Horizontal Traversee des Alpes

You can join this bespoke and fully supported trip through France, Switzerland and Italy - the cyclists commissioning the tour are happy to share their adventure with you!

The horizontal Traversee des Alpes tour has been privately commissioned to cross from Geneva in the east to Venice in the west over the most pictoresque climbs in the Alps. In the spirit of cycling randonnees, this is a journey as well as a damn good bike ride!

This trip is suitable for club cyclists and strong regular cyclists. The daily distances are frequently above 100km and include one or two climbs per day. The tour offers you full roadside support (drinks / snacks / energy bars) including mechanical assistance.

Read on to understand why this trip is so special!

Arrive at Geneva airport in Switzerland and transfer to Thonon les Bains. Here we'll assemble the bikes and discuss the route between Geneva and Venice over dinner. Get ready to ride!

• Arrival at Geneva airport.
• Preparation day at Thonon les Bains by Lake Geneva (Lac Leman).
• Stay near Lac Leman / Thonon les Bains in France

From Lac Leman (Lake Geneva) you'll cycle the start of the 'routes des grandes alpes' and pass though Morzine & Les Gets on the way to La Clusaz (all famous skiing resorts!).

• Col des Gets 1163m
• Col de la Colombiere 1613m
• Stay near La Clusaz in France

There's a series of climbs today from La Clusaz starting with a superb descent into Flumet, then pass by Notre Dame Bellecombe and Beaufort before reaching the beautiful Cormet de Roseland climb.

• Col des Aravis 1486m
• Col des Saises
• Cormet de Roseland 1812m
• Stay near Bourg St. Maurice in France

Three nations and two big climbs in one day! There are two long descents to help cover the distance too! First is the Petit St. Bernard from Bourg St. Maurice to the south side of Mont Blanc in Italy. Following lunch in Aosta, climb the huge and impressive Col du Grand St. Bernard towards Martigny. You're back in Switzerland!

• Col de Petit st. Bernard 2200m
• Col de Grand St. Bernard 2510m
• Stay near Martigny in Switzerland

A much easier day following yesterdays exertions - mostly riding on the flat... Follow the Rhone valley as it passes by Swiss villages Sion, Sierre, until you reach Visp. Here we head towards the Matterhorn to stay at Zermatt.

• Stay beneath the Matterhorn in Zermatt, Switzerland

Two climbs to today! Descend to the Rhone and head towards Brig. From here you'll climb the Simplon Pass (famed for the Simplon Express train service), and pass back into Italy. The final climb of the day is from Domodossola, up to the old village of Santa Maria. Sant Maria de Maggiore is a popular destination for italian tourists and it is stunningly beautiful with many stone buildings.

• Simplon Pass 2005m
• Santa Marie Maggiore pass 850m
• Stay in Santa Maria de Maggiore in Italy

Continue heading east and leave Italy once again as you cross back into Switzerland for lunch by Lake Maggiore at Locarno. After lunch you attack the San Bernardino pass via Roveredo and Mesocco.

• San Bernardino Pass 2065m
• Stay near Splugen in Switzerland

To start the day is one of the most beautiful cols in the Alps taking you back into Italy, the Splugen pass. Descend past the ski resort of Madesimo and head back to Switzerland at Chiavenna over the Passo di Maloja. With an early start, you'll be in time for a late lunch (though an afternoon snack is welcome too) at St. Moritz before heading a little further along the valley to Zernez.

• Passo di Spluga 2113m
• Passo di Maloja 1815m
• Stay near Zernez in Switzerland

Two big climbs, the first (Ofenpass) gets you from Switzerland to the Trentino Alto Adige region of Italy and more importantly, to the north side of the Stelvio! From here each bend is counted down as you ascend this awesome pass. And it isn't over when you reach the top! Generally recognised as the best descents on a bicycle (in the Alps) awaits from the top of the Stelvio.. dropping from 2757m through Bormio at 1217m to just at 436m at Tirano!

• Ofenpass / Pass dal Fuorn 2149m
• Passo della Stelvio (Ortles / Stifflejoch) 2757m
• Stay near Tirano in Italy

This loop includes the full classic climbs of the Mortirolo Pass (Passo di Foppa) from north & the truly beautiful Gavia Pass from the southside (acknowledged as the best directions from which to approach both climbs). Leaving Tirano you head up to Grosio / Mazzo and over the Mortirolo to Monno. From Monno you'll head up the Oglio valley to Pont di Legno for the second climb of the day: the Passo di Gavia. Then its downhill to Bormio and down the valley again to your hotel in Tirano.

• Mortirolo Pass - 1852m
• Passo de Gavia - 2618m
• Stay near Tirano in Italy

You have one small climb (the Aprica Pass) and one bigger climb (Croce Dominii) today before the reward of Lake Garda! Leaving Tirano, you head south to Breno via Edolo, then east through Bagolino, Storo and Lago di Ledro towards the popular active resort of Riva del Garda.

• Passo d'Aprica - 1176m
• Passo di Croci Dominii 1799m
• Stay near Riva del Garda in Italy

The route is relatively flat after the Alps and you can opt to ride some of the distance in the support vehicle!

• Pian di Fugazze 1162m
• Stay near Venice in Italy

Your traversee des Alpes from west to east is complete!

2007 Horizontal Traversee des Alpes Dates

Hotel**

Pay-as-you-Stay***

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