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photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental



 
 
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  #1  
Old December 9th 08, 05:43 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Default photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental

I had an unexpected great day of riding in Switzerland in late August --
here's some photos of farmland riding on bike route 9 in Simmental:
http://roberts-1.com/t/b08/ch/k/d

Lots of riders (including me) think of Switzerland as a place for riding the
high mountains -- but I'm finding it also has some of the prettiest farmland
riding I've found so far in Europe or North America -- (somehow seems
unfair.)
Anybody got a suggestion for some more pretty farmland riding in the valleys
of Switzerland?

The Simmental area is west from the Thunersee (Lake Thun) and east from
Gstaad and the Saanenmöser pass -
. . . (see on map:
http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UT...,0.455246&z=11)

My focus was on high mountain passes, but I needed a way to connect from
Martigny to Interlaken, and that took me thru Zweisimmen and Boltigen and
Wimmis. First I rode on the main road going east from Saanenmöser thru
Zweisimmen to Wimmis near Spiez -- which had some fun downhill sections, but
mostly too much traffic. So then I rode west up bike route 9, mostly off the
main road -- sometimes on dirt/gravel -- and it was great, prettier than
lots of the high mountain passes.

All but one of my photos is between Wimmis and Reidenbach, so a way to ride
that section in the direction more down than up might be to take the train
from near Wimmis or Spiez west up to the Boltigen train station, then ride
west (mostly on the sidewalk) from Boltigen to Reidenbach, then south a
little to hit bike route 9. Or for more riding on bike route 9, could take
the train further up west to Zweisimmen -- or to Saanenmöser. Or if want to
do some more substantial climbing, could even take the train down the other
side of the pass to Saanen or Gstaad.
for some details about that riding see on this page:
http://roberts-1.com/b/v/e/08c/#Saan..._to_Zweisimmen

Ken


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  #2  
Old December 9th 08, 06:47 AM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
sergio
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Default photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental

Ken,
from my experience, as well as told by Swiss friends, bikes are
tolerated on the Gotthard modern highway, both in the north and in the
south sections.

Sergio
Pisa
  #3  
Old December 13th 08, 12:03 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ned Mantei
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Posts: 63
Default photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental

In article ,
"Ken Roberts" wrote:

Anybody got a suggestion for some more pretty farmland riding in the valleys
of Switzerland?


A couple of suggestions:

Here is a variant of the Guldental tour described at
http://touren.topin.travel/tour/jura...urn-V01013.htm
l
Start in Oensingen, and from there ride to Balsthal Mümliswil, and
Ramiswil. Shortly after Ramiswil turn left into the Guldental--beautiful
farmland. The road does rise somewhat, but only to the Scheltenpass at
1051 meters. From there down to Schelten and Val Terbi. Turn south along
Le Gabiere to Vermes and Envelier. Here you encounter a curious mix of
German and French, with direction signs to "Grande Schönenberg" and "La
petite Schönenberg". The tour could continue to Corcelles, and then
along the more travelled road to Gänsbrunnen and back to Oensingen. I
wanted to avoid the traffic, so after Envelier turned up to Seehof, then
up to Rohrgrabe, and finally pushed the bike up 200 meters to the road
for Mieschegg. From there to Tannmatt and roll down to Balsthal

The rural parts of cantons St. Gallen and Appenzell are all pleasant
farmland. Farmhouses are scattered over the land instead of being
concentrated in villages. You might try riding from St. Gallen train
station to St. Gallen/Bruggen, then up to Stein, over Hundwil and
Waldstatt to Schwellbrunn, and from there to Landscheidi, St. Peterzell,
Hemberg, Wattwil, Ricken, and Rapperswil. If you need to start and end
in the same place, from Schwellbrunn to Degersheim, Nassen, Dieselbach,
Ganterschwil, and on to Wil. From Wil take the train back to St. Gallen.

See also
http://www.appenzell.ch/pages/angebo...ken_mountainbi
ken/.

The whole Entlebuch region southwest of Luzern is a mix of farms on the
hilltops and forest in the valleys.

My own preference is for more out-of-the-way places, typically involving
a small road going up to an Alp (alpine meadow where cows are brought
for the summer). This represents a different kind of farming. For
example, from Flums up into the Schilstal and then to Fursch Alp. From
there down to Prodalp, Flumserberg and back to Flums.

