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Day 1 – WELCOME TO SWITZERLAND

The Inspired team will meet you at your hotel in Geneva or at the Geneva airport during the morning hours.  By noon everyone should be comfortably seated in our van gazing out the windows over Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) and its surrounding Alps.  Once at our private chalet we’ll help you get settled in and get your mountain bikes ready.  A short afternoon ride will help your legs stretch out after that long flight and get your lungs used to that fresh alpine air.   Later that evening our guides introduce the following days schedules.

Snooze off in our luxurious chalet dreaming of what’s to come.

 

Day 2 – Ride 2 Cols

A hearty Swiss breakfast and you’re off on your first Swiss singletrack adventure.  We’ll shuttle you up to a small alpine village from where we’ll take a lift into the alpine.  We’ll pedal over the first ‘col’ (mountain pass) and let our bikes flow down to the blue waters of a remote high altitude lake.  The Inspired team will guide you up another pass before being able to see signs of civilisation.  From there you’ll realize just why you came to the Alps, with a varied singletrack guiding us 7000ft downhill to the valley floor.  So long is the downhill we’ll be stopping to observe the different flora and fauna of each altitude zone’s ecosystem.  Back in the valley cool off in a lake near Sierre before heading back to the Chalet.

 

Day 3 – ALETSCH GLACIER HERITAGE

Don’t forget your cameras as today we’ll be riding through a UNESCO World Heritage site.  You’ll find it difficult to concentrate on your riding when overlooking the Aletsch glacier, Europe’s longest glacier at over 23km (14 miles) long.  Today everything is grand, this is Switzerland.  After the ride the Inspired team will drive you to Tasch. This is the last stop before hopping on a train to car-less Zermatt just up the valley, a Mecca for mountain climbers, trekkers and other mountain lovers.

 

Day 4 – GORNERGRAT, ZERMATT

Look out your 4 star hotel window in the morning at the god of all mountains, the Matterhorn (le Cervin).  The Gornergrat cog-railway will ease our climb to over 10,000ft.  Switzerland’s highest peak and other 14,000 foot peaks surround this spectacular lookout.  By the end of the day even the surrounding glaciers couldn’t cool off your brake pads from the Enduro style riding.  This evening we return to our base, le Chalet.

 

Day 5 – THE BRAZILIAN

A morning warm up ride, before quickly gaining altitude via two successive cable-cars.  We climb over a high alpine plain before achieving today’s highest point, Col de Cou 8200 ft.  This all-time classic descent always delivers and never let’s us down.  It won’t take you long to get into the flow.  A mid-descent break for some refuelling at the local café so that everyone can start bragging early before continuing down to the valley floor on one of the Valais best singletrack!!  Relax at le Chalet looking across the valley at what we just came down.

 

Day 6 – SWITZERLAND’S LONGEST DOWNHILL ‘LA PLAINE MORTE’

The day starts early with a funicular train ride to Crans-Montana, one of the Alps most chic ski-resorts.  The chic stops there as we continue upwards via cable-cars and a short hike to the overlook of the Plaine Morte glacier (We’ll let you look up the translation).  The remote Rawil Valley landscape has some of the best trails of the week with a view that’ll stay with all of us.  A high mountain hut/restaurant will serve as our pit stop to load up on some calories and just take the time to absorb the scenery. Check the battery in your headlamp before continuing down to Sion to complete Switzerland’s longest singletrack downhill (over 20 miles)!!   Enjoy a Swiss BBQ at le Chalet.

 

Jour 7 – VAL D’ANNIVERS DELIGHT

Yet another day of superb singletrack. We’ll be clocking another 6000 vertical feet of singletrack downhill riding down alpine ridges and through flowy pine forests.  Your last Swiss all-mountain bike ride will recall a week’s worth of emotions.  This evening pack your bikes and bags before relaxing and recollecting trail riding memories in le Chalet.

 

Jour 8- BACK TO GENEVA

You’ll wake up this morning trying to find excuses to miss your flight back home.  The Inspired team will accompany you to Geneva airport with one last view of the Alps during the drive.

 

PACKAGE DETAILS

What’s included in the price?

• Transfer from and to Geneva airport
• 6 nights in our luxurious chalet and 1 night in a 4-star Zermatt hotel.
• All breakfasts, mid-day trail snacks, and 6 dinners at the chalet (dinner in Zermatt not included).
• Private & Public transportation throughout the week (buses, trains, gondolas, etc).
• 7 days of riding with our professional multi-lingual & international guides.
• An Inspired Mountain Bike Adventures t-shirt and other Inspired gifts.
• Cultural excursions to typical villages and natural features.
• Detailed “Get packed!!” information to help you prepare your departure.
• Access to a washing machine and dryer.
• Assistance from our local staff if you want to extend your trip in Switzerland or Europe. Take advantage of their local knowledge to make the most of your time in Europe.

What’s not included?

• Airfare to and from Geneva airport
• Alcoholic beverages are not covered
• Medical and Travel Insurance.  Medical Insurance is required in order to take part in the trip.  Travel Insurance is highly recommended in the case of cancellation from our side.
• Bike rentals – Contact us for more information if you need to rent a bike at one of our partner bike shops.

 

ACCOMODATION & FOOD

Our luxurious and modern chalet has all the accommodations you need to relax comfortably after the ride.  Take time out in our cosy sofas gazing out the panoramic windows our step outside on the deck and reenergize with deep breaths of the crystal alpine air while admiring the depth of the surrounding landscape.  All rooms have their own private bathroom and toilet and two single beds.  Single rooms can be reserved for a supplemental fee.  Our partner hotel in Zermatt will ensure your comfort when dozing away in the mystical mountainous town. Throughout the week we’ll treat you to a selection of Swiss cuisine in the various locally renowned restaurants.   Tasting Swiss dishes with local produce is part of the experience.  If you have any specific dietary needs please contact us and we will arrange for specific meals where possible.

 

PHYSICAL & TECHNICAL LEVEL

Due to the profile of the Swiss Alps, it is strongly recommended that all participants have at least an intermediate level of technical ability.  The trails we encounter can range from smooth trails without amazing flow to very technical trails with some exposure at times.  At all times our guides will support you to improve your riding skills but only you can judge if a portion of the trail should be walked.  All riders should be fit and able to ride a bike for over 4 hours per day for seven consecutive days.  Some days will require an hour and a half long climb with some hike a bike portions to access lone summits and remote mountain passes.   Contact us for a specifically designed training program to ensure you’ll enjoy every moment on the bike.

 

BIKE & EQUIPMENT

We highly recommend a dual suspension bike with at least 5 inches of travel and all-around disk brakes.   To ensure your safety, make sure your bikes are in excellent mechanical order.  It is best to arrive with fresh rubber and newly broken in brake pads as we’ll be doing more riding and descending in one week than most people do in a season.  Make sure to pack away an extra set of brake pads as they are often appreciated halfway through the trip.   Helmets are required at all times during riding and other protective gear is optional.  All riders should have a small day pack to carry the supplied snacks and other gear to keep warm and dry in the case of changing mountain weather.  We’ll send you a complete list of recommended gear in the ‘Get packed!!!’ dossier once registered for a trip.

 

TRAVEL TIPS

To help you find the best airfare rates please contact us and take advantage of our long experience in travel.   Flying with your bike is not as complicated as it seens and we can recommend some bike boxes or show you how to pack your own bike.   If you want to stay in Europe longer, either before or after your week with Inspired, we can help you reserve accommodations and other travel services.