A few minutes later, after studying the climber below, Howie determined that he did not belong to our group, and we settled back into a steady, sustainable rhythm.  Rick pulled us up a devilishly steep section, and then stopped by an Andiamo support van waiting alongside the road.  "Are we waiting?" I asked Howie.  "No," replied Howie, and we pushed on. Near the top, we hit the clouds--or maybe it was dense fog, if there`s a difference.  Visibility went down to 30 m, the road flattened and the wind hit us full frontal force.  Howie led on for a km, me tucked in comfortably on his wheel, when suddenly he pulled sideways and stopped--right at the other Andiamo van waiting alongside the road.  "Is this the top?" we asked.  We could see nothing indicating a summit.  Yes, it was the top!

Rick joined us a minute later and we quickly geared up for the descent.  It was cold, windy, wet and very low visibility, and nobody wanted to wait for the others.  The descent was freaky scary.  Howie led, I trailed because I had a flashing rear light.  Oncoming car lights appeared out of nowhere, the edge of the road was a foggy abyss, Rick, 50 ft. ahead of me, was a shadow appearing and disappearing in the fog.  When I hit a bump, cloud water would jolt off my helmet into my face.  Fingers were frozen to the break levers, and my bike shook with my own shivering.  Oncoming cars were frequent, and I decided Howie had the most dangerous position in our little group.  At one point, I pulled off to shake feeling back into my fingers and a dozen cars slowly drove by--they had been piling up behind me and I had no idea.

Somehow we got down--I don`t know the distance, but it was miles in the fog.  Abruptly, we could see countryside again and then a few rays of sunshine, and Howie and Rick were a few hundred meters ahead.  4 golfers appeared, standing beside the road overlooking a steep slope and deep valley.  I had to stop for this one.  

"Where`s the green?" I asked, and they pointed to a groomed area on the next hilltop that looked at least 700 yds. away.  

"Mountain golf!" they laughed.  

"How many strokes does it take to get to the green?"

"Four."  "Three."  "Two."  "Maybe one." They chimed in sequentially, and laughed heartily with each stroke reduction.  

We had a short photo session, and then I headed on down the road to Andermatt for a 20 min. hot shower.  Another day for the memory book.....  It was only a 50 mile day, but as Rick observed, the hardest 50 miles we had ever ridden.

Day 3 - Nufenen Pass

Cloudy, light rain, 50 deg. at our 9 AM start.  Per Nel`s suggestion, we skipped the first scheduled climb over Gotthard (north side) and loaded our bikes atop the vans to drive over Gotthard to the start of the day`s second climb, Nufenen Pass.  It was a good decision.  The road up out of Andermatt was socked in with fog, and a spotty cold drizzle would have added to the misery of being on a bike.  At the top of Gotthard, we entered a 1 km tunnel and, presto, exited the south side into sunshine and 60 deg.  It was like being teleported from Maine to Florida, a truly magic tunnel right out of a kids` storybook.  Our spirits lifted and we eagerly unloaded the bikes and geared up upon reaching the valley below.  

The climb up Nufenen Pass began immediately, into 15 mph wind, and Rick, Markham, and Charles set out at a brisk pace that my legs didn`t appreciate.  After a couple miles, I fell back on the premise that I would turn a 2 climb day into a 1 climb day if I didn`t conserve energy. Atlanta was well-represented among the lead group with Markham and Charles, and this would give me a chance to take photos, including snapping a picture of my first Swiss glacier.  

In the end, I hit the top with Todd P. and Rich, about 10 min. behind the lead group, after grinding up 12 km of 7-10% slopes.  The thought occured to me several times on the way up:  are you having fun yet?  Exactly WHY do you do this?  The setting, of course, was spectacular (see photos on Chris`s blog) despite my strained physiology.  We sweated on the way up and quickly got chilled at the top.  Luckily, there was a convenient restaurant with warm food and clean bathrooms (and free, permanently lit!).  Markham continued his early domination of the KOM title by accelerating over the last km (surprise, surprise!) and reaching the summit 100 m ahead of Rick.

