Chasseral

Awesome ride with Markus and friends in the Swiss Jura.

Our host Patrick, living in Biel/Bienne, guided us to the Col de Chasseral and the namesake summit, one of the highest points of the Swiss Jura, starting by bike from his place (one of the nice things about living in Switzerland). The climb was long but was of a gentle grade, mostly on fireroad/doubletrack and paved road.

On clear days the Chasseral gives you fantastic panorama’s of pretty much the entire Swiss (and French) Alps. Not so today, as we were greeted by strong winds and sweeping clouds on the summit – we hid for the cold in the chalet and had some hot drinks and food.

The descent, following the ridgeline of the Jura, was memorable: a very technical, rocky upper section, followed by a mix of rocky double- and singletrack, here and there very tight, fun and technical. We were fortunate to have our host, guiding us around through the maze of trails that exist here, and serving us the best bits. A few short climbs and rolling sections later, it was time for the final descent back into Biel: a blast of a trail hugging tall cliffs on two sides at some spots – hence its nickname, Geiss Rucken (sp?) – or the ‘goat’s back’ – and ridiculously tight switchbacks! Fun, entertaining and challenging, what more do you need from a ride?