I love bikepacking and trips that last several days. The feeling of just riding and riding and not having to return to the starting point on the same day is exciting, and at the same time opens up many new options. It feels like you can keep on riding almost for ever, to cross mountains and then find yourself in different valleys. I was over the moon when I heard about the new “Alpine Circle Bike Tour” in the Grisons.
You will find the first of the places for overnight stops on the Alpine Circle Bike Tour next to Pontresina station. ©Swiss Youth Hostel
The idea is as simple as it is sophisticated: thanks to the ideal link between the route and public transport and the ability to extend the day trips, there is something here for both trail-biking beginners as well as experienced bikers. What interested me as a mother with a 15 month old daughter and a partner who is just as much of a bike enthusiast as me, was whether we could set out as a family on a tour lasting several days and enjoy it.
The trails through the Grisons take you between sheer chasms and rock faces. ©Balz Weber
The Alpine Circle Bike Tour was just the thing to make this ambition possible. We could ride together along certain sections and take the post bus or train to complete other sections with our daughter. Sometimes we split up, with just one parent enjoying the wind in their face as they rode along. The Grisons is home to some of the world’s best bike trails and also offers fabulous landscapes which made this adventure all the more enjoyable for us.
After a steep climb the descent is just as steep. ©Balz Weber
Day 1 – Glaciers and vanilla ice-cream in St. Moritz
It can’t be a coincidence that there is a pump track next to Pontresina station and the youth hostel. I warm up with a few circuits while my daughter Romy, who will travel with me on today’s tour, builds sand castles in the beach volley ball court. After the warm-up the route takes me on narrow tracks to the Morteratsch glacier, sometimes on gravel and sometimes on a trail. A very beautiful view. The trail sections are not really difficult but are narrow and only manageable with a single-axle child’s trailer. On the way down to the youth hostel in St. Moritz we stop off for an ice-cream at the stunning Stazersee. I call that a successful start.
You also meet hikers on your tour – so it’s always time to show some consideration. ©Balz Weber
Day 2 – 1000 metre uphill flow over the Scaletta Pass
We change our plans as the day starts cold and with rain. Romy will not keep me company for the first few kilometres along the River Inn. In any case I soon leave the river and now zig-zag in a steep 1000 metre climb which, thanks to my fitness I soon complete and find myself at the Scarletta pass. The higher I climb, the quieter it becomes. The trail leads me though wonderful high valleys with rushing mountain rivers and across green meadows.
A few bridges still need to be crossed. ©Balz Weber
The mountain peaks are covered by mist. I don’t mind as the tricky descent on the wet stones demands all my concentration and brings a smile to my face even in this weather. Once I arrive in Davos I look back once again and my smile becomes even broader. Crossing from one valley to the next like this is something special and represents a real bike adventure for me.
Day 3 – truly epic – over the 40km long Alps Epic Trail
I have also selected the “expert’s variant” for today as there is no way I can miss the opportunity to ride the legendary Alps Epic Trail. I therefore gladly pedal up the additional 600 metre gain in altitude as this summer, the cable car to the Jakobshorn only goes as far as the middle station. I seem to be the only person to have had this idea and I appear to be the only biker for miles around. I enjoy the stillness and magic to the full. The trail is very variable and long. It snakes along the mountainside and seems endless. It feels like an age before the River Landwasser comes into view. The sight is a real spectacle. The trail follows the track of the Rhätische Bahn. The route takes me though gorges and tunnels and across spectacular viaducts.
Bridges with breath-taking views await you. ©Balz Weber
Day 4 – through the die fabulous Rhine Gorge
The morning of the fourth day is an easier and more relaxing ride, taking me through small villages and along trails with wonderful views – from Lenzerheide down to Reichenau. There would be no problems taking the child’s trailer on this section. But Romy had other ideas. She was too busy with the young goats in the garden next to the wonderfully beautiful Valbella youth hostel. In the afternoon I was very pleased to have saved a few kilometres as the trail took me through the spectacular Rhine Gorge. Parts of the trail were an extremely steep climb. I was glad to have had such a hearty breakfast.
Definitely one of the highlights of the tour: the Rhine Gorge ©Balz Weber
Anyone travelling by train in a family group will definitely not be disappointed: I think I have never had such a beautiful train journey in my life. In the evening I was more than happy to fall into my youth hostel bed in the wellnessHostels3000 in Laax. What a stylish hostel – almost Youth Hostel version 2.0.
Unspoilt nature as far as the eye can see ©Balz Weber
Day 5 – Trail cooldown to Chur
The next morning we enjoy our breakfast of Birchermüesli behind a picture window. The bathing lakes in Flims are worth a visit. If you have the time you should take a break by the Caumasee on your last day to look back over your tour. Fortunately today’s tour is an easy downhill ride to Chur. The final sections along the Rhine in particular are incredible fun. A great finale!
The Alpine Circle Bike Tour, a mixture of adrenalin and relaxation. ©Balz Weber
Conclusion:
The Alpine Circle Bike Tour is a great opportunity for everyone who still has little experience of tours lasting several days and who doesn’t want to waste time on what would otherwise be time-consuming planning. The tour is also suitable for groups and families with different proficiency levels, or for everyone who likes easy and not too demanding bike trails. There is something for everyone here. I look forward to riding the trails in a few year with Romy.
About the author
For many years, Ines was Germany’s best Enduro-biker. Now she has a daughter, Romy, and is still on the lookout for demanding trails and tours through beautiful countryside. She has never left professional sport and continues to compete in races at the highest level. As well as motherhood and racing, she is also involved in further exciting projects related to mountain biking and, for example, last spring published a book entitled “Toskana Trails” jointly with her partner Max. If you want to know more about Ines and her interesting adventures, all you have to do is follow her on Instagram.
Gravel instead of mountain bike
Are you as enthusiastic about bikes as Ines, just in a different way? You don’t have to rush down the mountain to discover Switzerland on a two-wheeler. Sina tested a gravel bike tour for the. The route took her and her friend Anja from Buchs SG to Kreuzlingen, on to Schaffhausen and ended in Basel.
Interlaken in a different way
Do you already know the Grisons like the back of your hand? There are also many cool bike trails waiting for you in Interlaken. Sina is not only a pro on the gravel bike, she is also passionate about the bike trails all over Switzerland.
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