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96 JUNE 2016
hen it
comes to world-class mountain bikingconditions, South Africans
do not have
to look further than our backyard toindulge in surroundings that
are as good
as they get anywhere else on the planet.
How proud we are to be the host countryof the famous ABSA Cape
Epic in the
west, the glorious Sani2c in the east; andall the landscaped,
manicured, and well-
prepped trails in-between.And so it was with a somewhat
aloof,
but helplessly curious perspective, that
I entertained the notion of fat biking,encouraged by a friend
who had ridden
the Snow Bike Festival in Switzerlandand returned to announce
that: Any
mountain biker worth his salt mustexperience riding fat bikes in
the snow
before he can claim he has ridden the
best conditions out there.That was all it took to plant the
seed,
and with a surprisingly small amount ofbasic planning and a
reasonable budget,
I found myself on the starting line of thethree-day stage event
in the beautiful
town of Gstaad in the Swiss Alps. As
so often happens with these impromptudecisions, I was rather
concerned
I would be undercooked on thetraining, but with an average of a
little
over just 30 kilometres per stage, myconcerns proved
unwarranted, and
I discovered a new form of mountain
biking which instantly fascinated me,and took my mountain-biking
euphoria
to unprecedented levels.
SLIPPERY SLOPE
Promoting fat biking is very
much on the agenda of
various tourism and business
bodies in Gstaad, which
means you can even ride
down some ski slopes on your
bike! It takes a little more skill
than normal bike riding as you
pull the back brakes lightly
and shift the weight to slide
the back wheel out a lit tle. Itsthe best way to negotiate
the
o-camber tighter turns and
super fun once you get the
hang of it, making heading
down a red-graded run
a huge head rush.
Cyclists can get to the top
by riding a challenging slog
via the alpine forest trails and
mountain roads or, for the
lazier riders, taking the ski lift.
You need to be very aware
of skiers on the slopes, as
they are, understandably,
not expecting to see bikes
up there.
Fresh snow falls askies are the perfect
for riverside fat-OPPOSITE The G
(back) strikes an impand adds to the surre
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KerstinSonnekalb,NickMuzik
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We began stage one riding out of town
on the icy tar with some tight hedge-lined twists in t he road,
which had me
nervous, but the massive surface area of
the broad tyres did their job on the ha rdstuff before rolling
smoothly onto the
snow. The next five kilometres of flatsnowed-over single-track
country paths
running next to a river, winding ever soelegantly between trees
with snow-laden
branches overhead, letting through
dappled rays of morning sunshine, wereas sublime as any Ive
ridden before.
The only sound for at least 15 minuteswas the welcoming crunch
under the
knobbly tread of the t yres (no spikes
or extra technical tread needed), the icyriver water bubbling
alongside our
steadily moving peloton, and my owndeep and warm expirations
punctuating
the air steadily before being vaporisedinches in front of my
face.
In a world full of distracting soundsand sights, an isolated
snowy landscape
can be either eerie or soothing,
depending on how comfortable you arewith being alone in a place
fully exposed
to nature. It did not take long before wewere spread out enough
to be afforded
the solitude so difficult to come by thesedays. With nothing but
the purity of
snow every which way I looked, the
promise of snaking alpine-forest trailsahead and the prospect of
another few
hours of this kind of bike riding, I was i nas euphoric a state
of exercise as I have
ever been, but without the urgency ofgetting somewhere. I could
have just
continued riding along the self-evident
route that lay ahead of me. And if I feltthat I was getting lost
I k new it would
just be a matter of turning around andfollowing the tracks back
that the fat
tyres had left in the snow.The long loops of trail also brought
us
up close to communities and provided
tangible sight of barn roofs stacked highwith firewood for
winter while livestock
took shelter inside; high-pitched roofsof houses hundreds of
years old with
Snowed-over hiking trails Even for anabsolute
novice, suchas me it was
a breezegetting thehang of it
FROM TOPRiding insnow in the Alpsseems to be lessenergy
sapping;
locals with alphorns(Swiss musical
instruments).OPPOSITE, FROM TOP
A morning sunrise inGstaad took me
by surprise; nospecialised gear
is needed layering up will do.
THE FAT-BIKE TREND
Fat-bike tyres are more than twice
the size in girth of regular mountain
bikes. So why the fascination with
the funny-looking bulky beasts
and the global uptake by so many
not just trying out a new fad, but
buying into cyclings fastest
growing phenomenon?
The answer is in the breaking
down of parameters. Rock gardens,muddy trails, gnarly rooted
tracks,
loose sand and, of course, snowy
slopes that used to be o limits to
regular mountain bikers are now
accessible and a joy to ride on
a fattie. The bikes are ideal for
winter conditions when cyclists
used to be quarantined, and they
have become popular in summer,
too. Along with the increase in
riders is the enhancement in
geometry to imitate current
regular-size mountain bikes.
TRAVEL SW
DominicBrugger,NickMuzik,RyanScott
Fatbikingisagrowinphenomenon,thankstoversatilityinallcondit
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GETTING THERE
There are direct daily ights from
Joburg to Zurich with Swiss
airlines from R16 000 return (you
can take a bike as part of your
luggage for an extra R800 one
way). From Zurich, its a three-
hour SBB (Swiss rail) train ride
to Gstaad. Trains leave to the
minute specied and epitomise
the famous Swiss precision.A return journey to Gstaad is
from R1 200 pp. The journey is
like a fairy-tale ride through
picture-postcard scenery. Its
worthwhile getting o in Bern,
the Swiss de facto capital, for an
hour. Just make sure your ticket
includes a stopover. SBB sta is
very helpful with queries. There
is no extra charge for travelling
with a bicycle. sbb.ch,swiss.com
WHEN TO GO
The crowds abate dramatically
after Christmas and New Year,
so you can enjoy quiet paths and
no congestion on the slopes at
all from the middle of January
to March. Thankfully, the bikes
are suited to all conditions so
lack of snow is not a problem
on planning when to ride.
