Switzerland: Descent of the Rhone

July 2019, I am about to take off for an adventure in Croatia when my expedition partner tells me that he has broken his arm. Quick, a plan B, which will quickly turn into an incredible plan A following a call to a Swiss friend. "The sources of the Rhône to Lake Geneva, on an adventure, I'm sure there's something to do," he told me. Well let's see that! Text: Fred Horny Photos: Jeremy Bernard After embarking my sidekick Jerem in our new (and promising) delirium, the T5 is on its way to Martigny, from where we take the railroad towards Fiesch. We don't load up: light rucksack, enduro style, our path dotted with refuges saving us the trouble of bringing sleeping bags and a tent. The first trip allows us to reinforce a strong idea in the Swiss region: the infrastructures are totally dedicated to our favorite sport, and that's a pleasure! The other side of the coin is that the price of the ticket is up to the service rendered... But it's nice not to have to worry about how to get the car back when you're not making a loop, but We go from point A to point B. From Fiesch, the cable car drops us off at 2212 meters above sea level. 40 minutes of pedaling on the Panoramaweg, in full fog, and a tunnel later, we drop off our belongings at the fantastic Gletscherstübe Märjelen, a pretty refuge in its own juice which serves as our spot for the night. One of the peculiarities of our journey is that in a few kilometres, we will be confronted with the language of Goethe and later that of Molière. For now, we order an Apfelstrudel, what the descendants of Molière call an apple crumble. Let the adventure begin! The average visibility on this second day of the trip could invite us to rest at the refuge, but we didn't just come to stuff ourselves with Apfelstr… well, crumble! We are there for the sacred purpose of exploring the surroundings. Direction the Bellwald valley, its old glacier and its single track which seems as perilous as it is enticing. It is there that our sacrosanct mission is finally rewarded, then that after ten short minutes the sun finally tears the sky filled with black clouds. Privileged that we are, knowing where to give head is a challenge as the panorama that is offered to us is grandiose. Automatic Line Return The descent also keeps its promises: it is long and very technical, flirting with the abysses of the old glacier that we follow, before stopping at a small refuge accessible in via ferrata mode. Well brought up as we are, let's say hello. The place, which smells of mountaineering, homemade cakes and passion for the summits, is worth the detour, as is Franz, the master of the place. This man, who seems to have known everything, is somewhat surprised to see us here, on our steeds. Like what, we are never safe from a surprise... The night at the Gletscherstübe is short but very beautiful, after talking with our neighbors about meals on the mountain and its myths. The future (and sunrises) belongs to those who get up early, they say. Neither one nor two, we put the adage to the test and bravely get up at four in the morning. You need that to attack the ascent that awaits us, and hope to admire the sun rising on the Aletsch Glacier, the largest glacier in Europe, overlooked by the incredible Eiger and the Jungfrau. Return to automatic line Arrived on an interminable ridge, we rub shoulders with the chamois under a thick fog. Missed for the sunrise apparently… Time to eat an apple and put on some dry clothes, the magic happens a second time, leaving the reputation of the famous adage intact: between two strata of very dark clouds, the first rays appear. Majestic. Epic. Indescribable. This glacier of unreasonable dimensions gives us the impression of wanting to swallow us in one bite. The descent that follows will be for our part one of the most beautiful ever made on a mountain bike, and yet we have seen some of them. Hello flow, fun, nose turns and ground movements straight out of a PS4. Automatic line return Arriving in Brig, the train and then the bus dropped us off at Arolla, a small ski resort renowned for its glacier and its slopes sprinkled with light powder that shout: "ski me, ski me!" ". La Cabane des Dix, the jewel of the Rhone ValleyReturn to automatic line The Hotel de la Tsa, dominated by the single needle of the same name, shelters us for the night. Tonight is a bit of a gala, we have an appointment with Dédé, local guide and freeskiing legend. Calm and rather teasing, the man has known it all and seen a multitude of budding freeriders pass by. Although several people have strongly advised us not to implement our plan the next day, he, calmly, sneers. He has total confidence in us and is certain that we will get there, easily. It's reassuring, before the queen stage that awaits us: on the heights of Arolla, we intend to take the famous goat pass (2946 meters) and its tiny ladder dedicated to initiated mountaineers, before crossing the immense glacier of the Ten to reach the Cabane of the same name, some 1000 meters higher than our starting point (3000 meters). Nice menu. Crampons, ropes and straps cohabit with the bare minimum on our backs. At sunrise, as we leave, I see Dédé laughing: "I know you're super strong, but it's quite a challenge all the same" he lets go. So much for trust capital! Thanks for the mental preparation, here we go. And indeed, the goat step turns out to be really difficult, but after four hours of evolution on the sharp ice, here we are at the Dix hut. Challenge met, we are very proud! And it's not over, since from now on, a single descent of nearly 2500 meters of negative elevation awaits us to reach Sierre. Heavy, very heavy even! The fact remains that this whole journey is a moment that seems removed from time, unforgettable, where we find ourselves alone, just us and our bikes. Back to civilization From Sierre, we reach Nendaz. From the top of the highest gondola in the middle of the remains of the glacier, we admire the Bec des Rosses before switching to the Mont Fort hut (on the heights of Verbier), our base for the night. Swiss humor will always surpass me (and yet my grandfather had origins near Luzern…): what they call a cabin is more like a four-star mountain chalet with us! The comfortable bedding, the excellent meal alongside no less tasty beers. The time to decipher the map to two Americans who follow the course of the trail of the glaciers, they explain to us how much they hate the French, thinking us Swiss. Bad luck, bad pick! We lift the veil on our origins… “A thousand apologies says one of them, I think we found a good reason here to order a bottle of pinot noir and eat together! ". Well then, we forget everything! The evening is memorable, anecdotes flowing from both sides. I love this mountain atmosphere, raw, frank, devoid of any disguise. Relationships only come out stronger in many cases. After a magnificent sunrise, the next day has a nice section of cranks in store for us to reach the other side of Verbier, on a single that probably holds no secrets for Ludo May, the whimsical local pilot. The descent is long, well paced, all in a setting that is grandiose, singular in its diversity of colors. After a last ascent in a dumpster, and 400 meters of elevation gain, bike on the back, we begin our final descent to reach Martigny. DH atmosphere, it is very steep, long and worthy of a good IXS Cup DH at times, leaving us with a very pleasant aftertaste in the mouth. The last day is intended to ride on the heights of the lake, but the storm gets involved. We are not in sugar, of course, but under these conditions there is no point in going out. Better go get a little crumble, right? This last aborted session on the lake side gives us a concrete excuse to return one day to complete this incredible journey. A stone's throw from the house, having the opportunity to survey such grandiose spots is a chance that everyone would like to have. we took full advantage of it, and we advise you to do the same!

Switzerland: Descent of the Rhone

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