The 6th Swiss Bike Adventure didn’t begin with a gentle warm-up – it was a full-force trial by nature. Riders rolled out of Andermatt at 6:00 a.m. sharp, greeted by steady rain and thick mist clinging to the mountainsides. Visibility was low, but spirits were high.
The early climb tested legs and minds alike. Temperatures dropped toward freezing as riders approached higher altitudes. The Furka Pass, with its 900m vertical gain over 12km, usually a scenic highlight, became a ghostly challenge – shrouded in cloud and silence, save for the crunch of tires on soaked pavement.
Wet roads turned the long descent to Brig into a white-knuckle ride. Gloves soaked, shoes heavy with water, every kilometer was earned. Yet not a single complaint – only grit, focus, and the unspoken bond forged between those who choose the hard path.
After Oberwald in the Wallis, the rain finally stopped and the clouds cleared. But the challenge was far from over. A strong headwind in the Wallis valley slowed the riders all the way to Martigny, around 120km of battling wind resistance.
In Bex, the second major climb began: Col de la Croix, with 1,400m vertical gain over 24km.
Evening brought heavy thunderstorms again, with pouring rain.
“The Bee” scratched in Lalden after 83km.
Jérôme stopped at 2 a.m. in Orges (km 355), Martin at midnight in Yverdon-les-Bains (km 345). Several other riders sought shelter for the night between Les Diablerets (km 212) and Sarnen (km 250).
The Swiss Bike Adventure has never started like this.
But these riders didn’t come for easy.
Follow the riders:
https://swiss-bikeadventure.com/tracking-2025/
Photos: from day 1, Furka Pass
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