Nick Muzik

nTh is took my mounatai

bik in g eu ph ori toels
un pre ced en ted lev

94 JUNE 2016

South Africa is no slouch when it comes to fantastic MTB offerings, so local pedal pusher
Ryan Scott was surprised and elated to find a new experience that put a big, fat smile on his face

Fat bikes are a great way to

experience the snow and alpine
forests. You can choose the
intensity of your ride and dont
have to deal with the angst that
can come with skiing, especially
if youre a beginner.
The Alpine options constantly
deliver a fantastic experience:
from the deep culture of the big
cities such as Zurich and Bern,
to the majestic train trips into the
mountains, the ever-present clean,
crisp and invigorating nature, and
the towns impressively geared to
facilitating your adventures.
Gstaad is super hospitable and
offers supermarket and B&B living
right alongside the most opulent
of European holidaymakers.
The Gstaad valley is vast and
spread out over 220 kilometres
of very accessible towns,
mountains and forests.

SO ALP ME GOD!

WHY ITS WORTH THE VISIT

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SLIPPERY SLOPE

96 JUNE 2016

Kerstin Sonnekalb, Nick Muzik

hen it
comes to world-class mountain biking
conditions, South Africans do not have
to look further than our backyard to
indulge in surroundings that are as good
as they get anywhere else on the planet.
How proud we are to be the host country
of the famous ABSA Cape Epic in the
west, the glorious Sani2c in the east; and
all the landscaped, manicured, and wellprepped 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 Switzerland
and returned to announce that: Any
mountain biker worth his salt must
experience 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 of
basic planning and a reasonable budget,
I found myself on the starting line of the
three-day stage event in the beautiful
town of Gstaad in the Swiss Alps. As
so often happens with these impromptu
decisions, I was rather concerned
I would be undercooked on the
training, but with an average of a little
over just 30 kilometres per stage, my
concerns proved unwarranted, and
I discovered a new form of mountain
biking which instantly fascinated me,
and took my mountain-biking euphoria
to unprecedented levels.

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 little. Its
the best way to negotiate the
off-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 and clear blue

skies are the perfect combination
for riverside fat-bike cruising.
OPPOSITE The Gstaad Palace
(back) strikes an impressive pose
and adds to the surreal landscape.
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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 off 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.

Fa t bi ki ng a grow
in g
ph en om en onis
, th an ks to its
ve rsa til it y in al
l cond iti ons

Even for an
absolute
novice, such
as me it was
a breeze
getting the
hang of it

FROM TOP Riding in

snow in the Alps
seems to be less
energy sapping;
locals with alphorns
(Swiss musical
instruments).
OPPOSITE, FROM TOP
A morning sunrise in
Gstaad took me
by surprise; no
specialised gear
is needed
layering up will do.

98 JUNE 2016

We began stage one riding out of town

on the icy tar with some tight hedgelined twists in the road, which had me
nervous, but the massive surface area of
the broad tyres did their job on the hard
stuff before rolling smoothly onto the
snow. The next five kilometres of flat
snowed-over single-track country paths
running next to a river, winding ever so
elegantly between trees with snow-laden
branches overhead, letting through
dappled rays of morning sunshine, were
as sublime as any Ive ridden before.
The only sound for at least 15 minutes
was the welcoming crunch under the
knobbly tread of the tyres (no spikes
or extra technical tread needed), the icy
river water bubbling alongside our
steadily moving peloton, and my own
deep and warm expirations punctuating
the air steadily before being vaporised
inches in front of my face.
In a world full of distracting sounds
and sights, an isolated snowy landscape
can be either eerie or soothing,

depending on how comfortable you are

with being alone in a place fully exposed
to nature. It did not take long before we
were spread out enough to be afforded
the solitude so difficult to come by these
days. With nothing but the purity of
snow every which way I looked, the
promise of snaking alpine-forest trails
ahead and the prospect of another few
hours of this kind of bike riding, I was in
as euphoric a state of exercise as I have
ever been, but without the urgency of
getting somewhere. I could have just
continued riding along the self-evident
route that lay ahead of me. And if I felt
that I was getting lost I knew it would
just be a matter of turning around and
following 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 high
with firewood for winter while livestock
took shelter inside; high-pitched roofs
of houses hundreds of years old with

Dominic Brugger, Nick Muzik, Ryan Scott

Snowed-over hiking trails

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PLAN YOUR TRIP

their ornate family stories carved and
painted 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 that
might seem as appealing as facing
a sumo wrestler on an ice rink, to those
whose 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 1050
metres above sea level and is not even
as high as Joburg. Even for an absolute
novice, such as me, it was a breeze
getting the hang of it, and there were
so many opportunities to just stop
and take it all in. After riding four
days back to back and spending much
less money than I expected, its now
just a matter of getting a bunch of
friends together to join me next year.

Fat biking the Alps has the potential to

become the most popular way to get the
most out of your trip to one of the most
famous mountain ranges.

GETTING THERE
There are direct daily flights from
Joburg to Zurich with Swiss
airlines from R16000 return (you
can take a bike as part of your
luggage for an extra R800 one
way). From Zurich, its a threehour SBB (Swiss rail) train ride
to Gstaad. Trains leave to the
minute specified and epitomise
the famous Swiss precision.
A return journey to Gstaad is
from R1200 pp. The journey is
like a fairy-tale ride through
picture-postcard scenery. Its
worthwhile getting off in Bern,
the Swiss de facto capital, for an
hour. Just make sure your ticket
includes a stopover. SBB staff is
very helpful with queries. There
is no extra charge for travelling
with a bicycle. sbb.ch, swiss.com

FROM TOP Authentic architecture

in Gstaad; me on my bike with an
amphitheatre created by peaks
and a frozen lake below.

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.

Dominic Brugger, Nick Muzik

A li tt le pi ec e of
ysel f is le
in th is m agicm
al pl ac e ft

100 JUNE 2016

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
specific 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.

There are many, mostly flat,

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 southwest 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 available
from Gstaad tourism in the town
centre. You can hire a fat bike
from Fredys Bikewlt or
Bikesport Reuteler in Gstaad.
Its easy and costs from R2500
for five 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 threeday race-pass package is from
R1500 pp. snowbikefestival.com
Take a horse-drawn carriage
ride through the snow. Gstaad
is not a typical mountain town
confined to an area between
the slopes its spread out
over 220 kilometres, so there
is much to explore and
discover. From R1000 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
R5700 pp, ballonchateaudoex.ch
Watch an ice-hockey game at
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.

to hotel le petit relais,

chlosterli, feutersoey
& gsteig

switzerland

bikesport
reuteler

coop
alps

gstaad train station

saanen ice rink
posthotel rssli
fredys
bikewlt
michels stallbeizli

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 are
expensive, but B&B-type
accommodation is a better
option with many bike-friendly
two- and three-star mini hotels
in the area which cater for all
your needs. From R500 pp,
including breakfast.
Hotel Le Petit Relais is
comfortable, clean and well
suited to relaxed living with
a communal kitchen and eating
areas. From R1100 pp (children
under six stay free).
lepetitrelais.ch
Posthotel Rssli in the centre
of the town is in an 1845-built
alpine chalet and the oldest
hotel in Gstaad. Theres also free
Wi-Fi. From R2000 pp.
posthotelroessli.ch
* Prices and conversions correct
at time of going to print
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