August 23, 2022
Day 1 of cycling: EuroVelo 15: the Rhine river (source to sea)
Oberalppass to Carrera
First-day nerves kept me awake most of the night, along with the Swiss penchant for soft pillows! Actually, not pillows - more like mini duvets for your head.
I packed and repacked my panniers for the 12th and 13th times on this trip, and I had yet to pedal. It was 8:00 am by the time I finally set off. I had hoped for an early start just in case any of the Sunday drivers decided to extend their weekend and try their hand at F1 again on Monday morning.
As I gained speed down the winding chicane leading into the valley, I remembered that I, not exactly known for my mechanical skills, had reassembled the bike from a cardboard box that had travelled halfway around the world only two days earlier ... and I hadn’t even gone for a test ride. Brakes don’t fail me now! I quickly slowed down, pulling back on my trusty (hopefully) steed, and settling into a more cautious pace, listening intently for any creaks or cracks.
I was following Mike Wells’ ‘Rhine River Route,’ as outlined in his book of the same name. His GPX files had been uploaded to my Komoot app and synced with my GPS. Most of the route was supposed to be downhill or flat, but I somehow managed to find more hills than expected. I rode through the picturesque villages of Sedrun and Tujetsch, searching for a bakery or coffee shop, only to find that many were closed on Mondays after the weekend trade. Poor planning on my part.
Though it was a beautiful day, it was clear that winters here are bitterly cold. A spring pastime seems to be cutting wood for winter heating, and some people go to great lengths to disguise their wood piles as art.
When I arrived at Disentis Muster, Mr. Wells, in his wisdom, directed riders off the beaten path all the way to my planned stop in Ilanz. The route followed the Rhine closely, winding through foothills and keeping away from the busy roads and traffic. Most of the path was gravel, well-formed in parts, but after recent rains, some areas were a bit muddy. This wasn’t a route for a typical road bike. My hybrid handled it well, but being fully loaded with panniers made it challenging at times. A heavy load and loose gravel don’t mix well. I came to a sudden halt when a lost rider stopped abruptly in front of me, and in trying to avoid him, I braked hard - too hard, it turned out. I took a spill at all of about 5 km/h. Both the bike and I were fine, though I did scrape my knee. Before I could ask for insurance details, the rider rode off … bloody tourists.
Despite the challenges, the ride was a great start to the tour. The Swiss scenery was endless - Australia doesn't have real mountains (yes you, Kosciuszko, at 2,200 metres).
I have to admit, at one point, I pushed my bike up a hill. I wasn’t alone, though I did get overtaken by e-bikes. Just as I was feeling defeated, a fellow rider walking, in broken English (better than my Swiss, as I had already used up my “Guete Morge”) remarked, "Bah, powered not good, pedal is for man." He then pedalled off, never to be seen again.
When I finally arrived in Ilanz and had lunch, I searched for a campsite for the night. Tomorrow would not be a big day - only 35 km, but it would be the most climbing of the tour (fortunately this is the Rhine, not the French Alps!). Unfortunately, the local campsites didn’t review well. One was just a parking lot for overnight mobile homes with no amenities. I had no choice but to ride an additional 9 km, which proved steep at times, especially after a long day’s ride, lingering jet lag (or so I told myself), and legs still weary from yesterday’s hike.
Just as I was about to set off again, I noticed a split in one of my Ortlieb rear panniers - the entire heat-welded seam had come apart. Disaster. With 30 days of riding ahead, I knew taping wouldn’t suffice. I found a nearby bike shop and bought a new pannier (not Ortlieb). (Edited note: A couple of days later, my second rear Ortlieb pannier had the same issue. I used gaffer tape to hold it together, and upon my return to Australia, Ortlieb replaced both panniers free of charge as they had a faulty batch with this same issue.)
I can’t describe the next 9 km, as I’ve blocked out the pain … but I made it to Camp Carrera, a great spot to set up the tent for the night, with a fantastic view of snow tipped mountains in the distance.
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