This page was last updated Di 04 April 2023.

Contents: Tours (9)    Trails (1)    Cycling info pages (1)   

Reports by Carsten Gregersen

All descriptions are in English, unless otherwise noted.

Tours

From Tyrol to Alsace 2002 via Italy and Switzerland
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 2002

From Carsten's Cycling Web. While it's still high summer I begin three weeks of mountain bike holidays together with a couple of friends. Ten days later we ride through a snow-covered scenery on our way across Bielerhöhe. Forced by the cold weather we change our plans to avoid the highest summits. Even the cattle have had enough and return from the green summer pastures to the warm cow houses. Nevertheless, we have some nice days off-road. One of the attractions is Val d'Uina with a just 1.5 m wide hiking track blasted into the rock wall over a of 600 m distance. As a prelude to the tour we participate in Ötztaler Radmarathon.

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Vanoise National Park
Tyrol and the Dolomites
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 2002

The mountain bike is ready and the trailer has been packed with tent, sleeping bag and cooking gear. New cycling adventures are in the offing. The Dachstein area with the many surrounding lakes is one of the most beautiful in Austria. Into the bargain there should be very good opportunities for riding off-road. Tempting are also the large plains in the Dolomites further south. Unfortunately the weather puts a damper on the enthusiasm. It turns into the rainiest summer within living memory.

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Platzwiesen/Prato Piazza
The Alps East to West 1998
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1998

From Carsten's Cycling Web, the Web site of Carsten Gregersen.

This tour has it all: Deep Austrian lakes, steep rocks in the Dolomites, impressive Swiss mountain scenery and the gentle slopes of the Jura Mountains. Last, but not least, there is Europe's highest mountain, Mont Blanc. I have only one day off-road in the Dolomites - otherwise I go along surfaced roads. Starting out as a group of ten we eventually split into smaller groups. I ride most of the tour by myself.

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The Fanes-Sennes nature reserve is definitely worth a visit
Tour of Switzerland
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1997

Sion is start and finish for this mountain bike tour through the cantons Valais og Graubünden. Most of the riding is on tarmac, but occasionally I leave the pack behind and go off-road. This turn into a tour across some of the highest passes in Switzerland with detours to Stelvio in Italy and the Silvretta ski arena in Austria. Primarily I camp, but because it is raining a lot I sometimes stay in hotels to dry my clothes.

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Still 20 hairpins to go to the Stelvio summit
The French Alps
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1994

This tour's destination is Briançon in the heart of the French Alps. In the mountains around the village are several ancient forts, and a network of old military roads makes it very suitable for mountain biking. We camp in le Rosier a little outside Briançon. The road from Genève and back again is very hard mountain climbing across some of the highest and most beautiful passes in the Alps. We are two persons carrying our own pack but sharing one tent.

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On our way through the Aosta valley
The Swiss Alps
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1993

We are two friends bringing our mountain bikes on the plane to Genève. From here we go for a ride through the cantons Bernese Oberland og Valais. We carry full pack, i.e. tent, sleeping bag cooker etc. Occasionally we leave the pack behind and ride on the small hiking tracks in the mountains. The highlight of the tour is Pas de Lona (2787 m) on the last part of the Grand Raid Cristalp mountain bike route. We also find time for a few trips with some of the fascinating Swiss narrow-gauge railways.

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Two proud cyclists at the high spot of the trip, Pas de Lona
Perpignan - Cénac, including the Tourmalet
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1989

Cycling in the Pyrenees is both exiting and relentless. Here are some of the steepest and longest climbs in Europe, and I experience a few of the well known. I ride my touring bike and sleep in hotels. After a weeks struggling I go north to Dordogne. There are several castles around and the atmosphere is medieval. There are several caves, too. It was about here the Cro-Magnon man was found.

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Finally at the top - after big efforts
Mâcon - Menton
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1988

This is a trip through some of the most beautiful mountain scenarios in the French Alps. A great part of the route follows road D902 - Route des Grandes Alpes - and on the way I cross some of the greatest Tour de France passes. The touring bike has triple chainrings, so even the steepest slopes are managed without problems. I ride alone, don't carry much pack and stay in hotels overnight. Using only six days for the trip I spend the remaining holidays at Côte d'Azur.

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The barren Casse Déserte at the south side of Col d'Izoard
Mâcon - Orange
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1987

My first trip to the Alps and Provence is a lightweight tour on a road bike with just a handlebar bag for the luggage. I stay in hotels overnight. The route includes a few passes known from Tour de France. This, however, turns out to be somewhat hasty. At least I get some hard-earned experience - both with respect to gear ratios and my own ability. But it's surely beautiful, and standing at the Col du Galibier summit for the first time is very self-satisfactory.

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The Verdon river at the mouth into Lac de St. Croix

Trails

Off-road in the Alps
by Carsten Gregersen, tour started 1995
language: en, dk

From Carsten's Cycling Web, the Web site of Carsten Gregersen. This trip is dedicated off-road cycling. We go by car to the Alps and stay at different campsites and arrange one-day rides without pack. In the peaceful Vanoise national park we are at the home ground of the marmot. The western Susa valley offers some very relentless climbs on old military roads and an unforgettable tour along the Asietta ridge. We end the trip in Grindelwald at the feet of Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau - three magnificent, Swiss giants.

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Eiger dominates the views from the hiking tracks around Grindelwald

Cycling info pages

Packing List
by Carsten Gregersen

This is roughly what I bring along for three weeks of cycle touring and camping.

See all 11 reports by Carsten Gregersen