This itinerary is only given as a guide and will be followed as closely as possible. Your guide will assess weather conditions and possibly alter the route to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable trip.

Day 0.
Arrive Argentiere. Settle in and check bikes over. Meet guides and briefing for the trip.

Day 1.
Ride to Le Tour and take the gondola up part way to the Col de Balme, with stunning views of Mont Blanc and the Chamonix valley. A fantastic but technical descent in places to Trient and an off-road climb on a grassy track up to Col de Forclaz. A tough road climb gets us to our over night stop of Champex - a beautiful Swiss lake side resort. 35km approx. 2,000m descent. 1,350m ascent. 5 hours.

Day 2.
A fantastic, fast sweeping descent from Champex to Sembrancher on paths and tracks. A gradual off road climb through woodland followed by a technical singletrack descent and a short road section bring us to the gondola ride up to Verbier. Then it's play time for the rest of the day as we sample some of the best singletrack descents in the area. At the end of the afternoon we take the last cable car up to 2,222m before climbing the remaining 300m on double track to our stunning over night stop at Cabane du Mont Fort. The sunsets here will take your breath away, as will the panoramic views from the Petit Combin to Mont Blanc to the Dents du Midi. 45km approx. 3,060m descent. 1,250m ascent (cable car assisted). 6 hours.

Day 3.
The elite pro racers do the next two days in one as we follow the Grand Raid Cristal Alp course, but its still tough for us as we climb around close to 2,000m today. In fact today is arguably the toughest day of the trip, certainly the longest in distance. From Cabane du Mont Fort we descend back to 2,222m on single and double track before traversing to the top of the Croix de Coeur at 2174m followed by a fabulous descent on rocky, rooty and swooping singletrack. We will do three climbs today, mostly on forest track with some road and some singletrack. We get a helping hand to avoid a fourth climb with a chair lift, directly after lunch, where we are rewarded by a switch back descent through pine forests on rarely ridden, technical singletrack. The last climb to Sex Pey, before our overnight stop at Evolene will be the toughest, with 650m on road and dirt track up through forest and alpine pasture before an exciting traverse on technical singletrack with beautiful views to our left, followed by a fast descent into the town. If we don't get to the base of this climb by 3pm, we will skirt round this final spur and take the lower road climb up the valley to our overnight stop. Evolene is a picturesque rural Valais town which has retained all of its traditional alpine charm. 75km approx. 2,400m descent. 1,950m ascent. 8.5 hours.

Day 4.
The big one today and we start early as we tackle the Col and Basset de Lona at 2787m and 2792m respectively - the highest points we shall reach on this trip. The route up is mostly rideable on double dirt track and then singletrack but the final section will involve some pushing or carrying. There is actually a double pass here with the Col coming before the Basset. The descent from the Col is smooth and flowing and the climb up to the Basset is all rideable. Spectacular views from the top all the way back to Mont Blanc and the Grand Combin we left a few days ago. It gives a great sense of achievement seeing how far we have come. The descent is fast and again spectacular as we approach the lovely turquoise water of Lac de Moiry. We continue our seemingly endless descent towards Grimentz on varied, fun singletrack where we break for coffee and cake and a rest for the brake pads. A lovely forested singletrack descent to our overnight stop outside of Grimentz. Suitably exhausted but having done the hardest two days we now can rest assured it all gets a little easier tomorrow. 45km approx. 1,950m descent. 1,750m ascent. 9 hours.

Day 5.
Today is an easy day, but we still have to ride and climb up quite a big hill. We have the choice of a road or off-road climb followed by an optional funicular train ride up to our over night stop in Tignousa (this train ride is not included in the cost of the trip). Here we can spend the afternoon relaxing and enjoying the views or visiting the spectacular Hotel Weisshorn which has a wonderful location perched high above the valley. For the brave at heart there is the option of riding the Swiss National downhill cup course which twists and jumps it's way down underneath the funicular (500m descent), and then get a ride up the funicular again! From Tignousa we will receive our first views of the Matterhorn, hidden again until we reach the Zermatt valley. 15km approx. 200m descent. 500m- 1,300m ascent (depending on which route up you chose). 3 hours.

Day 6.
Another big pass day and Jamie's favorite day crossing over the Illhorn at 2,552m. Depending on how you're feeling there is chance to take a chair lift assisted route, otherwise it's a climb on dirt track before a short push on technical singletrack and a narrow traverse to the Col itself. It's another double pass day with a technical descent followed by a 25 minute push to our highest point of the day. From here follows an awesome, uninterupted 1,300m descent split into three distinct sections; the first is fast, high alpine with big views, the second, (now named Schnapps) and hardest section forms the start of our descent into the trees with boulder-strewn switchbacks, the final section in the woods is the best by far with corner after corner taking us down steeply through the trees - 58 switchbacks at the last count! Taken as a whole the descent will test some riders to their limits but the first and last sections should be almost 100% rideable for every one. You will have to go a long way to find a better descent than this! After a short road climb there follows yet more descent, on fast and flowing singletrack through woodland. A short road climb drops us onto yet more great riding and brings us back to the the very edge of the Rhone valley and our overnight stop at one of the best hotels en route. 35km approx. 2,270m descent. 1,200m ascent. 8 hours.

Day 7.
Today we say goodbye to the Rhone valley as we turn the corner into the Zermatt valley, ever closer to our final destination. It's a fantastic day which contrasts nicely with yesterday's high alpine experience. We follow varied singletrack trails with a series of short sharp climbs and descents on soft pine needles, through beautiful alpine villages which cling to the valley side and more of those never ending switch back descents! The day ends with the "technical singletrack climb challenge" - a testing climb on a rooty trail which brings us out near our home for two nights - the comfortable and friendly Hotel La Reserve in St Niklaus. The hotel is run by a member of one of the oldest mountaineering families in the area, the Pollingers. The modern day Pollingers also make an excellent pizza! 33km approx. 1,120m descent.1,050m ascent. 6 hours.

Day 8.
A fitting end to our trip we head up the valley on cycle trails by the river and marvel at the height of the mountains surrounding us - the Weisshorn, the Briethorn, the Dom and of course the Matterhorn. Once in Zermatt we either take the Sunnegga Express funicular train or the Gornergrat train up to a high view point for breathtaking, stunning views of the Matterhorn. (NB. the cost any lifts/trains in Zermatt is not inculded in the price) The perfect spot for lunch and a celebratory photoshoot. From Sunnegga and Gornergrat there is a choice of descents back to Zermatt town. You can take the leisurely winding doubletrack descent with glimpses of the Matterhorn through the trees or alternatively climb up a bit further from the lunch stop on singletrack before a spectacular traverse trail leads you to a hard technical descent into Zermatt. There is time now for shopping and sight seeing in the town centre. As if the day couldn't get any better, the jewel in the crown is an excellent singletrack route back to St Niklaus which gives a magical end to this classic route. 52km approx. 2,000m descent. 700m ascent. 7.5 hours.

Day 9.
Departure day from the train station at St Niklaus back to Geneva airport on efficient Swiss rail. Depending on the time of your flight you can spend the morning packing bikes and looking around the town after a leisurely breakfast. You need to make sure you book an afternoon or evening flight otherwise you won't make it back to the airport in time.