Packing and leaving camp early so I can get to a couple of outdoor shops before lunch. I start by heading downhill; this is always a lovely relief but I was soon shocked by the hills. I had avoided them on my way through Switzerland and thought my planning was great! No I just saved the pain till the end.
I had, finally, made the decision to upgrade my tent from my companion of five years, a Wild Country Helm 2, to the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2. I had been pondering this decision for about 6 months; I’m a fast decision maker, can’t you see!?! Although still faster than some leadership teams I know!
I finally made the decision when wild camping and struggling to get the pegs into the ground. I realised that a fully free standing tent would be very useful. Plus a drop in 1.5kgs is always welcome. I missed the opportunity to look for others which will need ordering in and might be cheaper. But did, weirdly, find out that Switzerland happened to be the cheapest place to buy the MSR!
The shop didn’t have any in stock and I had to order it in!
Lausanne, the city on a hill.
I continue into Lausanne for lunch with my friend Dan and we discuss my route to Blonay. I was taking a rather hilly route during the peak sun! He suggested following the coast and then tackling the hill. It was a good idea and gave me a chance to pop into another outdoor shop, still no luck.
Blonay and Vevey sit between Montreux and Lausanne and seem to be almost ignored but they have their own characters and views just as good.
My uncle, Adam, lives with his wife, Brigitte and children, Anais and Olivier in Blonay at the top of the hill. The hill is a killer, my legs already tired after six days riding but I keep going. On arriving I notice quickly the house is in a fantastic location overlooking lake Geneva and the surrounding mountains.
Having not met Adam or his family for a few years the evening was spent cooking pizzas in the garden pizza oven and chatting about all that has happened. The next few days were spent on bike cleaning and maintenance. One of the issues I had was going uphill with all my gear. I was running a GRX 40T chainring on the front and really needed to change it to gain access to some lower gears. I was not using the full range of gears available from the Rohloff.
After a discussion with Adam and some searching on the internet I realised the options were a 38T GRX equivalent at a cost of over £100 or switch to a 34T Ultegra inner chainring, considerably cheaper. Adam suggested I use an old one he had after upgrading his road bike. The change was instantly noticeable and made life much easier.
I also managed to pop down to see the Tour de France zoom through Vevey on the Sunday. I say see but it was a total of 5 minutes as the peloton shot past at high speed! Now I understand why people make their way up hill to watch.
I also got the opportunity to go kayaking on Lake Geneva after one of Brigitte’s friends was out of town and we were allowed to use their kayak. Thank you to them for lending the canoe, it gave me a chance to see the surrounding area from a different point of view.
I also made myself catch-up on the blog, one must be written each day. I have to admit that this way did help me catch-up but I feel there was a sacrifice on the quality. Hopefully it will improve again.
Vevey
Vevey was next to the lake and my friend’s apartment was only a short walk away. This would seem lovely but Switzerland like the rest of Europe was enduring a heat wave and you spend most of the time jumping from one bit of shade to another, or at least I did. I burn so easily I would resemble an over-cooked lobster within minutes!
My time with Dan became a bit of a routine. I’d grab a coffee in the morning and continue writing blogs and in the afternoon find an exhibit/museum to visit. There were many to choose from. Personal favourite was an exhibition on the latest edition of the Prix Pictet which was entitled Fire and how humans and the landscape interact with it.
Friday and Saturday evenings bring about a slight change with Dan and I heading into Lausanne for a few drinks with his friends and partner. This meant I would leave on Monday and delay the trip a little bit. I do wonder why I am reluctant to leave. I guess this is the last chance I will see any of my friends or family for a while. Or maybe I am still trying to find the answer to the questions do I really want to do this or am I stretching myself too far?
Monday I leave for Slovenia and have some big hills to climb… time for rest.