From the Foot of the Jura to the Léman

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Today I tried route 473 which goes from the Morges Train Station towards Montricher and across, before heading back down to the lake side. This is a 57 or so kilometre loop along roads that were quite quiet. I don’t know whether that was because of the rain forecast or because people are on holiday.

The route from Morges up and out of Morges goes along a short voie verte where there are parts that are not tarmacced so be ready for that. On a road bike these bits are rough and potentially dangerous. I think these sections are better on gravel bikes.

Another challenge is in the vineyards within site of Vufflens. The climb is steep so if you’re clipped in, make sure to have the right gear and be ready. I think this is another place that some people might want to avoid.

For the variant I did I rode towards L’Isle before heading up towards Montricher. From there I followed the GPS and cycling signs. The ride up from Montricher is a consistant climb before flattening out and ondulating. Eventually you start to go down but that’s after the climb up to Ballens.

You head down towards Etoy and turn left and then go along multiple secondary paths between fields but there is some climbing, and descending, and some abrupt turns. If you’re using a GPS you will have a warning, but if you’re using signs you might overshoot one or two. It makes sense to avoid main roads, but it comes at the price of effort.

You ride into Morges, get to the train station and then continue with the climb. You turn left at the roundabout, and then right. Here you continue straight up, via a voie verte, before reaching the vineyards and the steep segment where you see Vufflens castle. From there you ride by some fields, three or four of which were filled with sunflowers. The first field was the best one.

A Sunflower field and storm clouds

After this point the climbing is consistent and you pass by one or two restaurants and cafés where you could stop for a coffee or more, if you’re on a relaxed ride with others.

And Finally

I suspect that this is a really nice day on a sunny summer’s day. On an overcast day you don’t get to appreciate the panoramas quite as much. The views are nice and you go from urban, to vineyards, to fields, to villages, to more fields, to the slopes of the Jura, through a forest, and then more vineyards before getting back to an urban environment. Some of the climbs are demanding but for the most part it’s an ondulating ride. Be ready for that.

It’s a nice ride that I would recommend. I saw some people riding e-bikes along the route as well as road cyclists.

Some villages have lending libraries, for example St Livres, as you would expect. If you ride beyond the church in Lavigny you will see a table and a "balcony" with a great view of the Arc Lémanic. This could be a good place to stop for a photo and to appreciate the panorama.