A Spontaneous Ride to Mont Tendre Following the Wrong Route

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Yesterday I hesitated to wake up to go for the Coffee and Croissant loop. I decided to go anyway. This ride was at a relaxed pace. It’s amusing. When I left home I could see a beautiful sunrise, with nice light, and clear skies. By the time we started the ride mist had come up and we were riding through humid clouds. It was so wet I saw drops of water falling from my glasses as they condensed during the ride.

After this someone suggested we go for another ride. I went home, re-charged my head unit for a few minutes, as well as my radar, before heading back down and starting the route.

Because it was at short notice I didn’t draw the route properly. I relied on the swiss national swiss cycling signs to get us to where we wanted to get. I thought we wanted to follow route 7 but we wanted to follow route 1 and 46, before then heading up to Mont Tendre.

Route 7 goes to Vallorbe, but it doesn’t go to Vallorbe via Marchairuz, it goes via the Route Des Montagnes, by the Noirmont. This means that we got close to where we wanted to get, on the wrong side of the Jura.

My memory had played a trick on me. We should have followed route 1, 63, and then 473 towards Montricher, and then up to Mont Tendre. I had expected route 7 to go up via Montricher. It would have been easy to check.

If you’re cycling, you can draw a GPS track, and then follow it, but, if you study the cycling route maps, then you can follow the signs instead. This allows you to take roads that are usually quieter. Cycling without cars is more pleasant. I don’t remember if any cars passed us along the top.

The route we took, although wrong was nice. Now I know that I could cycle to Vallorbe, if I had the desire to.

And Finally

If you cycle in Switzerland, and you want to use the national routes, rather than a GPS head unit, make sure you’re following the right routes like you would when driving from Switzerland to Barcelona. It’s Route 1, until it’s route 63, and from this village we follow route 473, and then we follow the signs for our destination.By this method you can explore without a GPS, or have a backup solution, if you get lost.

And Finally, next time I will draw a route properly.