Words by Alex, Photos by Pete & Butty
Crew: TJ, Stunt, El Pres, Butty, Slim, Eric, Dr Simon, Mr Troll
Support Driver: Adrian
Route: Following National Bike 3 (sections 3-9) from Delemont to Nyon over 5 days. c200 miles and > 20,000 ft of climbing.
Conditions: Dry, Moist, Wet, Dry, Wet..plenty of wet limestone & mud!
Stats: One Chain faff (Eric), One electric fence shock (Butty)
Part deux of the TJ/Stunt big birthday celebrations…and only a week after TJ passed the big 60.
The preparation…
Logistics involve a long wheelbase white van, planes, trains and the odd automobile!
The party is even at full strength despite Butty’s best attempt to hurt himself in the states, he’s come along with the biggest bottle of ibuprofen you can get!
Bikes and gear are delivered to TJ’s by tuesday evening ahead of the van pickup & load first thing Wednesday. Adrian and TJ then head to dover for the tunnel, stock up on belgian beer and overnight somewhere in eastern france before heading south to meet up with the rest of the party who are flying into geneva, then catching the train to Delemont.
All arrangements go well..and the fly team even sample some duty free “apple juice” on the 2.5 hour train journey.
Weather is poor on this travelling day, waves on the lakes, rain in the air, and rainbow in the sky. Forecast is better for tomorrow..but the hoped for high pressure is not looking likely.
We like swiss trains…the change at Beil/Bienne of 6 minutes (normally a time to strike panic into a British train journey where you will a) be late, and b) have to run up and down stairs to get across platforms). In switzerland…your train arrives on time, you alight onto the platform where your connecting train is waiting on the other side!
So Delemont on time, a couple of hours to kill as the Van is now ETA 7pm. We find a bar and have the first beers of the trip! 🙂 Sensibly not having a third, we manage to find our way to the youth hostel and a rather stressed manager Pavel who is about to feed 40 kids and their teachers. It soon becomes clear he has not read the email booking properly and our dinner is not catered for! Not necessarily a bad thing in the circumstances as Van ETA has slipped again, and we prefer quieter surroundings. We are directed to a small spanish restuarant above a vets (!!!!!) which has a limited menu, but does provide a good quantity and a damn fine omlette.
Pavel appears for his (presumably free) beer for sending yet another group to the otherwise very quiet restaurant…
As we ponder the wisdom of letting our most directionally challenged TNR’er and Skiiers be in charge of the van, they do finally arrive (having got lost on the 200m walk from the hostel).
All is good, and we can now get our gear, and retire for the evening (the kids having worn themselves to a quiet murmur). Our snoring quotient is low…although Dr S has eaten a prawn that has disagreed with him and has not had a good night 🙁
Day 1 Delemont to Le Bemont (Saintlegier) ..effectively stages 3 & 4 of the route.
Sun shines on us!! breakfast is taken, and we manage to get the bikes out and prepped with minimal faff. Stunt has plastic wallet in hand, map in pocket and generally nudges us into readiness. No one appears to have forgotten anything critical today and amazingly we are off before 10am….to find out just how well signed the route is. Just in case we have maps and Dr S’s garmin.
Within the first mile we discover that there are many signed bike routes…we specifically need the yellow route 3 ones (as opposed to the Blue route 7, and the yellow 771)…and just to be confusing between major junctions there are simply the red biker signs (which could mean anything). Sat nav and maps concur that we hang a left up the hill at the unsigned junction, and happily its right! Off road we go across double tracked meadows. past dingly bells of the swiss cows, fire road, past fresh logs, the odd jogger and into the trees. Steady climbs go on and on, an hour and a half later we are high above our first turning (yes the route does double back), snacks are consumed, and we finally top out along a high ridge and up to the Col Des Rangiers. Some nice wood stacks by the farmhouses (wood stacking being a sub category of TNR geekery). Our first (of many) encounters with electric fences to get round a little route diversion, and we are starting to head downhill! Long slopes = fast riding on rubbly doubletrack = “glad i wasn’t on a cross bike”.
Heading to the Doubs river, little idyllic hamlets are drying pumkins and keeping the last of the sunflowers going in the gardens. More rapid descending on minor roads, then across a bridge to double back along the other side. Where we find tinkly belled goats (much joshing of the Troll at this point). Fast progress on the flat following the river back upstream to St Ursanne, and a fantastic tea room, flan, coffee and tartin to die for in the sunshine :-).
We still have quite a way to go and an inevitable climb. Fields and meadows are the scenery, the climbing is pretty incessant (with occasional really steep pushes) and many a gate / fence to be negotiated. Progress is slower than we thought, more snack bars are consumed.
Whilst pondering route choice for the final run in to the YHA at gone 5pm, a local suggests we take a short cut (which turns out to be a very good move on tired legs). Not long after we meet Adrian who has cycled out to meet us and has done the bit we missed out (reporting it as a bit hard). Our short cut takes us right to the YHA which we have pretty much to ourselves!
