First joint gravel tour: Winterthur - Appenzell - Wetzikon

After both of us treated ourselves to nice gravel bikes last year (I as a birthday gift for my 70th), we wanted to use them for multi-day bikepacking tours. The necessary gear such as saddle, frame, and handlebar bags was acquired and ready for use after extensive research. The weather forecast for mid-July was very good, so it was just a matter of planning the tour. After weighing various options, we decided on a tour to the east of Switzerland. Given the predicted weather, we set off with very light luggage.

Day 1 (July 18): Bad Säckingen - Frick - Brugg - Baden - Winterthur 85 km

We cross from Germany to Switzerland over the old wooden bridge and leisurely cycle to Frick. The first section of gravel takes us up to Bözberg with the Linner Linde. From there, you can fully enjoy the beautiful view with Habsburg in the background. At the top, we meet two young German bikepackers who still have 180 km to go today to the ascent of the Flüelapass. Their goal is Bolzano. After Brugg, we cross the Aare and follow the Limmat to Baden. Always slightly north of Zurich, we pass through Wallisellen, famous for the Stiller Has. Then, we take steep gravel roads up again and narrow hiking trails down into the valley and to our destination Winterthur. We visit the impressive old town, which is bustling in summer weather. We are amazed at how large the old town is, that it's almost entirely car-free, and that there are so many restaurants and bars. Time to enjoy!

Day 2 (July 19): Winterthur - Dietfurt - Waldstett - Urnäsch - Appenzell 85 km

In the morning, there is still time for a visit to the Kunstmuseum Winterthur with an impressive collection of artworks from the 19th and 20th centuries. Giacometti, Klee, Monet, Arp, Picasso, Mondrian, and many more are well represented in the classic rooms. At this early hour, we are the only visitors and enjoy the exclusivity.

We quickly leave the city with our bikes and find ourselves in the lush green surroundings. Through forested areas on coarse gravel paths, we sweat our way up. At a fork, there is no path suggested by Komoot. We struggle up a narrow hiking trail until we rejoin a road. After a flatter section, we go up and down again until reaching Urnäsch. The landscape around us is beautiful. From Urnäsch, it's still 10 km to Appenzell. When you arrive there, you are very impressed by the center with its beautiful houses, narrow streets, and well-kept shops. All of this in a dream landscape. As a reward for the many climbs, we enjoy Käshörnli and Appenzeller beer in the evening.

Day 3 (July 20): Appenzell - Schwägalp - Toggenburg - Obersee - Wetzikon 85 km

In the morning, we ride into the Sitter Valley to Weissbach and take the paved climb up to Lehmenhaus. There are many tourists taking the cable car to Schäfler. However, for us, a tough and long ascent on gravel begins, always in the lowest gear and often only pedalable with pain in our thighs. We always hope that the climb will level out, but it keeps going steeply up. More than 6 km to 1400 m. The last kilometer is somewhat more relaxed, which remains steep, but with cows in the pastures and the view of the pass, it is a bit easier to bear. The SAC hut Chammhalden at 1400 m is the ideal place to refuel and enjoy the indescribably beautiful view of the Alpstein and the surroundings. It's steep downhill and slightly uphill again until we reach Schwägalp - a tourist hotspot. We don't linger long and race down from Schwägalppass at speeds up to 70 km/h into the valley of the Thur, the Toggenburg. On beautiful cycling paths with spectacular views, we ride from Ebnat-Kappel to Wattwil. There, a steep ascent over the Rickenpass challenges us again. Soon, we are rewarded with a beautiful view of the Obersee of Lake Zurich. After a rapid descent, we can cycle directly along the lake. Just before Jona, we turn off and have to climb some elevation on gravel paths through Zurich Oberland until we can take the S-Bahn in Wetzikon and then the train to Basel in Zurich.