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Tour 2022,  11 - 15 August

stagedistance (km)climbing (m)
Hasle-Rüegsau - Belp - Schwarzenburg - Plaffeien1062030
Plaffeien - Broc - Les Paccots - Villeneuve892100
Villeneuve - Chaude - Ecovets - Martigny882360
Martigny - Croix-de-Coeur - Nendaz - Veysonnaz642350
Veysonnaz - La Forclaz - St-Martin - Sion681140
total4159980


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Stage 1 (11 August 2022): Hasle-Rüegsau - Belp - Schwarzenburg - Plaffeien

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The plans for my 2022 tour were not very different from the past years because i still have some road passes to climb in Switzerland. On the one hand these are small, little-known passes, but also passes that you cannot, or cannot easily, ride over with a road bike. This means passes where you either have to go back and forth, or you have to ride on unpaved roads. The start was at Hasle-Rüegsau station in the Emmental, with Löchli and, nearby, Aspi as the first passes. Then Vorderschwendi on another ridge a little further west. This hilly region was beautiful, but the small roads was sometimes quite steep. I then continued westwards, where two small passes awaited me near the Bantiger hill. The first one, Talhöchi, was very nice but quite steep while the second one, Stockerehöchi, had much more traffic.
I was then in the suburbs of Bern and headed south to cross the Aare towards Belp. After this town, i took a small road that turned out to be extremely steep. This was the beginning of the longest climb of the day, which took me to the Gschneit pass. There i took a short break on the terrace of the restaurant. In fact, the mere sight of the drought-browned meadows and pastures was enough to make me thirsty! After this, it was easy to reach the next two passes, Eggacker and Brügglensteig. Then came a nice descent to cross the Schwarzwasser river, but then of course it was necessary to ride up the other side, towards Schwarzenburg. After a slight pass at Pöschen, the road went steeply downhill to another river, the Sense. On the Fribourg side, i climbed up to the Äbnet pass and then headed for its almost homonymous Ebnet. But this was only a diversion, so i headed back south. After Tafers, i chose to ride over Rechthalten, which made me go again through a pass, in Berg. In the meantime it was really hot, but i was already in sight of the goal of the day: Plaffeien.

 distance (km)altitude (m)climbing (m)
Hasle-Rüegsau0570 
Löchli7850280
Aspi886010
Jegerlehn9750 
Vorderschwendi1084090
Bigenthal12670 
Bangerten17810140
Stettlen24560 
Talhöchi27770210
Stockerehöchi30690 
Bolligen31540 
Rütibühl3657030
Gümligen37560 
Allmendingen4059030
Vehweid45510 
Belp4752010
Niederhäusern49770250
Gschneit54940170
Oberbütschel55890 
Tiefenbrünnen5898090
Eggacker59910 
Brügglensteig60880 
Rossgrabenbrücke65680 
Elisried67800120
Schwarzenburg70790 
Pöschen7180010
Sodbach72650 
Äbnet 74760110
Mühletal81590 
Ebnet8365060
Friseneit86590 
Rütihubel8968090
Heitiwil90640 
Angstorf9266020
Tafers93650 
Rechthalten101890240
Brügi102860 
Berg10593070
Plaffeien106850 
total106 2030

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Stage 2 (12 August 2022): Plaffeien - Broc - Les Paccots - Villeneuve

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For this second stage, i was able to start at 8 o'clock and still enjoy the cool morning air. I drove towards Plasselb via the slight Sunehalta pass. I then headed south and climbed up a small road that was mostly in the forest. Towards the top, a section was gravel, then the last 500 metres was a path requiring some pushing. I arrived at Auta Chia d'Amont and enjoyed the view over the Charmey valley. The descent was entirely on a good road, narrow and steep until the convent of Valsainte, wider and less steep afterwards. I headed towards Broc, Bulle, then the north-western slopes of the Alpettes mountain. This climb was beautiful but quite hard, with some very steep passages and others not tarmacked. I was able to reach the Pertuis pass, before descending to Semsales. From there, it was a very rolling part towards Châtel-St-Denis, with the passage from the Rhine basin to the Rhône basin at Ayoux.
From Châtel-St-Denis to Les Paccots, it was seriously uphill, then even more so towards the col des Joncs. Nothing attractive at this place in summer. My next goal was to ride over two passes in the region of Les Pléiades. I could have gone back and made a big detour or continued and made a lesser detour via gravel roads, but i took the shortest way, via trails requiring about half an hour of pushing the bike. I crossed the Veveyse de Fégire river by a footbridge before going up the other side. After a few more gravel sections, i reached the Alliaz pass, then a little further on Creux aux Oies. The only thing left for me was the descent to Lake Geneva. But as i was early, i decided to go through the pass of Sonloup, which i had never done before from the Villard-sur-Chamby valley. I finally descended via Les Avants, Glion and the steep road to Montreux. I finished the stage at the end of the lake, in Villeneuve.

 distance (km)altitude (m)climbing (m)
Plaffeien0850 
Sunehalta289040
Sageboden (Plasselb)4830 
Auta Chia d'Amont141460630
La Guisolanda151410 
Gros Chomiaux16143020
Les Riaux22930 
L'Adde (Cerniat)2394010
La Savignière (Crésuz)25850 
Châtel-sur-Montsalvens2788030
La Perreire30720 
Broc3173010
Les Marches32690 
Le Dèvin421160470
Le Cergny441140 
Les Esserts46123090
Pertuis471190 
Semsales52870 
La Maraîche54830 
Ayoux5686030
Châtel-St-Denis57820 
Les Paccots611070250
Col des Joncs621200130
Passerelle Fégire631020 
Col de l'Alliaz671200180
Creux aux Oies681160 
Saumont73940 
Sonloup751150210
Territet85390 
Villeneuve89370 
total89 2100

