Catch-up time!!!!! THE ALPS

I am very behind in writing, I know! So, instead of writing about what is happening right now, I'm going to take the time to do a catch up, starting from where I left off in Zurich, Switzerland!


Our exit from Zurich was very eventful!! At breakfast an Israeli Jewish woman sat with us. The discussion between her and the group was amicable enough at first, but a few careless comments from both sides led to a fiery finish. The exchange highlighted again what a sensitive issue Palestine and Israel is! For my part, I felt that some members of our group could have been more accomodating, though it was difficult because many of the woman's claims were in complete contrast to all our information. She seemed to live in some other Israel, where there are no checkpoints or even any occupation!

This was not to be all that Zurich threw at us! On our ride out of the city a large four-wheel-drive passed us with much agressive beeping from its horn! This would not have been especially worrying except that after passing us once it turned around and came at us a second and third time. The man in the front seat first made rude gestures with his hand, then began shouting 'terrorists! terrorists!', and then ended by swerving at us! On his third time past I was scared that he was actually going to hit us! I visualised the headline in Australia: 'Young Aussie Killed by Angry Fanatic while on Cycle for Peace in Switzerland'!!

It is true that I can't know what was going on in his head, perhaps a family member had been killed in a suicide bombing, or maybe he was just an extremist who has little care for the Other. Either way, we were all quite shaken up. In the next town we passed through two of the cyclists reported the incident to the police, but because we did not have the entire licence plate nothing can be done.

Fortunately, things did get better! The closer we got to the Alps the more beautiful the ride became!! The mountains and the clouds and the lakes were just magnificent! This part of the ride was by far the most beautiful! However, those beautiful mountains also meant steep climbs!! The actual Alp ascent was broken over two days. The first day we had a steady climb of 35km, the second day we only had to ride a further 9km before reaching St Gotthard's Pass. It was this last part of the climb which was the most challenging - due to the steepness of the rise. The group separated itself into two: a steady group and a faster group. The steady group (which I went in) left 30mins before the faster group. This really helped because it meant that we in the first group didn't have any pressure put on us to speed up. Reaching the top was the highlight of my journey! 2108m above sea level we struggled up that ever-higher mountain range! We could never quite see where the climb would end due to cloud. We could see each other's breaths: from behind it looked like we were all taking regular puffs from a cigarette! Reaching the top we all cheered and did our victory dances!

It was during the wait for the second group that we realised just how cold it was!!! Jackets were quickly found and put on but my fingers were so so cold!!! They were red and aching, as my cycling gloves do not cover the whole hand. After the whole group reached the pass, we handed around small munchies, had a toilet break and then off we went - zooming down the mountain towards the warmth at the bottom!

I was definetly the slowest rider going down the mountain! I was terrified!!!! The wind was strong, and my bike and I are very light! I felt as if with every gust I was about to be thrown over the pitifully small barrier between me and the open air! Frozen fingers didn't help, as it made breaking difficult! The thing about the Alps is that the roads are jutting out the side of the mountains! This means that by looking down, directly below you is the road that you will presently be winding down to! The hairpin bends were very tight and frightening! Many many times I wished that we were still climbing rather than doing this harrowing descent!!

We took the smaller roads so at some points the road turned into cobblestones! I can now say from experience that riding down steep descents with sharp hairpin bends on a ROAD BIKE on COBBLESTONES is not a cup of tea!!!

After the descent softened, I was able to relax more and enjoy the down-hill. But that would not last for long, because my knee began to ache again - in earnest! I think that all the pressure I had put on it to get over the Alps and then those bloomin' cobblestones had really levelled a hefty fee on my poor knee! So into the van I went once more!

I think I'm going to have to stop this catch-up session here for the moment, as my internet time has come to an end!

I will write again soon!

Ciao ciao eveyone! And thank you again for all of your comments! They're brilliant!