Trans-Graubünden Adventure

You’re an experienced mountain biker, riding at least twice a week through the season and comfortable on: steep singletrack climbs; technical singletrack descents with switchbacks; rooty, off-camber forested singletrack; high alpine trails with some exposure; and rock gardens. Read more on our intermediate+ skill level.

Does this sound like you? Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it, by finding the perfect adventure for you.

Your vacation time is precious and we want to be absolutely sure that you’re making the most of it, by finding the perfect mountain bike tour for you. Be honest with yourself, if this adventure isn’t right for you, we have other mountain bike tours that may well be a better fit for your mountain biking experience and ability.

Please note: The skill level required reflects an overall rating for the trails on the trip but you should expect to find sections and obstacles that push your ability levels.

Skill level: Intermediate+

• You have been mountain biking regularly for at least two years
• You can brake, use gears and corner with confidence
• You have good bike handling skills, and are confident riding rough double track and non-technical singletrack
• You are competent at riding undulating trails with moderate climbs and descents on both double and singletrack, but tend to get off and walk technical singletrack sections
• You mountain bike approximately once a week throughout your biking season

Fitness level: 6/7

• You have an excellent level of bike fitness, exercising four or five times every week throughout the year, for at least an hour at a time
• You are comfortable mountain biking up to six hours a day at a moderate pace, with snack and photo stops, for four or more consecutive days
• You can tackle several serious climbs a day, up to 600 metres each

Typical trails you’ll be riding

• Much of the riding you’ll do on our mountain bike tour Switzerland is over 7,000ft/ 2,000m and to just over 10,000ft/ 3,000m with exposure present on most trails
• Double track: undulating forest roads made up of hard-packed dirt and small rocks
• Singletrack: rustic singletrack, mainly high alpine trails and through forests with roots crossing the trails, and at times you will encounter golf ball-sized rock gardens, and occasionally purpose built flow trails
• The trails in the Swiss mountains are hundreds of years old, so are not always buff purpose built trails, they are natural high alpine walking trails that link villages across the region and surfaces may be soft and muddy at times

Training for your Trans-Graubünden MTB adventure in Switzerland
To get the most out of your mountain bike tour in Switzerland you should plan plenty of training in advance of your tour.

The ideal bike for the Swiss trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 140mm -160mm of travel front and rear. Ideal tyres for Switzerland are…

We recommend that you travel with your own bike, and have some handy tips on how to do this. When travelling with your own bike, you must ensure that it has been properly serviced before the trip.

If you would prefer not to travel with your bike, we can arrange rental of a high quality full suspension mountain bike for the duration of your mountain bike tour in Switzerland.

We only run small group mountain bike tours to ensure that everyone has the best experience possible, and we can take a maximum of eight riders in each group. The minimum number of people we require to run this mountain bike tour in Switzerland is four.

Our mountain bike tour in Switzerland caters for a wide age range; typically between 30- and 55-years-old. Regardless of age, you must have the appropriate level of physical fitness and mountain biking skills to participate in this adventure. Please refer to clause 14 of our terms and conditions of booking to find more information on rider age.

This MTB tour in Switzerland is a guided mountain bike vacation, ideal for intermediate+ mountain bikers. The terrain you’ll be riding on consists of double track and singletrack through thick forests, villages and across mountain passes.

You’ll encounter some steep climbs and rooty sections, as well as fabulous, swooping descents.

Altitude is a factor in this trip and we have some tips for riding at high altitudes and managing the effects of altitude.

The distances we cover each day range from 20km to 40km, in accordance with the difficulty of the terrain.

Each evening your guides will chat with you about the following day’s mountain biking and give you an idea of the sorts of trails you can look forward to. If there’s anything you feel anxious about, your guides will be happy to discuss it with you.

No, you only need to carry a 16 litre back pack with you whilst riding. We have your large kit bags transferred to your next accommodation as required, and have it ready and waiting for your arrival.

Your guide will be very happy to give you some bike skills help during your trip to help improve your confidence and your enjoyment of your mountain bike adventure in Switzerland.

If there is a section that you would prefer not to ride, then you can simply hop off your bike and walk. You won’t be the only one to walk certain sections and it’s not a competition in biking ability; it’s a mountain bike holiday!

Your mountain bike guides are local to Switzerland and experienced professionals who have a real passion for mountain biking and for the culture and landscape of Switzerland.

Your safety is their number one priority, closely followed by your enjoyment of your MTB tour in Switzerland. They will always be on-hand to answer any questions or requests you may have throughout your trip.