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Stage 3 (13 August 2022): Villeneuve - Chaude - Ecovets - Martigny

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From Villeneuve to Martigny, it is not even 40 km, but when you are looking for passes next to the Rhone valley, it can obviously get longer. Already above Villeneuve is the Col de Chaude. With a road bike, it can practically only be done as a round trip. Even if it's not the way i prefer, i wanted to go. After only 1 km of climbing, a sign indicated that the road was closed due to road works a few kilometres further on. Also for bikes? No details, of course. In fact, as it was Saturday, the construction site was at rest and the barriers were put aside. So I was able to enjoy a very quiet ascent on a road that had been largely rebuilt. Counting a few breaks to take pictures, it still took me nearly 2 hours to reach the pass and enjoy the magnificent view on the valley, the mountains in front (in particular the Dents du Midi) and Lake Geneva. The descent was also very nice, but with the steep slope, the brakes were well used.
The other passes of the day could be done as a loop from Ollon. The first one was one of the Forclaz of the region. But the climb continued on a small road to reach the Ecovets pass. It was on the descent, at Chésières, that i joined a road with more traffic. Passing Huémoz, i did not miss the few meters that separated me from the Praz Basset pass. And the descent continued towards Ollon. There i met two cyclists who wanted to go towards the Grand-St-Bernard and we rode together to St-Maurice, after which we chose different routes to Martigny. As this part of the route was entirely in the valley, the wind was a decisive factor. And as the weather was good, the wind was blowing upstream and helped me a lot. So without too much effort i arrived at the stage town of the day, Martigny.

 distance (km)altitude (m)climbing (m)
Villeneuve0370 
Les Collondaires91240870
En Herniaulaz101220 
Col de Chaude141620400
En Herniaulaz181220 
Les Collondaires19124020
Villeneuve28370 
Aigle3842050
En Châlex40400 
Ollon4248080
Col de la Forclaz46880400
Col des Ecovets521300420
Praz Basset561000 
Ollon63480 
Villy64400 
Les Glareys6644040
Bex68410 
La Preyse7647060
Evionnaz78450 
Martigny8847020
total88 2360

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Stage 4 (14 August 2022): Martigny - Croix-de-Coeur - Nendaz - Veysonnaz

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After three days of sun and warmth, the weather for the fourth stage was overcast. I first rode up to Sembrancher and then Bagnes and Verbier. This resort was alive with two different events. I continued the climb and found a little quieter roads. It was just before 11 o'clock when i arrived at the Croix-de-Coeur. The sky was dark and rain seemed to be coming from the west. So I didn't waste any time before descending to La Tzoumaz. On the other side of the valley, i climbed again to pass above Isérables and continue towards Nendaz. Then came another descent into the Nendaz valley, partly on very chaotic roads, partly even on gravel. The last climb then took me to the resort of Veysonnaz.

 distance (km)altitude (m)climbing (m)
Martigny0470 
Les Valettes6630160
Bovernier7610 
Sembrancher12710100
Charençon (Bagnes)15830120
Le Glairier (Le Châble)17800 
Verbier261490690
Croix de Coeur332170680
La Tzoumaz421500 
Pont de la Fare441490 
Le Plantorny461290 
Le Dzardi (Nendaz)501520230
Basse-Nendaz58990 
Beuzon (Nendaz)59970 
Veysonnaz631230260
Magrappé (Veysonnaz)641340110
total64 2350

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Stage 5 (15 August 2022): Veysonnaz - La Forclaz - St-Martin - Sion

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As the last stage of this tour, i wanted to go up to the Val d'Hérens. To do this, i had to start by descending towards Vex. On the way to Euseigne, i could admire the famous pyramids near the village. Shortly after Euseigne, i caught up with a cyclist who was riding to Evolène. We did this whole part of the route together. I was a bit surprised by the amount of traffic going up, but that was because that Monday was a holiday and a religious festival was taking place in Evolène. Further on, it was quieter. And after Les Haudères, it became steeper. I arrived without any problem at La Forclaz, the last pass of this tour. Of course i took the time to take some pictures of this village and the surrounding alpine landscapes, before riding back down to the valley. Just after a tunnel, i turned right to climb towards St-Martin, which made me stay on the right side of the Val d'Hérens. From Suen, i started a long descent that brought me to Bramois. The traffic was guided differently than i remembered, but i still found my way to Sion, where this beautiful tour in Swiss regions so close but so different ended.

 distance (km)altitude (m)climbing (m)
Magrappé (Veysonnaz)01340 
Veysonnaz11230 
Pt. 111931120 
Les Trois Rois4115030
Vex8940 
Le Sauterot13940 
Euseigne1598040
Bella Plache191110130
Evolène241390280
Les Haudères28145060
La Forclaz311730280
Les Haudères351450 
Evolène391390 
Bella Plache441110 
St-Martin481400290
Suen49143030
Mase521340 
Bramois63510 
Sion68490 
total68 1140


PS / 19.8.2022