The Snow Bike Festival

The event is the master mind of a South African businessman, and the event has found a good home in Gstaad. While there are steep slopes for skiing, Gstaad has many rolling slopes and winter hiking trails that are open for mountain bikes to use in winter. It’s this open access to so many trails, snow covered or not, that makes Switzerland one of the best mountain bike holiday destinations in the world. I’m no stranger to mountain bike races or multi-day events, but riding in snow is just about completely new. I’ve been caught out in summer blizzards, but never set out into the soft white stuff on purpose. But in Gstaad, along with other alpine resorts, fat biking is just one of many activities on offer. There are a few shops to hire plus bikes and fat bikes from in Gstaad, including Trek Powerfly models if you’d like some E-assist. While skiing and snowboarding rely on the right conditions, you can have a pretty good ride in the snow when the snow conditions don’t suit going way up the mountain. The Snow Bike Festival is quite short by stage race standards, with a prologue and 3 stages of about 30km each. Of course, riding and racing in snow isn’t fast (save for the elite racers) but the idea is you still have all afternoon to relax and enjoy the village and comforts of an alpine holiday. While the prologue started near the event tent at the base of the Eggli ski lift, all three stages started right on the main street of Gstaad, next to the gluhwein stall (which was regretably closed at 9am when the race started). Each stage would take us out of town in a flurry of pedals, a whirring of chains and a flap of GoreTex. The further back in the field you were, the heavier the clothing became. While the professionals raced in winter cycling gear, those of us further back donned larger jackets and gloves, added cameras in our pockets and bags on our backs for more clothing. Riding on snow brought a whole new range of challenges, from positioning on the bike, gearing, steering, braking – just about everything! Each day I soon settled into a rhythm, and more often than not it was near other people out to enjoy the time in the mountains. Our fat bikes took us into the forests, around lakes, and even to the top of ski slopes – all in relative silence save for banter, laughter and the odd bout of swearing after crashing again. You have to be ready to crash! You don’t get a moment of pure cycling joy on every ride, but Stage 2 was the most stunning day, where everything clicked many times over. The sky was blue, the snow was fresh, and my Norco Bigfoot has just the right amount of float and traction. I pedalled out the 11 tooth sprocket on a fast descent across snow covered farm fields, bordered by alpine peaks on the horizon. We climbed in eerie silence on a small, snowy trail to above the Launensee. We dove headfirst with our bikes into snowy singletrack and were cheered on by locals in the villages we passed through. All before sharing lunch and drinks at the event tent once the stage was complete. That day was so different to a normal bike ride or race, but had all the key ingredients for a great day on the bike.

“Each stage would take us out of town in a flurry of pedals, a whirring of chains and a flap of goreTex.”

Off the bike

I dare say I crashed more times on my bike over those few days than over the past number of years. So I found my time off the bike was just as important as on it. When staying in a Swiss alpine village you often have plenty of options for comfortable accommodation, and I was lucky to being staying in the Huus Hotel, actually in Saanen, right next to Gstaad. With a large wellness area with sauna, steam room, pool and more, relaxing after each day was a joy. All the rooms afford an expansive view across the village to the mountains beyond – and the large bar in the lobby shares the same view! Finding myself back in the comforts of my hotel around lunchtime each day lead me to reflect on Gstaad’s saying of ‘Come up, slow down’. I flew over right from two national rounds in Australia, and really did feel the pace of life from a busy summer ebb away as the train wound around Lac Leman, before we boarded a mountain train bound for Gstaad. My afternoons centred around reading, relaxing, and sharing tales with other riders over drinks. But they could have been spent eating out, shopping, winter hiking, tobogganing or of course doing any kind of snow sport. That mix of getting into the great outdoors and then enjoying the comforts of the indoors seems to be just right. During the 6 days I was in Gstaad, I witnessed the majority of locals spending time outside and enjoying the surroundings. The Swiss love the mountains and are drawn to them almost regardless of conditions. From families walking into the hills, cross country skiers, dogs being walked in the snow, or just people going about daily lives and commuting on their hybrids in the snow – the Swiss love being outdoors and it’s an infectious feeling. While the comfort of lying in a hotel room and looking out at snow-covered mountains is undeniable – it was all the better lying back and knowing you’d been riding up and over them earlier that day.

Fire and ice

At times I can be too focused on mountain biking – which I think is defendable as it’s so much fun and offers so much reward. I don’t know where I finished in the Snow Bike Festival – which is rare for me, I tend to keep track of results. But this event was just a vehicle to ride through a winter wonderland in a supported way. Having the juxtaposition of a cold (or hot and sweaty when climbing) riding experience and the warmth and comfort of staying in a grand alpine hotel really made visiting Gstaad and the Snow Bike Festival an unforgettable experience. Such an adventure isn’t tied to an event though, as more alpine resorts are opening trails to fat bikes, with shops renting them out. Fredy’s Bikeworld in Gstaad did a roaring trade for the riders visiting from afar, like myself, but Fredy hires bikes all winter – as the winter hiking trails remain open for bikes in Gstaad. Next time you’re on an alpine holiday, why not schedule in some time at a slower pace? Just like on dirt, a mountain bike can be your vehicle for escape. It can provide solitude or friendship, and it just might be the ideal escape from the hustle and bustle of the ski slopes.