It was finally time to get on the bike again after a couple of days resting in Basel. The weather had been miserable and the campsite was not very nice. I was glad to be leaving and getting back on the road.

I had a great time with my friends in Basel. A massive thank you to Crofty, Ellie and Kev for making the trip!

The journey today was very short on paper. I wanted to ride more because of the rest days in Basel and Dad and Tim were going to the supermarket for a big shop. So I had time on my hands! I like to ride for about two hours each day. I spotted a cycle track to the south of the city that looked interesting. I wish I’d paid closer attention! Anyway, it seemed like a good opportunity to check out some Swiss towns so I saddled up and hit the road.

I wanted to visit Basel’s football stadium. It was on the way to my bike route out of the city so it fitted in well. I struggled to navigate my way through the city and took lots of wrong turns. Usual behaviour I hear you cry. Eventually I found my way to the footy ground. It was pretty disappointing as you couldn’t tell it was a stadium. It looked more like a shopping centre!

I made my way out of the city along the cycle route I found earlier on the map. It took me through some gorgeous Swiss towns. There were lots of people about enjoying their day. I started to climb a little and could see a big hill in front of me. I checked the map and spotted a series of hair pin turns…uh-oh…yep..a massive hill. This wasn’t what I had mind when I took my detour! There was no turning back so I decided to go for it!

I snaked my way along the road getting higher and higher. The woods and scenery around me was stunning. After about 15 minutes of standing up and pedalling, I made it to the top! It was the longest hill I’ve ever had to climb but luckily not the steepest! The downhill afterwards was sensational, it lasted for ages and the views of the valley were cracking. I made way to the campsite on the final part of the paved cycle route. 42km completed with over 700m of hills climbed. I was chuffed with that but feeling tired. My legs were aching and felt stiff after I sat down. The campsite is lovely because it is situated right next to the Rhine. Glad to be back on the bike and looking forward to the next five days of riding.