Getting ready for the 2016 Swiss Alps trip.

[EddiePJ]

My legs and arms are like that most of the year. Funny how you don't feel it until you jump in the shower!

More searching of the route that I'd hoped to ride, has pulled out a couple on interesting clips.

This first one had me settled upon, well that's it then, I won't be doing that.
At least it was a bit more eye candy time.

Then I spotted this one which might possibly be the other side. Annoyingly edited though, so I'm not really sure.

As an aside, what's the opinion of the camera position. I thought that it was okay as a once off, but my much better half, said that it wasn't good.

I also quite like the rear facing camera that he used for the Lauberhorn run. Another to do ride, although embarrassingly I tried to ski it many years ago, but bottled it at one point,and took the ski's off and walked! It looked easy watching it on TV.

He must have one seriously fit dog.

edit... If I can get away with sneaking off, I can see that I could be very busy!

 

[chris130256]

Wonderful vids Eddie. Shame they never show the true steepness! A black run we did on our bikes (photo above) was a 32 degree angle for 500 metres. It was used in the downhill ski event for the '68 Grenoble Olympics. We inched down it hanging off the back of the seat, both brakes on hard. Felt quite proud of our achievement 'till someone came past pedalling fast!

 

[EddiePJ]

That kind of reminds me of a friend that has now competed in the Megavalanche three times. I wouldn't even want to walk down anything like that, let alone ride it.

You did well.

 

[Highside43]

Would like to do something like this next year. Love the thread.

 

[LeighPing]

Would like to do something like this next year. Love the thread.

Do you have the right bike for it? Just curious.

 

[Highside43]

Do you have the right bike for it? Just curious.

I hope so...bought it with the intention of using it to its full potential:-

2016 Haibike Nduro Xduro Pro

 

[LeighPing]

I hope so...bought it with the intention of using it to its full potential:-

2016 Haibike Nduro Xduro Pro

Haha!

There's 'full potential', then there's 'insane', closely followed by the 'Swiss Alps'!

 

[Highside43]

Haha!

There's 'full potential', then there's 'insane', closely followed by the 'Swiss Alps'!

I'll do the black runs at the trail centres, but at a steady pace and I tend to 'pick' my way down rather than cannonball over everything like you young mental cases - I'm too long in the tooth to be doing stuff like that but enjoy the challenge of the black runs. Would love to do some Alp XC stuff though, been looking at the Dolomites as a possibility for next year. Was hoping to do some glacial boarding next month and then drop down beneath the snow line and take the bike around for a few days, but injury has scuppered that for this year.

 

[LeighPing]

I tend to 'pick' my way down rather than cannonball over everything like you young mental cases.

I've been a grandad for 5 years. But I know what you mean. Thanks anyhow.

 

[chris130256]

Another grandad here!
Welcome to the site Highside.
If you can, get out to the Alps. The biking will be fantastic, not so much glacier boarding. It'll get very wet and slushy after 10am this time of the year.

 

[EddiePJ]

I'm currently struggling with internet connection, but here is the first climb of the trip. The remainder of the ride didn't record.https://www.strava.com/activities/656138180/shareable_images/map_based?hl=en-GB&v=1469697382

 

[chris130256]

Do that every day and you'll come back a stone lighter!

 

[LeighPing]

Blimey! Look at the drop on those map contours.

 

[EddiePJ]

Tell me about it!

Zoom in on the first section between Lauterbrunnen!

Struggling with this connection so photo's might have to wait. Whilst I do have a connection, the view from the chalet isn't bad.

Typically I have already had a couple of gear indexing issues with gear 4 and 5. The local shop here couldn't have been nicer, and quickly allowed me the use of their bike stand. The B screw needed adjusting.

 

[Nealh]

Awesome over 4k elevation for 6 miles, the downs in comparison is just an incline a I did similar elevation for 56 miles.

 

[EddiePJ]

Oh dear, out of my depth sprang to mind today!

My riding skill was really put to the test today.

Today was without doubt the hardest ride of my life, both in terms of climbing and descending.
I decided to tackle the ride in the clip above with the girl in. It isn't a cycle route, and I had to get permission to climb it, and it would appear that I might be only the first person to have tackled the climb.
Not content with starting halfway up, I started from the valley bottom and climb all of the way up.
The first five miles although steep, were manageable, then I hit the mountain proper! That clip does nothing to show how steep and loose that it is, and the concrete section wasn't even climbable, it was that steep. The video males it look flat. All the way up the climb it was a fight to both keep the front end down, and it spent half the time in the air, or when that wasn't going on, I couldn't find traction.
I came close to quitting the attempt, but unlike the UK, I got lots of support and encouragement from hikers to carry on.

The ride down was 'interesting' and certainly demanded full concentration. Comments received about taking the cable car back down were actually sensible! As well as the loose rocky steep terrain, I had no idea where the trail actually went. Crawling up it in first and second gear it was easily followed, but not when coming back down.

I'll add more photos when I return, but this is the climb.

https://www.strava.com/activities/658404106

edit... I forgot to add the KTM must have been the most photographed bike in Switzerland today. The attention that it received seemed endless, and the stop at Birg restaurant, was just a barrage of questions about the bike and photographs. I was also amazed by the knowledge shown by many. That wouldn't happen in the UK either.

 

[chris130256]

Feeling very envious atm.
Sounds like a great day Eddie?

 

[anotherkiwi]

You been smoking again Eddie? That is nuts!

 

[EddiePJ]

I nearly quit several times, but was encouraged on by hikers, and even got a round of applause when I reached the cable car station. I actually wasn't even convinced that I could ride back down again, but got back down the mountain in good time, and it wasn't until I reached the concrete strip, that I then realised that I had made it.
Oddly I'm sitting here still feeling hyper and want to do it again. I won't though.

Another aspect of struggling up the climb that I hadn't accounted for, was the altitude. It's fine when just strolling around, but it does seem as though you get out of breath quicker.

I'll upload the movie clips of the ride when I return, but as expected they make the ride seem flat as a pancake.

 

[D8ve]

Atmospheric pressure around 70% of normal so 30% less oxygen.
You still breath out the CO2 easy so your respiratory centre isn't stimulated so blood oxygen falls faster, sooner.