"Put on everything you have for the descent," Rick advised, and I appreciated his foresight.  Wind vest, wind jacket, leggings, long gloves, ear wrap--I needed it all for the very steep and technical 12 mi. descent, featuring a one lane bridge and abruptly narrowing pavement for extra interest.  It takes 2 hours to go up, 20 min. to come down.  

At the bottom, we shed our excess clothing and set off on climb no. 2.

Profiles in Courage

Rick - Something is bound to turn up missing when 12 guys pack bikes and gear for an 8 day international trip.  In our case, it happened to be Rick McConnell`s bike, lost in the skies or baggage carousels of airline world.  Rick soldiered through Day 1`s ride on an old hybrid.  He insisted on waiting for his regular bike, which arrived mid-morning, for today`s ride.  This meant he left 2-1/2 hours late and rode the route solo.

Charles - With 25 km left to go to Andermatt, today`s final destination, we met up with the vans and, at Nel`s suggestion, decided to load up our bikes and ride the last 25 uphill kms. in the vans.  All except Charles.  He rode on alone.  We passed him with 13 km to go and he was going strong.  However, the road turned brutally steep soon thereafter, with switchbacks and narrow pavement and frequent cars, and we gritted our teeth in empathy for our teammate's situation.  Eventually, we sent a van back to get him, and it was lucky we did.  He had a serious mechanical and was limited to the big ring in front!

Pay Toilet

As other cyclists know, one processes a lot of food to keep the legs pumping.  And one "library session" a day may not be enough.  At the top of Klaussenpass, I sought out a toilet at the summit restaurant:  it costs 1 franc (about $1) to use the toilet I was told.  I settled in, secure in the knowledge that one need not rush when paying $1 for toilet privileges, but 3 min. later the lights went out and I sat in pitch darkness.  Apparently, the charge is $1 for 3 min.  This presented several potential difficulties, as you might imagine.  Luckily, I didn`t have to solve them because Patron No. 2 entered a couple minutes later and the lights came on, providing me with a free 3 min.  It was the deal of the day!

Day 2--Klaussenpass

What a day!  We were on our bikes by 8:30 AM circling Lake Lucerne, a spectacular mirror surrounded by spectacular mountains.  After a brisk 20 miles, we turned east up Klaussenpass, our featured climb for the day--25 km averaging 6.1%.  It turns out 25 km is forever when it`s uphill.  Much of it is 8 - 9%.  

Everywhere around us were glorious mountain vistas.  Simply unparalleled scenery mixed with everpresent leg strain.  Markham, Rich, Bill and I ground it out for an hour and a half, stopping occasionally for photo ops and water.  On the steeper grades, Markham and I would separate somewhat with the four of us coming back together on the easier slopes.  After 18 km or so, Markham and I went on alone until, finally, we spotted flags flying over the inn that marked the top, about 2 km ahead.  The last km Markham got out of the saddle and doggedly picked up the pace, not with his usual burst but just as effective.  I stayed with him till the last 200 yds, then dropped back slightly to a pace I could sustain.  As we approached the Andiamo van parked in front of the inn, Markham called out, "Water!" and then, "Is this the top?"  "No!" replied Kathy, our tour guide, "It`s 2 km yet!"  This was cruel news, and I kept on pedaling, with Markham soon catching back on.  After a long straight climb, the road either disappeared to the left or continued up a new mountain to the right.  The right turn option was demoralizing.  Markham jumped out of the saddle again, betting on the road turning left, and this time he was rewarded with a sharp turn and the summit.  It was, as usual, a powerful performance by Mr. Smith.  Nel, the tour leader, was waiting with van no. 2 and quickly scanned us for signs of dehydration or over-exertion.  We apparently passed the test--she couldn`t see inside  :)  Rick and Bill arrived a few minutes later, then others followed little by little.  Nel set out a picnic lunch  and we took an hour to rest, refuel, and tell stories before descending back down the road we had just come up.  

That climb was a load!  It put into perspective what we have ahead....

Chump Update

I pulled my bike box up to Delta`s international check-in counter and the clerk asked, "Is that a bike?"

