After arriving and setting up the bikes (and having a spot of lunch), we’ll head out for a short acclimatisation ride starting with a climb up above Thunersee. We take things steady, enjoying the beautiful views back over towards the Jungfrau and Eiger over the lake. We roll along the tops on quiet roads before descending to Thun and back along the lake shore to Interlaken. 

An amazing climb is in store today. We roll out of Interlaken up the valley towards Lauterbrunnen. The road climbs gently and we turn off for Grindelwald and the start of the car free Grosse Scheidegg. The only motorized traffic allowed on this 10k (9%) road are the local post buses with their distinctive horns that echo around the valley.

We climb in the shadow of the legendary north face of the Eiger, with the Monch and Jungfrau also looking over our shoulders. The top of the pass comes as sweet relief and we descend the other side, past the Reichenbach falls (where Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty fought).

Once back the valley floor we ride towards Brienzersee, pass along the lake’s northern shore back to Interlaken and our hotel.  From the col we’re downhill all the way, past the Col de Lauteret (always nice to tick off a col without having to climb it!) into Briançon and our hotel.

Today we shift locations, moving from Interlaken to Andermatt via the massive Grimselpass and the iconic Furkapass. The day starts with a warm up along the lake shore through Innetkirchen and onto the lower slopes of the Grimselpass. This is one of the longest climbs you’re ever likely to do, starting at around 630m above sea level and rising up to 2,155m over a distance of 27km. The changes in landscape are incredible as we start up through alpine meadows with the sounds of cowbells ringing in your ears. The scenery then changes as the mountains begin to tower over you all around, and coming out of the tree line to ride past glacial lakes and enormous dams. We stop for a coffee at the top and take in the achievement of mastering such a giant. We also take a moment to take some pictures of the view down towards Gletsch with the route of the Furkapass in the distance.

Once back on the bikes we drop down into the valley, and immediately find ourselves on the Furkapass itself. The long straight stretch towards the upper slopes gives you plenty of time to marvel at the Rhone glacier (source of the river Rhone) and the surrounding peaks. We’ll stop at the heavily photographed Belvedere Hotel before pushing on to the top.

Once over, we drop down swiftly towards Andermatt on JamesBondStrasse (famous from the film Goldfinger) and our hotel.

Today is a chance to relax a little and take a day off the bike, or if you still have energy, then we go for a ride up the Oberalp and Furkapasses.

The lake at the top of the Oberalp is a great place to grab a coffee and enjoy the magnificent scenery, and no-one should really miss a chance to climb the Furka from the Andermatt side.

The afternoon is free to explore charming Andermatt and maybe grab a souvenir or two.

This is the jewel in the crown of the trip. Three 2000m+ passes in the most stunning landscapes with the bonus of the ancient cobbled climb of St Gotthard. There really is little that compares to this loop on a bike.

We head off after breakfast warming up the legs on the run out to the Furka. We’re quickly up above the valley floor and the 11.5k at 7.5% climb is a decent warm up by anyone’s standards. Be sure to save some energy though as there are two more on the menu.

There’s a long, flowing descent back down to Ulrichen where we can grab a coffee and consider what is still to come.

The Nufenenpass is the highest road pass entirely in Switzerland and is often described as the most “extreme” of all the Swiss cols. It is 13.3k long with an average gradient of 8.5%. After the first few kilometers we are faced by a big wall with a road carved out of it. The final kilometer is possibly the most spectacular approach to a summit of any of the Swiss passes, with the Gries lake and glacier above in full view.

We drop down off the pass into canton Ticino, where the air is warm, and the foot of the St Gotthard pass awaits. We have truly saved the best for last. From Airolo we begin the climb of the Tremolastrasse, the incredible cobbled road to the summit. We pass by 38 tightly wound hairpins on the climb, and at the you will marvel at that you’ve just ridden.

A swift descent on a perfectly engineered road (no more cobbles here thankfully) brings us back to Andermatt with a sackful of memories.

We finish our tour today with a couple of cracking climbs. But first we drop down through the dramatic Schöllenen Gorge with a view of the Devil’s Bridge. The gorge spits us out in Wassen where we begin the long climb of the Sustenpass. This 17.4k at 7.5% monster takes us back over into the canton of Bern for our final climb of the day. The climb is a long straight road on the side of the valley, before a few dramatic hairpins bring us to the tunnel and the top of the pass.

We descend past countless rushing waterfalls to Innetkirchen from where we swiftly begin to climb again up the northern side of Grosse Scheidegg. This is as wonderful as it is from the other side, and a fitting final climb for our tour.

From the top of the pass it is all downhill back to Interlaken where we pack up the bikes and get ready for the departure in the morning.