Roadtrip in Europe

Last autumn I teamed up with Guy Gibbs on a roadtrip across the European continent.

9 countries in 3 weeks. We had a long way to go and a short time to get there.

Iphone users: watch video here

Rock, slate and silt

After an underground trainride you step out onto a grey and brown world with jagged mountainranges on all sides. The official downhill track is equally steep and rough as the surroundings. But Zermatt is not about following prepared bike trails, Zermatt is all about exploring and biking on natural walkers tracks deep into the mountains with the iconic Andermatt in the backdrop. We started off on a 1800m descent that was worth a biologists study of different biotopes. Starting off in the dead landscape of rock, slate and silt we rode downwards into steadily increasing vegetation. In the end the unmistakable smell of pine forest surrounded us as crafty squirrels performed acrobatic manouvers from branch to branch in startled escape.

Snow

Is septmeber the best month to go on a roadtrip in the Alps? The answer is no. A fact we realized fairly early in our holiday. Optimistically we sat in the gondola for the first ride of the day at Crans Montana bikepark chattering away about life's ups and downs. Until it started snowing. Five minutes of silence later we step out onto a snowcovered landscape, mud and puddles in the tracks.

Mountains on steroids

The mountains in Verbier can't have been playing straight while growing up. They are so much bigger and more demanding than all their brothers. I have to give it up for the trail builders managing to create great tracks in such difficult terrain. Every single track is so steep and the switchbacks so tight that technical gets a whole new meaning.

Not every day you get to go biking with a backdrop like this

Bonfires and closed lifts

Pila in Italy is famous for it's 12 km downhill track that goes all the way down to town. It closes at the end of August. We arrived early september. Looking forward to charging this track all holiday, we decided a lift wasn't going to stop us. And what a ride! The golden evening light sprinkled through the trees catching the dust that rose from our tires as we sped down the trail. Combined efforts between the good old hitchiking thumb and countless miles of walking get us back up to the top just in time to see the last red tint of sun as it went down behind the jagged skyline.

Bonfire sessions are mandatory on a real roadtrip

Village of witches

When you follow a winding road through the mountains of Italy sooner or later you will end up in a secluded little village. Ours was called Mollini de Triora. The last official place in Europe where witch burning was performed. Of all places on earth a man from London decided to start doing uplifts here. After a day of biking you clearly understand why.

Everything from hundreds of years old walking paths covered with a carpet of fallen leaves to steep rocky sections and the best natural singletracks you'll ever ride

Into the blue

Another day of riding with riviera bikes takes us down to the Italian coast. The warm temperature teams up with a fresh Mediterranean breeze carrying fragrances from surrounding olive farms to bring on the holiday feel. We start off the day by speeding down a dusty trail that winds along a ridge between bushes and shrubs. As we round a bend the bushes clear and the trail leads us directly onto a jump. Before we know it we get launched out into the horizon of the blue Mediterranean.

Open 7pm -9 pm, surfing day

We roll into spain early in the morning wihtout checking the surf forecast, and guess what? We meet prime conditions. We manage to locate a surfshop that actually is open and rent ourselves some boards. Exitedly we jog down to the surf surrounded by topless ladies that are another dimension of hotness. The rest is history.