"Yes."

"That will cost you 300 dollars!"  She stated it assertively, even with a hint of belligerence.  This was satisfying, because she was obviously used to catching shit from delivering this info and was preparing by going on the offensive.

"Okay," I said nonchalantly.

The final tally:  no weight surcharge for the additional 15 pounds in the bike box (65 lbs).  When I pushed forward my suitcase to check it also, she announced, "That will cost $50.  The bike is your free piece."  

"The bike that I`m paying $300 to ship?"

"Yes!  That`s your first piece of luggage, which is free.  Your suitcase will be $50!"

I decided to carry on my suitcase.....

To be fair, the bike arrived on time and in perfect condition.

Heidi!

We saw Heidi today!  On the very first day!  She is the talk of the peloton.  She was raking hay alongside the road on a rural downhill stretch, a beautiful blond Heidi just like in our dreams, raking newly-mown hay away from the road`s edge so her farmer friend could reach it with his baling machine.  To our great misfortune, our momentum and breathless surprise carried us by so fast we didn`t have the presence of mind to stop and take a picture  :(   A memory moment lost.  Note to self:  you HAVE to be ready to stop for photos!  Countless photo ops are slipping away!

    "Picturesque" and "postcard Switzerland" are the best descriptors for today`s ride.  52 miles along Lake Lucerne and through rural landscape and two other lakes, with a few quaint towns thrown in.  Largely flat, one 2k climb just to test the legs.  Legs are good.  Everyone is strong and experienced, although a few are sleep-deprived from the long flight over.  Tomorrow will be a hard day if we do the entire planned route, promises Nel, our tour guide.  (see route profile posted earlier, if interested)

ps. I`ll work on uploading a photo or two

Airline Chumps

Packing and shipping a bike is not a bowl of cherries. First there’s the anxiety of “will this long bike really fit in the short box?” Then there’s the concurrent anxiety of “will I remember how to reassemble the stuff I’m taking apart? Will I turn up one bolt short?” Anxiety’s 1 & 2 were enough to find me in my garage at 2:30 AM this morning adjusting the bike position and double-checking all accessories. The real kicker, though, is anxiety no. 3: will the airline accept my bike box—and how much will they charge me?

I have the misfortune of living in Delta’s hometown—and that would be the Delta Airlines known as “generally a leader in anti-bicycle policies” according to ibike.com. Delta says it will charge me $300 EACH WAY to cross the Atlantic with my bike in the unheated hold of their airplane, while charging me $325 each way to recline my body in an air-conditioned cabin seat. Make sense? There’s more. Hard-shell golf bag cases (about the size of a bike box) and ski equipment (up to 82” long, 20” longer than a bike box) are FREE subject to normal checked baggage rules. Clearly, Delta executives golf and ski and don’t bike.

The unanswered questions are: will Delta assess a weight surcharge (“per normal checked baggage rules”) if the bike box weighs more than 50 pounds? Will the bike box also incur a $75 fee as a second piece of checked baggage? Will the check-in clerk know the rules?

Yes, it’s chump rule-making but not chump change. What will be the final charge?

The Players

Reliable information on the Play-uhs is hard to come by and many of us have never met. Based on the email exchanges, we have the following list of characters with a short scouting report* for each. The group breaks down into West Coast and East Coast, with the trash-talking a draw so far. It’s likely that our allegiances will re-form in Switzerland once we get comfortable in the breakaway, the peloton, or the autobus.

West Coast Play-uhs

Howie – Body fat less than .01%. Eats bugs in Costa Rica for vitamin content. He actually weighs less than Todd’s bike does. Climbs really well in tail wind and big jersey. Head wind can be a problem.

Bill – Sleep high (Park City), Train Low (Salt Lake). This is basically cheating and demonstrates why oxygen tents are now forbidden for TDF riders. Makes up for bum knee with extra enthusiasm. Bill is the only one tough enough to have a wife who has completed the Death Ride.