NEED TO KNOW
South Africans require a visa
(R970 pp,www.eda.admin.ch/
pretoria). If youre taking your
own fat bike, instead of packing
it in a cumbersome bike box
which baggage handlers tend to
treat robustly, simply bubble
wrap the delicate bits. It leaves
the bike easy to handle and less
likely to be damaged. Take all
your own cycling clothing and
gear and keep the cold at bay
by layering. Besides shoe covers
and warm apparel, there is no
specic clothing needed to ride
in the snow. Its important to
keep snacking and taking
a break every 20 minutes or so to
re-energise from nutrition bars
and snacks, as well as from the
beautiful vistas that present
themselves around every corner.
COOP, in the centre of Gstaad,
has delicious fresh foods and
a selection of hearty breads.
You can create your own lunch
for less than R80 pp. coop.ch
Michels Stallbeizli restaurant
is a must for an obligatory
fondue experience. Its a cosy,
simple, one-room add-on to
a functioning cowshed. Huge
cows feed and are tended to by
the farmer right next to the
tables, separated by a large
window pane. Its as authentic
as it gets and youll eat more
cheese in one sitting than
you thought was possible in
a lifetime. From R700 for two.
stallbeizli.ch
Glhwein is available at stalls
throughout Gstaad and the
locals love it. Its great for
staying warm. A cup costs
from R40 and sometimes
a R25 deposit is required.
STAY HERE
Traditional hotels
expensive, but B&
accommodation is
option with many
two- and three-sta
in the area which c
your needs. From
including breakfa
Hotel Le Petit Relai
comfortable, clean
suited to relaxed liv
a communal kitche
areas. From R1 100
under six stay free)
lepetitrelais.chPosthotel Rssliin
of the town is in an
alpine chalet and t
hotel in Gstaad. The
Wi-Fi. From R2 000
posthotelroessli.ch
bikesportreuteler
gstaad train station
c
michels stallbeizl
saanen ice rin
fredysbikewlt
posthotel rssl
PLAN YOUR TRIP
alps
to hotel le petchlosterli, feu& gsteig
switzerl
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g
There are many, mostly at,
hiking trails in the area that you
can ride via the small towns of
Chlosterli, Feutersoey and Gsteig
to the east of Gstaad, and
towards Saanen in the south-
west where the overall elevation
gained can be less than
100 metres. Theres no charge to
make use of the trails and there
are free detailed maps availablefrom Gstaad tourism in the
town
centre. You can hire a fat bike
from Fredys Bikewlt or
Bikesport Reutelerin Gstaad.
Its easy and costs from R2 500
for ve days. bikewaelt.ch,
bikesport-reuteler.ch
DO THIS
Attend the Snow Bike Festival. It
happens every year (2017 dates
TBC) and is a great way of
showcasing the merits of fat
biking through the Alps. It covers
very rideable routes of hiking
trails and mountain slopes,
which are almost all accessible
outside of the event too. A three-
day race-pass package is from
R1 500 pp. snowbikefestival.com
Take a horse-drawn carriage
ride through the snow. Gstaad
is not a t ypical mountain town
conned to an area between
the slopes its spread out
over 220 kilometres, so there
is much to explore and
discover. From R1 000 pp.
gstaadschlittenfahrten.ch
Take a hot-air balloon ride with
Ballon Chteau-dOex when the
sky clears for a spectacular aerial
perspective of the area. From
R5 700 pp, ballonchateaudoex.ch
Watch an ice-hockey gameat
Saanen Ice Rink. While on a ride
in town, we discovered this
open-air ice rink in the city
centre. We watched a game at
night under lights. It was surreal,
exhilarating, and free! gstaad.ch
EAT HERE
Eating out at basic restaurants is
pricey, so self-catering is the way
to go for most of your meals.
their ornate family stories carved andpainted proudly on the
facade for all
to see; and village lifes natural ebb
and flow around tall-spired churches,narrow streets and friendly
faces.
My trip had started as one thatmight seem as appealing as
facing
a sumo wrestler on an ice rink, to thosewhose regular bicycles
take pride of
place in the garage. I mean, its the Alps.
You expect high altitudes and steep,fear-inducing descents. But
for all its
snow and slopes, Gstaad is only 1 050metres above sea level and
is not even
as high as Joburg. Even for an absolutenovice, such as me, it
was a breeze
getting the hang of it, and there were
so many opportunities to just stopand take it all in. After
riding four
days back to back and spending muchless money than I expected,
its now
just a matter of getting a bunch offriends together to join me
next year.
FROM TOP Authentic architecturein Gstaad; me on my bikewith
anamphitheatre created by peaksand a frozen lake below.
Fat biking the Alps has the potential tobecome the most popular
way to get the
most out of your trip to one of the mostfamous mountain
ranges.
DominicBrugger,NickMuzik
Alitlepieceomyselislefinhismagicalplace
* Prices and conversioat time of going to prin
