As the sun slowly rises at Hotel Montana in Limburg an der Lahn, birds whistle loudly from Ruben's phone. It is exactly 06.00 when the alarm clock rings. Why the alarm clock rings in Limburg an der Lahn and why at this hotel, I'll explain later. Once snoozing further, we get ready for a relatively long day. Final destination? The 'real' Montana, Crans-Montana, in Switzerland. Four days of adventure in the Swiss Alps. With on the programme the climb to Crans-Montana itself, the legendary Furka pass, Lac de Tseuzier and more. We can't wait.
Back in time
In my previous articles, the love for Switzerland does come up. The fact that the idea for this platform was born in Switzerland definitely has something to do with that. But also the beautiful scenery, the challenging routes and the unpredictability that sometimes make your plans go straight into the bin. Stages have been rained out twice already. Even so bad that mountain passes were twice closed due to bad weather. Still. Switzerland and certainly the Valais region is really in my heart.
Crans-Montana
The fashionable and classic ski village Crans-Montana is known to many for its spas, golf tournament, but to few for its cycling opportunities. That's a shame, because actually this village (which consists of two parts) is ideally located for a beautiful holiday in the mountains. At altitude, with stunning panoramic views, with several bruisers of mountain passes around the corner. Enjoyment with a big G! Last year, we travelled here by train. That was already relaxing and this year too we choose a sustainable mode of transport.
The bus
Back to the hotel in Limburg. The reason we hear the birds singing here is simple: we would like to be in Crans-Montana on time. Piece of cake, I hear you say. That's right. If you start tearing along the German Autobahn in a fat BMW or Mercedes at 180. Then you'll be there in no time and a month's salary poorer. We wanted to do it differently. Preferably by train, but then it's still hard to take your bike. So it became an electric car. A van, because you have to take a lot with you. Thanks to Andries from TSN Green we have an excellent electric transport vehicle at our disposal. The big planning can begin.
Loading is fun
What we soon found out, even before we set off, is that the bottleneck in electric driving is not range, but charging. To drive approx 200km, you need 50kW. Most public charging stations can charge about 50kWh. Some a bit more and with a Tesla Supercharger everything is different. But so if you need 50kW...and the capacity is 50 kWh. Then 'refuelling' is a time-consuming affair. So let's make it fun. How we did that?
Load 'n Ride
While we've pushed the birds away and had a cup of coffee in Limburg, we take a quick look on Komoot and in the planner. We have 220 km before we have to reload, so then it's off to find a nice spot. Baden-Baden, in Baden-Wurttemberg is a somewhat sedate spa resort, where mostly elderly people enjoy a good life. It is also popular with the average slightly older tourist. As a cycling destination, it is underrated, because from this beautiful town you can go straight into the mountains! Once we have hooked up the bus to the (free) charging pole at Aldi Süd, we have an hour to explore the area. Bikes out of the car, suit up, helmet on. Let's go!
Rote Lache
The route we came up with starts in the centre of Baden-Baden. From the old railway station, it's a bit of a stroll through the streets before finally riding out of town via the casino (another beautiful old building) and the various bath houses. Via Lichtenberg Abbey and several other church buildings, we ride towards Rote Lache. The scenery is green, the sun is high in the sky. It is pure enjoyment on two wheels.
Steep and twisty.
When planning the route, it is already clear: this is a technical road uphill. Popular also with motorcyclists, which is a good indicator. You are well protected by the trees marking the road. The only thing they don't protect you from: the rise of the road surface. Despite a profile that looks friendly, the counter occasionally shoots up to ten per cent. Das for a leisurely ride is tough anyway. I myself ride uphill with a backpack containing laptops and other valuables. In the German summer sun, this is not necessarily recommended. Ruben, the stronger rider of the two of us anyway, only rides with his camera. Next time, we'll do that differently.
Up and back again
On the way up, we indeed encounter some bikers. Friendly greetings are not in the cards for them. They are concentrating on the road. Once at the top, there is a view, but it is blocked by a large house. That's just too bad. We decide to turn around immediately and descend again. It is a fairly technical descent with quite a few blind curves. It's a little different when driving uphill. With oncoming traffic, you have to be careful here. Once back in town, it is simple. A quick turn and we are back at the Aldi.
Vol(daan)
The bus is full, we are satisfied. With electric driving, you just have to think around. Because in a normal car we would have ignored this area. Now we have a beautiful climb, we have driven sustainably and we have done some sports. On the way back, this will also be an option. The other loading points we chose were shorter and all along the motorway. That's just inconvenient.