We break into the first of the belgian beers to quench our thirst! Stow bikes in two shonky sheds, and then hit the showers. Supper is served (and we negotiate bringing our own alcohol). Wolfed down to replenish the energy reserves. Some nightcaps are taken before bed (and the rats nest of chargers off the one power point!…#firstworldproblems 🙂
Day 2 Saignelegier to Les Brenets (stage 5 and a bit of 6)
Happiness is a dry towel to pack (overnight warmth has done it’s trick). Breakfast has plenty of carbs & protein (especially if you have the cheese!). A bit grey and cool this morning, and plenty of folk take a sharp intake of breath as they get back on the bike…certain bits of the anatomy reminding their owners of the day before!
Soon we are all assembled and heading down into town in good time… (before El Pres remembers he’s left his phone behind!)
Re-joining the route in Saignelegier we spy more MTB’ers…and then confuse the waiting photographer around the corner…looks like some staged shots for tourist brochures??
By the time CP has returned the greyness is getting a bit moist, but to start with it’s only spits and spots. Some gentler minor roads and across rolling farmland to start with. Plenty of horses about, and we are asked to take a picture of one group returning from a mornings ride 🙂
Heading further up hill (mountain?) towards ridges topped with wind turbines..the skies darken further..and finally disgorge heavy rain and some hail! Butty also has a shocking encounter with his bike against those pesky electric fences.
There is a way to go to the guaranteed lunchstop in Le Choux de Fonds…but heaven sent is an Auburge de Mont Soleil (ha ha) open and serving in front of us! the sun even comes out as soon as we stop! Oeuf Rosti’s, hot coffee and a sit down in the warm are extremely welcome. As we are camping tonight and its not looking great Butty googles himself a B&B (well he is still in recovery mode).
Eventually we prise ourselves up and carry on down into Choux…where we find a wet market square of Lamborginis, street art of coloured umbrellas (very appropropriate) and a cafe suitable for wet bikers, and Adrian!
Hot chocolates this time, then cafe au lait, a failed attempt to buy waterproof gloves/overshoes from Butty & Phil, and past the Cartier factory onto the final stretch to the camp site. Sun finally breaks through and the ride to the campsite is lovely..despite some slightly disturbing wicker man sculptures!!
Camping Les Brenets is the perfect setup…restuarant (booked in for 8), camping area immediately below, and a short walk to the heated facility block..where after pitching tents, we can shower and dry stuff overnight! Our spirits lift!
Dinner is excellent, with swiss red wine (suprisingly good) and steaks of beef and pork! Some further nightcapping in the communal tent is well attended if not mandatory. Even better we manage to order breakfast in advance (or it would have been a very difficult start!)
Overnight the church clock continues to chime every 15 minutes and strike the hour!! 🙁
Day 3 Les Brenets to Sainte Croix (Rest of 6 plus 7)
This morning happiness is the lack of sound on the tent (aka it’s not raining!). There is a lot of low cloud coming up the valley, and the forecast seems to change every few hours.
Route today is a big one…and we have learned yesterday that off road climbs on damp trails are slow. Wisdom prevails and it’s time to hold to the “Thornton adage” Climb on Tarmac, Descend off road! Cutting out an unnecessary ridge we stick to the roads, as the cloud catches up with us and soon starts to drizzle on and off. Passing up past lush green fields, hamlets and farms, we dodge heavier downpours. Into the wooded heights with many a false top we eventually crest to the high point and our turn right onto the muddy lanes.
Maybe we should read the maps more correctly..as an assumed contour the ridge then drop into the valley…is actually contour one ridge, drop into a high mini valley, ride up to a col in the pissing rain on fire roads, then drop a load of height!
We desperately need somewhere to warm through and get hot food…..but the little town of Couvet looks as empty as that town in Chitty Chitty bang bang where they are hiding from the childcatcher. It has stopped raining (briefly) when by the bridge we find salvation…a combined boulangerie/patisserie/tea room!! The lovely staff find us a (wipeable) room, agree to do soup and save the day! We even rv with Adrian again.
Now for the inevitable (and slightly daunting) post lunch climb….the longest on the route.
Straight up the road, and up, and up, and up, more rain, then down into some wind chilling us badly.
A final few km off road are taken (its rather muddy and across fields, but slower speeds and no traffic mean we enjoy it and warm up!). We are sad to see it go and rejoin the road for the last push into St Croix and up (again) and down to L’Auberge for the Christian holiday hostel…
A slightly odd setup associated with a normal hotel, but being the only guests (or have we been separated deliberately??) works well. We have 2 dorms (everyone has a bottom bunk) and good facilities.
