Grande Traversée du Jura #GTJ (July 2-4 2024)

For years I wanted to ride the #GTJ and this was the occasion. The full GTJ ride is 415 km long with 4,900 meters of climbing. I joined the trail from Geneva, climbing the Col de la Combe Blanche above Divonne-les-Bains and would leave the trail three days later so that I could descend on Basel and continue to the Source of the Danube where I will catch the #EuroVélo6.

These first three days amount to 350km and 4,389 m of climbing. The condensed "movie" of the rides can be "relived" here with highlights of this first #TearTheWall chapter on my way to Berlin for the 35th anniversary of the Fall of the Wall on Nov 9, 2024.

Day 1 Geneva to Les Verrières: Sur les traces des Bourbakis / In the footpath of the "Bourbakis"!

The first day was the most ambitious with several interesting climbs starting with the Col de Combe Blanche that took me to the highest point on this trip at 1,371 meters. This is my preferred route to avoid the horrible and very busy Col de la Faucille that most cyclists take... This path is a hidden gem on a road with no cars through a natural reserve with interesting encounters - I saw several curious deer on my way. The view of the Geneva basin is also not to miss!

I had two more climbs ahead. The first was the easier Col du Mont d'Orzeires and the cherry on top was the Col de L'Aiguillon from Baulmes where I pushed my bike as deer were watching... A little advice! I stopped at "Chez Epicure" in Ballaigues, shortly before the climb and was offered refreshments and a warning the hill was... ambitious:) Big thanks for your kindness and hospitality!

Les Verrières is a Swiss village of 650 souls on the border with France with an exceptional claim to fame: this is where, in 1870-71, some 87,000 men of the Napoleon army under the command of General Bourbaki were saved from certain annihilation by the Prussian Army by crossing into neutral Switzerland. This was the first success of the Red Cross of Henri-Dunant that was created a few years earlier (1863) which helped establish the Swiss tradition of solidarity, humanitarian engagement and neutrality that we still have today.

Interesting fact: many “Bourbaki” were of Algerian. 

The Hotel de Ville in Les Verrières is a great place to stop for the night on the #GTJ where you can discover the Bourbaki story in the museum on the second floor.

Day 2 Les Verrières to - Here comes the Rain

This second day started nicely with some easy riding but was shortened by the rain and cold. I stopped soaking wet at Auberge de la Couronne in Saignelégier La Theurre to warm up and dry my gear, especially my shoes. Next time I will be faster to pull out my shoe covers and raincoat - a good lesson... The hotel is a great place for cyclists where it is easy to safely store bikes in a huge barn.

Day 3 Descending to Basel and crossing to Germany

The fastest, most exciting and longest day so far (154km). I started with a spectacular descent to Undervelier (next time I will take pictures and film... there is a learning curve here) where I arrived too early for a Poutine from Québec or maple syrup pancakes at the Cabane du Canada that was unfortunately closed. Still, I met a figure from the Predator and made other unexpected encounters.

The Victorinox factory is surely something to visit someday!

Leaving the #GTJ mountains, riding through Basel and entering Germany all within a few hours gave me a lot of confidence. The most difficult was behind me and I will now ride the flats to recover from all the climbing.

A highlight today would become a theme throughout this entire adventure. I arrived at a dead end having missed a turn a few hundred meters earlier. A man called me over and told me to park my bike on a cherry tree. He invited me to taste the sweetest cherries..... What a treat!

As I was getting hungry and eager to settle for the night so I continued to the town of Wutöschingen where I stopped at Landgasthof Ochsen l where I saw an open restaurant. Luck was on my side as the hotel was just right and the food tasty with portions that were the size of my appetite! My bike was also stored securely behind the hotel.

As of tomorrow I will be riding along the Danube on the #Eurovélo6 all the way to Vienna and Bratislava to finally arrive at the Iron Curtain Trail.