On this mountain bike tour in the beautiful Graubünden region of Switzerland you will be staying in a selection of traditional mountain huts, small family run hotels and a unique mountain top lodge.

All breakfasts and dinners (except final night) are included in the tour price. Graubünden has a diverse and high quality offering when it comes to food, pulling on Switzerland’s surrounding countries to influence its dishes.

Whilst not all meals are included in the tour price, we will eat together as a group at each mealtime.

The ideal bike for the Swiss trails is a good quality full-suspension mountain bike with 29” or 27.5” wheels, dropper seat post, and 140mm -160mm of travel front and rear.

If you don’t wish to travel with your own mountain bike we can arrange rental of a good quality mountain bike for the duration of your adventure, in conjunction with a local bike shop.

Read the full kit list to find out what you need to pack for your European mountain bike tour in Switzerland.

Yes, there are laundry facilities at your accommodations

Unfortunately not. We are working hard to provide each and every customer who rides with us an unparalleled mountain bike experience in every destination we ride. This takes years of experience, riding and planning to get right, and a drone adds a very real danger to the group’s riding experience and health & safety.

Zurich, Switzerland is well-served by many major airlines from all over the world.

For up-to-date timetables and booking visit: www.ba.com; www.aa.com; www.united.com; and www.swiss.com.

Visas

US, Canadian and European Citizens do not require visas to visit Switzerland. You must have your passport as proof of citizenship, and it must be valid for at least 90 days after your date of leaving Switzerland.

It is your responsibility to find out the visa and passport requirements to enter Switzerland from your country. You can find these details on the Swiss tourism website.

Arrival and departure details

Your MTB tour in Switzerland will start in Lenzerheide and end in Pontresina.

You should arrive the day prior to your tour start date and spend one night in Lenzerheide, allowing for any delays to flights or luggage and ensuring you’re ready for pick-up the following morning. Your guide will meet you in the foyer of Hotel Dieschen on the morning of day 1.

On the last evening of the tour, your guide will give you details of how to get to Pontresina train station on time to catch your train back to Zurich in time to catch your flight home. We advise booking your flights home no earlier than 4pm on your day of departure.

If your departure flights differ from this, we would be happy to help book you into an airport hotel overnight, if needed.

Our mountain bike guides in Switzerland are of the highest level.

They are qualified in first-aid and they have the knowledge and experience to lead a group safely in these remote, wild and beautiful parts of Switzerland.

Our guides have years of experience in the saddle on the trails of the Switzerland area and will be able to enhance your holiday with facts and fables on local history, flora and fauna. They’re also genuinely nice people and will do their best to make sure that everyone in the group has a great time.

We aim to use the best, locally-run accommodation in each country, and that which is traditional to that specific area, whether it be city or mountain.

On our MTB tour in Switzerland you’ll be staying in a selection of traditional Swiss accommodation from rustic mountain huts, to small family run hotels, to hidden mountain lodges, where a roaring fire and delicious home-cooked food await.

Most of the food you will enjoy on our MTB tour in Switzerland is traditional food influenced by surrounding countries, all prepared with the greatest of care and skill. Typical dishes include: rest with eggs; local meats and cheeses, salads and, of course, local ales.

Most meals are included in the tour price and we will eat together as a group at each mealtime.

No vaccinations are required for visiting Switzerland.

We recommend you check before drinking tap water, but 99% of this is safe for consumption. Bottled or filtered water will be readily available throughout the trip.

Please let us know if you have any special food requirements, allergies or pre-existing conditions your guides should know about.

You should always consult your own doctor or physician before travelling to new countries to seek their advice on matters concerning your health abroad.

Your health and safety on tour is our top priority and when you travel with us you will be covered by Global Rescue emergency medical and evacuation services [link].

The official currency of Switzerland is the Swiss Franc. ATM machines are readily available throughout Switzerland.

Tipping

It is not compulsory to tip your guides or drivers in Switzerland, but if you feel that you have had a tremendous experience on your MTB adventure in Switzerland, you can tip at your discretion; as a rough guide, around 5% of your tour price for your guiding team.

It is not compulsory to tip in restaurants, however should you wish to tip your servers, 10% – 15% of your meal cost would be acceptable.

You are required as a condition of booking to be insured against medical and personal accident risks. In this policy you must include cover for mountain biking and we recommend that you take out a policy which covers cancellation and baggage, including your bike.

We work with Global Rescue whose policies are specially designed for adventure travel and you can arrange your insurance cover directly with them.