Dinner is delicious – with more pasta than we can devour, our own beer + their wine, and a sixth form common room vibe to finish. Just as well as we’ve done 1600m of climbing (its been a beast)
Day 4 Sainte Croix to Brassus then over the border to the Vielle Loge (Stage 8 + extra to France)
The morning routine is beginning to get a familiar..this is my kit and I know what i’m doing with it repetition (in a good way). Lots of bread and jam, with quiche as well as cheese 🙂
Adrian keeps us amused with a Fawltyesque incident with the toaster!
The weather gods are still playing with us..but radar suggests a better day than yesterday.
Today we do a short van uplift in two stages to get us further up the road as we have a lot of extra km this afternoon to get to the self catering accomodation with no elec, plumbing etc!
Team A are taken a couple of miles in , then ride on, to meet team B at start of the trail with precision to the minute! It’s cool but dry, and the cow bells are back. We have also been criss crossing border defences from WW2, some debate about who they were designed to keep out!
Some great long descents, and good photo opportunities too 🙂 probably the best morning’s ride so far!
Vallorbe for lunch, and we discover it’s a Swiss bank holiday monday (but only in this and two other cantons) which means the supermarkets are closed! Supper plans now mean shopping in France. Lunch meanwhile is taken in a cafe/bar run by Thai’s who provide us with sandwiches and frites (plus the obligatory 2 hot drinks), simple food in anticipation of a Monsieur Incroable gastronomic delight ce soir.
We replan our next Adrian rv to meet us halfway along Lac Joux to pickup our Chef for shopping whilst the rest pootle over the border to the lodge. Luckily Eric checks his chain before we set off as he has managed to twist about 1/4 of it beyond repair on the way into town when it got jammed off the cogs! El Pres’s 9 speed spare to the rescue!
Another post lunch climb, this time to the lakes, and it’s a pretty route although “like the cat n fiddle..but without any of the flat bits” aka a lot of height in a few km.
Regrouping by a church overlooking the lake, we snack and see a mostly flattish landscape. some great riding in woods on the far side is so much fun we extend it off route for a few more km, and then have a rest in the sunshine by the van, next to the lake.
It’s been a good days riding, but there is still the small matter of the excursion into France. Butty decides he’s had enough and joins Phil, they are tasked with getting the fire going in the Lodge, then going shopping.
The rest of us head off into the headwind and the lumpier than expected gentle uphill, across the border (smiling at the bored French police), turning right between the lakes and onto the quiet road past many a little chalet (trying to be Swiss?). A lack of bells on the cows is a bit sad :-(.
The final climb is a bit of a swine, but the instructions about a green fence and a 30km sign on a tree are spot on, down the muddy track and there it is…smoke curling from the chimney, and Butty offering beer…heaven!
Tis warm inside, but we prep entrees outside, G&T’s, blinis, olives and crisps, before darkness descends and we are in candle lit snugness for two hot dishes from our own Marco Pierre White clone! We finally catch up on our belgian beer quota, see amazing stars (milky way and shooting stars). Composting toilets are found (in the tree line not the house) before we lost the light…and just as well for some!
Stairs are seriously rickety, and at least one of us woke in the night with a purring pussy on our feet!
A perfect venue for the last night.
Day 5 back to Brassus then onto Nyon (detour + stage 9)
Breakfast takes a bit longer as we have to make it, and tidy up, so it’s not the fastest of starts.
Cloud shrouds the ridge opposite (which we need to climb), its still cold.
The rain starts almost immediately we leave, and is bouncing for about an hour on the run into Brassus. We request a pickup from Adrian for the evil road climb out…but start anyway as he’s not immediately available and we need to keep moving to stay warm.
Another steep climb, but it does warm us, and the rain does stop. Nevertheless many of the team do take some uplift from the van, and we regroup at the top to strip off wet kit and put on fresh dry stuff.
…only it’s not the top…a false flat then another little climb awaits before we head into the forest and a network of fire roads and minor roads, past wood stacks and logs, occasional wood sculptures and finally some fields before we meet Adrian and godsent hot drinks on his camping stove!!! breakfast leftovers of cheese, crisps and bread devoured too!
For a while it’s stopped raining and is ok, then off for the final 18km down into Nyon.
It should have been a beautiful finish, past vineyards and little villages, but wet and cold, and into more heavy rain it’s not at it’s best. Nyon is smartish, however it’s core is let down by 8 bikers dismantling bikes, changing into dry clothing, and a mountain of bags! It takes an hour (and 4 parking spaces) to complete our transformation and have the van loaded.
Anticlimax embodied as at almost 5pm our only option for food is McD’s!
Saying au revoir to Van team of Adrian & TJ, the rest of us manage to find a tea room for coffee and cake, then a bar by the station. A slightly tired and tense evening with the “will they cancel the flight” having had a 2 hour delay from first thing…turns out well, and we do finally leave Geneva on Tuesday, but arrive home early Wednesday.
A proper adventure trip, shame about the weather, but we’ll soon forget the bad bits, and remember the fireside warmth of the Vielle Loge!