Mountain Biking Collection by Lael
11
Tours
07:01 h
624 mi
95,650 ft
The Hope 1000 traverses Switzerland from Lake Constance to Lake Geneva on small mountain roads and trails. With 30,000 meters of climbing over 1,000 kilometers, the route is a physical beast. However, it was intentionally crafted to frequently access cyclists' needs including bike shops, restaurants, markets, hotels and great places to camp.
After a lifetime of riding, Swiss-born Willi Felix designed the route and has hosted seven annual races. This route is challenging, beautiful and rewarding at any pace. The record, held by Marin Saint-Exupery, is 3 days, 16 hours, 56 minutes.
In this Collection, the route is broken into 11 sections: a solid schedule for a challenging bikepacking trip.
Ready to get going? Create and customize your own version of this adventure using the full Tour below as a template.
Last updated: June 11, 2022
With much less climbing than all of the other sections, this ride is a great warm up for the rest. The route officially begins at a Dandelion Statue on Lake Constance and this section concludes in Bettwiesen, the hometown of Willi Felix, the route organizer. Most of the riding is through farm fields…
by Lael
Section 2 starts to show the true nature of the Hope 1000 route-- relentless climbing and descending. The higher you go, the more beautiful the route gets. The climb leading to Wattwil is a real ass kicker with a ripping descent. Wattwil is the largest town along this section and a great place to resupply…
by Lael
Get recommendations on the best single tracks, peaks, & plenty of other exciting outdoor places.
There are four big straightforward climbs on Section 3. My favorite spot to camp along this stretch as at a little hikers shelter in between mile 40-50. I've stayed there for the first night of the Hope 1000 both times I raced it. Schwyz has a nice courtyard and is a good spot to resupply.
by Lael
A steep road climb followed by the Wild Spitz, the most beautiful part of this section, dominates the start of this section. The second half as rolling terrain through farmlands in the most populated stretch of the Hope 1000. Bike shops and all resupply are easy to access on this stretch. Load up and…
by Lael
This stretch is rolling with, follows a lake with access to a beach and swimming before passing Sursee, the last chance for good resupply.
The predominate challenge is the Napf, a very remote and protected mountain range with some necessary hike-a-bike and exposure.
Finsterwald is the halfway point of…
by Lael
This is the most technical section of the Hope 1000-- a good reason to ride a full suspension bike.
The roads are rocky and rough. There are a few small villages for resupply to give you reprieve between mountain passes.
by Lael
Beginning with an easy road climb out of Sorenberg, with a little trail riding in the middle, this stretch finishes with the iconic climb over the Grosse Scheidegg to Grindelwald, a great place to find a hot meal, lodging and bike shops.
From the top, there are dramatic views of the Eiger. The descent…
by Lael
This section begins with a climb over the Kleine Scheidegg, passing the Jungfrau and descending an extremely steep, switchback trail to Lauterbrunnen, on the outskirts of Interlaken.
There's a bit of reprieve for the next 30km until the next significant climb over La Treeiffel, a surprisingly remote mountain…
by Lael
The first climb out of Oey passes the Seebergsee, a gorgeous lake with a couple of mountain huts serving food near the top. The descent begins on good singeltrack and turns into a rooty, steep switchback trail in the woods that takes you down to Sankt Stepan, a good spot for easy resupply.
From there…
by Lael
The 4 climbs in this section are punchier and shorter than the rest that dominate the Hope 1000 route. The first is through farmlands and a long valley that always made me feel a bit eery.
I'm always cheered up to pass through Jaun, a nice small town with an inexpensive hotel and a bakery. It's three…
by Lael
There are two major climbs on this short section to get to Montreux. They're both tough, particularly the last one, the Col du Jaman. Instead of descending straight down to Lake Geneva, the Hope 1000 route winds around through singletrack, well worth the extra effort as it offers gorgeous views. I've…
by Lael
Mountain Biking Collection by European Divide Trail
Mountain Biking Collection by Jungfrau Region
Hiking Collection by komoot
Hiking Collection by Dan Hobson