The Down We Didn't Want

9/05/15  Chiasso to Gudo, 70kms and great weather. From 250mtrs to 550mtrs and back to 214mtrs.

There wasn't much to the old boarder town of Chiasso, after we did a walk around yesterday, and got my clothes to keep me warm up the mountain. So it was up and at 'em this morning, and we were out of there by 9:30am.

I spent ages yesterday researching the Swiss North-South route, which we want to do, the other way, of course. So it took us 10 minutes to get the exit plan in action and find the signs to show us the way.  After all this time through Spain and France, having very little signage, suddenly we had clear direction. Thank God!

  See the snow on the mountains in the background? It's May and 27C?

So basically, today we had to ride uphill for 90% of the day, then speed downhill for a few kilometres to throw away all that hard earned altitude. What sort of bad joke is this? Who would do that, it isn't logical. We did it.

The whole time, we are pushing uphill, Will is complaining that there is a problem with his bike. Ugh, really, like what sort of problem? It's like the brake is coming on intermittently, or a clutch problem. Yeah, right, it's bloody gravity, we're going uphill!

  Shopping for breaks tomorrow and lunch today. Don't forget the bananas!

 Halfway around Lake Lugano and this is a great spot for lunch. Might camp here!

Seriously, it didn't seem like it was uphill, it was so gradual. Occasionally we'd get a jump up, or a short steep incline, but mostly, we just trudged along through the greenest green you've ever seen, around Lake Lugano, where we stopped for lunch, and found it hard to get our arses off the bench.  We sat looking at the snow covered mountains we had to get up over the next two days. Oh My God! There's still snow up there in May?..

  Riding on Route 3 towards Bellizona. I keep looking at those mountains.

We weaved our way up to 550mtrs, following Veddegio, a stream, on tracks that varied from sealed to gravel, there was a bit of mud, but it was beautiful. I felt like we were going pretty slow, probably that dragging thing (gravity) Will was talking about.

 The creek we followed for most of our day. Nice to be out of the traffic.

 This lady was painting a concrete wall with cool little pictures like this one.

 You need one hell of a wood pile in these parts, this is the left overs after winter.

When we came to the downhill, but, I had a strange feeling. I didn't want to do it! Who doesn't want to roll, very fast, for 5kms? Well me, after I've just ridden uphill for 60kms. But there was no other way. So down we go, super, super fast! We both beat our fastest speeds, mine was 65.8km/hr, and Wiil reached 63.9kms/hr (that's because of his drag issue?). Man was that concentration. If only I'd concentrated like that at school, hey?

  Halfway down into the valley. There's that mountain again. Amazing view.

  Looking in the other direction, is a lake and more fun going down.

Before long, about 5 minutes, we were in Gudo, and just around the corner from the Isola Campground. Cheap at double the price, officially the most we have paid to pitch a tent anywhere in the world... $56 AUD.  free WIFI though, thanks! Let's not worry too much about the budget here in Switzerland, it is very expensive. Clean, neat, beautiful and expensive. Oh, and everyone is still speaking Italian, and the food is still Italian. Apparently, the other side of the Gotthardo Pass (from here on in, the God Hard pass) is the German speaking side. Interesting!

  Black Betty you speed freak, I was only wearing my sandals today too..

  Bikes at the bar, just like the horses from the old days, waiting for their owners.

Another awesome carbonara, and a nip of Limoncelo, we should sleep well tonight, ready for another uphill of fantasyland tomorrow.