I'm writing this four weeks to the day since my return, so I have had ample time to reflect on our trip. So here goes:

1. Yes, You Too Can Climb the Alps: But you do need to prepare and have the right equipment!
2. Train, and Then Train Some More: Mark and I both like climbing, but neither of us had experienced the length and rate (grade) of climb we would have to tackle in the Alps. And with loaded touring bikes no less! So we spent a lot of time riding hilly routes, of which we have a nice catalogue. We supplemented that with local, but shorter rides focused strictly on climbing. Our goal on these shorter rides was to climb 1000 feet for every 10 miles. So if we did 40 miles, we tried to climb 4000 feet. Fortunately, North Arlington faces the Potomac River, and there are many good climbs there. My only "issue" was that I think I peaked a little early, so I needed to sustain my training up to our departure date. In reality, I slacked off a bit several weeks before the tour, and that worked out fine. BTW, all my rides are public, so if you follow any of my links to RWGPS, you can review my activity for this year there.
3. Peaks of Otter: That ride, done over the July 4th weekend this year, was the closest we came to replicating our climb through the two passes (and more akin to Simplonpass than Grimselpass). Peaks of Otter is on the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP), and another friend told me years ago that if I could bike that, I could bike the Alps. I did BRP back in 2009, seven years ago. I guess what I learned there didn't wear off.

4. Equipment: I'm a dedicated touring cyclist. Mark tells me that if I had a carbon-fiber road bike, I would be hell on wheels. Well, I don't, at least not today. Instead, I have an aging '97 Cannondale T2000 aluminum touring bike. And I like it a lot. Of course, I've replaced everything on it at least once, and the drivetrain multiple times. It came with a 22/32/42 chainring up front and an eight-speed 11-30 cassette in the rear. I currently have it set up with a 22/32/42 chainring and an 11-32 cassette. That chainring was installed shortly before this trip and replaced a 22/34/44 (literally two days before I packed the bike). That setup worked fine for the trip, but since I've been back, I notice myself spinning out frequently in the middle chainring, which is where I predominantly ride, so I probably need to revisit the ratios. As a point of information, I never had to use the lower chainring (the granny gear) but for the climb up the hotel's driveway at Grimselpass (ugh, and all cobblestones), and then again the next morning on the switchbacks to the peak . . . and I attribute that to lack of a warmup!
5. Route Planning: We spent a lot of time on this part of the trip. I know some people like to wing it, but I've grown accustomed to the Garmin Edge 1000 and like not having to carry and/or read maps. Plus, Mark likes to have reservations in advance . . . and we didn't miss a single one. So, all that said, we did have some problems with several routes loading into the Garmin and calculating all of the turns. Fortunately, we tested each route before departing. We resolved all of the issues (which seemed to occur mostly in Germany and Italy) except for our last day. That was resolved by skipping over the bad sections and creating sub-routes. So on our last day, we had to load six (yes, SIX) separate routes, all of which ended and started within blocks of each other but wouldn't compute through continuously. We did not have this problem while riding through Italy last year, so go figure . . .
6. Don't Rush, Have Fun: We started many miles (500) and many days (10) before we even made it to Switzerland! Lots of time to get used to touring again and prepare psychologically for the big climbs. And we took our time on those. Stop and take pictures. Stop for water and rest. Cafe-sit for a while (they are few and far between) and take in the scenery. Enjoy the climb. Just don't cool down too much! Eat well and fuel up!
7. Best Parts of the Tour: I often get asked, "What was the best part of the tour?" Well, that's a tough question to answer because I really liked all of it! But here, what I think, are the highlights, in a rough order of enjoyment:
   • The Lauterbrunnen Valley. While we were never true tourists of this valley, the visual appeal alone is stunning. We spent, at best, half a day biking up to the "wall" and returning, and my best pictures of the tour were taken in that time frame. The valley is relatively narrow with tall mountains on both sides, creating a very dramatic effect. There is much more to do than bike through, and you could easily spend a week exploring all the sites and experiences.
   • Grimselpass. Of course, any tour named Tour des Alpes has to include the two passes we did as part of our favorites list! But how do you compare? They are so different. And maybe that is why Grimselpass is listed first, because not only is it different than Simplonpass, it was different throughout the climb, with varying terrain, view sheds, tunnels, and road conditions. And the views at the top, starting at the first lakes all the way to the tip-top with its stunning views down the valley, are worth the work and why I chose to climb this pass to begin with.
   • Simplonpass. Stunning in its own right but very much a different climb than Grimselpass. I enjoyed the continuity (mostly) of the grade. Very uniform and predictable, which allowed us to focus on the view around us. And the elevation gain, unlike Grimselpass, is very obvious, especially when arriving at the first wrap-around tunnel and looking way down on Brig. And when you emerge, that stunning bridge by Christian Menn, stretching across the valley before you . . . quite stunning, yes indeed. And finally, just the historic nature of the pass and its significance over the ages . . . read your history before tackling it!
   • Passwang. Our first day in Switzerland, beautiful and challenging. There are easier ways to get around the Jura Mountains, but it's not as nice as the way we went this day . . . even with 13% grades and tough road construction challenges. As it turned out, it was good practice for Simplonpass!
8. Best Parts of the Tour, Second Tier: Here are the runners-up for the above list, "Best Parts of the Tour."
   • Canal de l'Ourcq/Bassin de la Villette/Canal Saint-Martin. If you ever decide to bike out of Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) and make for Paris, this is the way to go. It makes for a great arrival and is not to be missed!
   • Strasbourg or Bern. These two cities are tied. This was my second visit to Strasbourg and I would easily go again. Likewise, Bern could use more of my time. Both are great visits in their own right.
   • Biking from Freiburg to Basel. Of all the day segments we biked, outside of those mentioned above, this was best from a strictly scenery point of view.
   • Thunersee. This wins out over Brienzersee because of the great approaches (Thun on the west, our direction of arrival, and Interlaken on the east, our direction of departure) and the closeness/proximity of the ride to the lake's edge.

We plan to visit the Alps again. Possibly more challenging climbs but certainly a route that takes in Annecy. Maybe from there up the Rhône Valley to the pass over the Pizzo Gallina and from there on to Locarno and Lugano. We'll see!