The Route: more or less

May 26, 2012

I have no idea what the route is, at least for the first 10 days. That's Leo's job. When it comes to getting from Toulouse to Geneva, he's my huckleberry, I'll just ride along and take in the atmosphere.

After that, though, it's ALLLLL on me.

Fortunately, I've had a little help from the Swiss, or at least their website.

Leave it to the organized Swiss to come up with a bike touring website that has absolutely everything you could possibly want, and need, to plan a tour in Switzerland, not to mention information on hiking, rollerblading...

http://map.veloland.ch/?lang=en&p&route=all

Here's a screen shot. The blue lines are road routes and the tan-ish lines are mountain bike routes.

Click on the individual lines you get even more information on that specific route.

Notice, too, on the left (previous picture), that you can click on "accommodation" and "Places of Interest" and the locations pop up on the map. You can then click on the individual icons for more information.

But it doesn't end there...

I also signed up for the "Swiss Mobility Card" site that allows you to create individual routes. You can then (among other things) download them to a Garmin. Not only do you get route information but also elevation.

Here is an example. I created a route (in red) and it shows the elevation on the right. When I click on the route it give matches to the point to the elevation on the right.

In truth I really don't NEED this extra feature, but it is pretty cool, you gotta admit....admit it....ADMIT IT! There is a cost (30 Swiss Frances) for the Swiss Mobility "thing", (no cost for the "regular" site) but it's so COOL. Admit it, it's COOL!

Anyway, based on all the data, THIS is my expected route...

In other words, I plan to ride like last year, have a plan, more or less, and then improvise when the time comes.

And though I don't know the exACT route, I'm sure of one thing; I'm riding in Switzerland, I can guarantee that the elevation profile will look something like this!

You know, I think I better go do some training.....on HILLS!

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