Hundreds more tours also at
http://touren.topin.travel , http://www.gps-tracks.com, and
http://www.gps-touren.ch

Incidentally, for tour planning and for underway, the 1:50,000 Swisstopo
maps can't be beat. They show much more detail than the bike maps
("Velokarten"), including every little forest and alp road, and in
isolated areas even every building. The elevation lines tell you how
steep the trail will be, and the shading and coloring indicate the
character of the landscape. Together with a small GPS receiver (even if
needed only occasionally) you will never get lost. After awhile you can
tell just from the map what is very likely a beautiful area to visit.

Regards,
Ned in Zurich
  #4  
Old December 16th 08, 03:42 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Posts: 241
Default photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental

Thanks for such detailed ideas about where to find more pretty riding in
Switzerland.

I just copied it into my personal file for future bicycling trips. It'll
take a little longer to digest it and have some questions.

Some quick thoughts . . .
The rural parts of cantons St. Gallen and Appenzell are
all pleasant farmland.


One time Sharon and I tried riding a short loop south and east from the city
of St Gallen -- first we went to Bruggen like you said, then started
climbing toward Stein, but we turned east before we reached it., went
somewhere around Teufen and Speicher instead. Some photos at the bottom of
this page:
http://roberts-1.com/t/b06/a/s/d
Kinda hilly for us riding on our tandem, but made us want to try more around
there -- and now you've given us some ideas.

for tour planning and for underway, the 1:50,000 Swisstopo
maps can't be beat.


Interesting . . . a guy on another forum last week recommended the 1:100000
composite maps -- says for bicycling he keeps going off the edges of a
1:50000 map. (you could debate it with Chris W on englishforum.ch)
My problem as a visitor is that it's not so convenient to _find_ the
SwissTopo maps when I'm there. Like I'm staring now instead at the K+F
St.Gallen-Appenzell Leichtenstein 1:60000 Velokarte which I own just because
that's what they were selling at the Kiosk I stopped at in Widnau.

I already own about fifteen of the Landeskarten der Schweiz mit Skirouten
1:50000 topo maps -- I've been pretty happy with them for ski touring. But
again the reason I started buying them because they were available for sale
out there in shops at mountain resorts. After I owned a few then I could
figure out what was on the adjoining maps, so I could feel comfortable
deciding which additional maps to order remotely. When getting into a new
series its tricky to know which map covers the area you want.

Are the 1:50000 maps you're talking about on the same "grid" of coverage as
the Landeskarten 1:50000? So like St Gallen might be covered by 217 Arbon +
227 Appenzell ? (but I might need other maps to cover the tour continues
toward Rapperswil?)

Ken


  #5  
Old December 16th 08, 05:17 PM posted to rec.bicycles.rides
Ken Roberts
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Posts: 241
Default photos pretty non-high-mountain Switzerland: Simmental

Ned Mantei wrote
A couple of suggestions:
Here is a variant of the Guldental tour . . .


Never done anything around northwest Switzerland (except ride in the city of
Basel).
So now I have an excuse to go there.

The whole Entlebuch region southwest of Luzern is a
mix of farms on the hilltops and forest in the valleys.


Never heard of it, never would have thought to try there -- so thanks a lot
for the recommendation.
Looks remote, but someone might want me to join them on a tourist visit to
Luzern, and then I'd be close by. I've heard that also near Luzern are some
long paths or roads surfaced with asphalt smooth enough for inline-skating -
(which I've also enjoyed around St Gallen)

This represents a different kind of farming. For example,
from Flums up into the Schilstal and then to Fursch Alp.
From there down to Prodalp, Flumserberg and back to Flums.


I looked that up on Google Maps, so now I know where "Flums" is. Turns out I
already own a map with those places on it.
I was driving along on the autobahn (along the Walensee in springtime is
arguably the most spectacular view from a major highway in Europe ? or the
world?) near there, and I was thinking it looked promising for bicycling. At
the next rest area the shop had the K+F Velokarte 1:60000 for Sarganserland.
(The shop didn't have any SwissTopo 1:50000 map).

I'm eager get there, it's easy to get there (once I ever get to Zurich
again) -- and now you've given me a ride to get started there.

Ken


 




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