What a ride!
Last Sunday I was riding the EPIC Alps Trail with Guillermo from Arizona. Thanks to a crazy and not knowledgeable desk clerk at Sheraton we have taken an advised detour via Fanezfurgga. The guy said: "It is gradually going up and you can bike most of it. The view is spectacular. You guys will love it. You should rather have downhill bikes for the ride from Jakobshorn. It will take you approx. 90 minutes."
Sunday morning we startet going up to Jakobshorn with the Gondola in still heavy clouds and fog. Most of the bikes were downhill bikes and the guys were packed up in their downhill equipment with integral helmets, protectors, etc.....Well, well maybe this ride is not so a good idea. We get ready on the top and almost everyone has left. The ride starts very easy and soon moves into a very nice downhill trail. We smile and fly in the direction of Sertig. A few Photostops we make and after 30 minutes good riding time we arrive in Sertig. Guillermo I learn is a really fast downhiller. I only see him shortly and then he is gone until I see him at the next stop. Let's see how good he is at climbing with this heavy bike!
In Sertig we enjoy a few minutes watching the Schwingfest and off we go in the direction of Fanezfurgga. We make a short stop at a beautiful waterfall and then the climb starts. The climb is heavy and soon we are both pushing the bikes. We are pushing and pushing. Where is this gradually going up coming??? We push for more than one hour. Should we go back? Finally, a short stretch we can bike. But now the worst is coming. We have to carry the bikes on the sholders and it is difficult to hike up the trail. I am so glad to have my Carbon-Superfly. Guillermo keeps he is good humor but I am glad the guy from the Sheraton is not here. Not sure what we would have made with this bloke.
After 3 1/2 hours from start we reach the top of Fanezfurgga: approx. 2600 m above sea level. More than 700 m elevation gain we have been basically pushing and carrying our bikes (more than 2 1/2 hours). It is already 2 pm when we start the downhill to Oberalp. The trail starts nicely but soon we have to hike again. Downhill is not to bad but not comparable with the great ride down Jakobshorn.
Unfortunately there is nothing to eat in Oberalp and we keep on going to Monstein where we have a great brake at the Veltlinerstübli. With a Bündner Gerstensuppe we are back to full power and start a great trailriding to Filisur. The trails are really amazing and we are glad we made it so far. Then a very crazy section comes which is so narrow and steep it takes our breath away.When we think there is only downhill ahead we are totally wrong. We have to sholder the bikes again. But then the final great trail is coming and soon we reach a paved road in the direction of Filisur our final destination. By 10 minutes we miss the train. This gives us the chance to drink a delicious Monstein Beer. We are proud that we have made it. The train takes us back to Davos in a 30 minutes ride.
I really enjoyed this ride and look forward to another adventure in the Swiss alps.
Some impressions:
movies
Last Sunday I was riding the EPIC Alps Trail with Guillermo from Arizona. Thanks to a crazy and not knowledgeable desk clerk at Sheraton we have taken an advised detour via Fanezfurgga. The guy said: "It is gradually going up and you can bike most of it. The view is spectacular. You guys will love it. You should rather have downhill bikes for the ride from Jakobshorn. It will take you approx. 90 minutes."
Sunday morning we startet going up to Jakobshorn with the Gondola in still heavy clouds and fog. Most of the bikes were downhill bikes and the guys were packed up in their downhill equipment with integral helmets, protectors, etc.....Well, well maybe this ride is not so a good idea. We get ready on the top and almost everyone has left. The ride starts very easy and soon moves into a very nice downhill trail. We smile and fly in the direction of Sertig. A few Photostops we make and after 30 minutes good riding time we arrive in Sertig. Guillermo I learn is a really fast downhiller. I only see him shortly and then he is gone until I see him at the next stop. Let's see how good he is at climbing with this heavy bike!
In Sertig we enjoy a few minutes watching the Schwingfest and off we go in the direction of Fanezfurgga. We make a short stop at a beautiful waterfall and then the climb starts. The climb is heavy and soon we are both pushing the bikes. We are pushing and pushing. Where is this gradually going up coming??? We push for more than one hour. Should we go back? Finally, a short stretch we can bike. But now the worst is coming. We have to carry the bikes on the sholders and it is difficult to hike up the trail. I am so glad to have my Carbon-Superfly. Guillermo keeps he is good humor but I am glad the guy from the Sheraton is not here. Not sure what we would have made with this bloke.
After 3 1/2 hours from start we reach the top of Fanezfurgga: approx. 2600 m above sea level. More than 700 m elevation gain we have been basically pushing and carrying our bikes (more than 2 1/2 hours). It is already 2 pm when we start the downhill to Oberalp. The trail starts nicely but soon we have to hike again. Downhill is not to bad but not comparable with the great ride down Jakobshorn.
Unfortunately there is nothing to eat in Oberalp and we keep on going to Monstein where we have a great brake at the Veltlinerstübli. With a Bündner Gerstensuppe we are back to full power and start a great trailriding to Filisur. The trails are really amazing and we are glad we made it so far. Then a very crazy section comes which is so narrow and steep it takes our breath away.When we think there is only downhill ahead we are totally wrong. We have to sholder the bikes again. But then the final great trail is coming and soon we reach a paved road in the direction of Filisur our final destination. By 10 minutes we miss the train. This gives us the chance to drink a delicious Monstein Beer. We are proud that we have made it. The train takes us back to Davos in a 30 minutes ride.
I really enjoyed this ride and look forward to another adventure in the Swiss alps.
Some impressions:
movies
Nutties!
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