How I crossed Switzerland(2) - Martigny to Zermatt

Ok, yesterday was painful, I hope today my knees will heal, just like the Wolverine I was.

Unfortunately, not.

We changed our bike so I can ride easily with road bike. Today, we are going to the mountains!

Relive 'Martigny-zermatt'

This is Lady Odile, our host

Of course I need to warm up before going, for my broken knee

Bread, soup, and tee for breakfast 

Always fix the disk brake

We biked first Sion Sierre and then Visp

It's all the way flat, we still followed the bike lane sign a bit, the view is nice but sometimes it goes to offroad and not fit for the road bike

Every 30 minutes to one hour my knee broke down, and I need a break, it's like I can't use it for more than 100 watt or it hurts like hell, I feel horrible

Finally we arrived in Visp main station, it's three o clock

We first buy the swiss half price card

And yet I still want to try to bike up, and it turned out to be a great but painful decision.

SO, LET'S RIDE!!!

It's flat at the beginning 

And some donkeys are laughing at us dumb asses

Around 900m altitude it's the snowline, and there's a new accomplishment

Biking in the snow!!

The train is so tempting, but just something push me go up and up

I tried to ride a bit, but I did a rational decision, walk my bike

yet still I'm dead 

Finally the end has come, Taesch, the town where cars can drive eventually to

But still there should be 8km to Zermatt, so we followed the road, and it ends here because of snow

For this picture there is also one story, we found one pedestrian walk by and ask her if she can take a photo for us, and she replied that she only speaks German. Perfect! My language skill is trained for this! Asking strangers to take pictures for us! So this is how this photo been shot.

so we had to take the train

The Zermatt Shuttle

I am totaled

And now we are in Zermatt!!

Our host Rienie offered us the first drink, actually I'm too exhausted to enjoy a beer, I drained everything, all my strength to push me to this high

And for dinner, Rienie made fondue, my very first swiss fondue!! 

I'd love to chat more because Rienie is a great friendly host, but I'm just having fever and at the edge of collapsing, so I went to bed earlier after the "La Bomba" he offered us, he said it's good for sickness.

I felt so warm, not only because the shot was hot and strong, but also having this help at my weakest night throughout the whole trip.

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This day is one of the ride I want to do the most in the whole 9 days, biking uphill is something I really craved for a long time.

At the beginning of the day, the first 60 km to Visp, I really thought I'd have to take the train up, and maybe the whole trip will be a disaster, I was so frustrated.

Thanks for Andy who switched bike with me, gave me the chance to succeed the day.

And for some reason, my knees don't hurt so much the second I start in the mountains, I felt better!

before a 2%  would kill me, but now a 4% 6% is not?!

Though I still need to take a break more often than before, and I roar from the bottom of my soul for pain, but still, I made it. I don't know what kind of urge or magic is that, I just want to do this, and I did.

All I remember is feeling the body condition and control the amount of effort I can give, and then more power came! It pushed me all the way up, though my heart is pounding, my knees are cracking, my thighs are burning, but my mind, carried it through.

We will stay two nights with Rienie, tomorrow will be no biking, just going to Matterhorn sightseeing. 

I slept with a strong fever, good night.