Todd P. – All muscle, no fat. Did the Ironman in Coeur d’Ilene just to make the rest of us feel like pikers. Would be favored rider except for heavy steel bike that may slow him down.

Todd R. – Seriously strong. Completed West Coast training camp. Can he climb?

Rick - West Coast guys are keeping him under wraps. Trains in secret at Tahoe. Rumor is he might be a former pro cyclist. Promises to do each day’s route twice.

Chris – Another stealth West Coast rider. Rides Zipps and keeps a low profile. Rode this year's Etape du Tour as well. Is HE the former pro???

Steve – Steve? Steve?

East Coast Play-uhs:

Charles – Moves to Aspen in the summer. Trains constantly at altitude above 10,000 ft. Races and beats the older guys to feed his ego. Sneaky fast. Scratch that, just put down fast.

Jim – Was big shot in NYC but quit his job to train full time. Will be training constantly on 14% grades in Wyoming this summer. Traded large house in Connecticut for new carbon bike. Rode Etape du Tour this year, ending at top of Mt. Ventoux.

Rich – Ride Commissioner. Considering several new ride rules, depending on his cycling form. Several days in the hospital and became very friendly with the pharmacy staff. Riding really strong now just days after release by doctor. Will be as ready for this ride as Floyd Landis. Rides crits as domestique for his 16 yr. old son.

Markham – Trail Boss looking to transfer his skills to the road. Never saw a ball, cyclist or mountaintop that he didn’t want to chase. Great closing burst. It's "Markham, don't forget the 'ham', Serrano preferred!"

Jack – Old, skinny and too busy blogging to be a serious cyclist. Trained hard and went backwards. Are there reclining seats in the sag wagon?

*scouting reports courtesy of Ride Commissioner and various email posts

The Route

We convene in Zurich, Switzerland, on Thursday morning (27 Aug) for the first of 7 consecutive days of cycling. Two vans will take us to Weggis on Lake Lucerne where we will assemble our bikes and get in a warmup ride of some kind in preparation for the real deal. The route and climbs are summarized in this pdf: OK, can't attach a pdf to the blog so here's a text summary.

27.8. - Day 1, Thursday; Zürich airp to Weggis – warm up loop ~ 66 km

28.8. - Day 2, Friday; Weggis to Andermatt 120 km (Klausen pass, half Gotthard to Andermatt)

29.8. - Day 3, Saturday; Andermatt Loop 139 km (Gotthard, Nufenen and Furka pass)

30.8. - Day 4, Sunday; Andermatt Loop 169 km (Oberalp, Lukmanier and Gotthard pass)

31.8. - Day 5, Monday; Andermatt to Grindelwald 85 km (Susten pass, Grosse Scheidegg)

1.9. - Day 6, Tuesday; Grindelwald to Luederenalp, Emmental 90 km (Schallenberg)

2.9. - Day 7, Wednesday; Luederenalp to Weggis 85 km (Glaubenberg pass)

3.9. - Day 8, Thursday; transfer to Zürich airport

For those of you into the details, Charles has mapped out each day's ride at the following links on mapmyride.com. Click on "show elevation" to see the route profiles.

Thursday: route not known

Friday: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/switzerland/-weggis/442125048993243617

Saturday: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/switzerland/-andermatt/684125049243642352

Sunday: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ch/andermatt/565125049461435309

Monday: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ch/andermatt/304125057008084042

Tuesday: http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/switzerland/-grindlewald/668125057232986624

Wednesday: http://www.mapmyride.com/route/ch/luederenalp/310125057335822486

For those keeping score, the numbers add up to 470 miles and 50,000 ft. of vertical ascent. Will ALL of us complete ALL the climbs??? Hmm, Swiss privacy laws may prevent full disclosure, but I will do my best to give you the inside scoop!

Blogging?

This is a test note to see what a blog is all about. I will be joining 11 other 50-something psycho-cyclists for a 7 day bike ride in the Swiss Alps called the "Swiss Challenge." I believe Rich Enthoven is the mastermind of this crazy little drama that only a cyclist could love. The rest of us have willingly, even eagerly, signed up. That is the start.