When Philip Carr invited me to join him for a two-week trip to the Alps, I was somewhat hesitant. Rumor had it that the high passes tend not to open until after the 1st of June. Nevertheless, I simply couldn't pass up the invitation, as Phillip is a renowned tour guide. The worst that could happen was that we rode beautiful roads at somewhat lower altitudes and that wasn't much of a sacrifice. Furthermore, the quality of the food would more than offset any disappointments regarding the roads.

Once at Philip's home in Yorkshire, we spent the day relaxing and getting our gear ready for departure the following day. We had a leisurely ride to Portsmouth, visiting local military museums along the way, before leaving on the overnight ferry to Le Havre. As with my plane flight, the ferry was late and I had the opportunity to stand in the rain for a bit before they allowed us to pull under cover. Once underway we barely went to sleep when we heard the klaxon to head for the bikes.

Our first day was routed through Nevers, LeMans, and eventually Tours, where we stayed at a friend's charming hotel, Le Cygne. We enjoyed a first rate meal and good wines at Le Rouge in Tours, and after a walk around the town we were ready to retire. Friday we rode through Annecy, Martigny, Chamonix, and spent the night in Tasch, with plans for the Glacier train to Zermatt the next day. We missed a clear sky and a full sight of the Matterhorn, but viewing the town via the cable car ride was well worth the effort. The views were spectacular. If you think there is a worldwide recession, visit Switzerland. The largest 5 star hotel in the town is putting on a very large addition. We left Zermatt with Andermatt being our ultimate destination. As we approached the Furka Pass signs indicated the pass was closed and were directed onto the train that travels through the mountain to Andermatt. As we arrived outside of Andermatt the rain began to pour and we hurried to find a hotel to get out of the weather for the evening.

The following day the weather was magnificent. We rode as far as possible up to the Furka and the Oberallp crests, but both were closed due to avalanche danger. Our long ride took us towards Chur and the San Bernadino pass, which had so many hairpins we were worn out from tossing the bikes back and forth. We headed back through the Gotthard pass and needed a nap before dinner.

Monday morning we awoke to snow. Initially I didn't believe it and went back to sleep. After all, yesterday's temperatures had been in the 70s, and it was the end of May. How could it possibly be snowing? When I got up at 7:00, not only was it snowing, there was 5 inches of snow on the ground and it was snowing harder than before. We had a leisurely breakfast, got "blessed" by a tourist wanting to help us, and stepped out into a blizzard. The town was taking the snow seriously and the removal equipment began hitting the street. From my point of view it was a losing battle as it seemed to come down as fast as it was removed. We spent the day trying to amuse ourselves and generally sat around staring out the window wondering how long we would be marooned. The evening news reported the snowfall at approximately 18" in the town and a meter or more in the higher elevations.

By Tuesday morning the snow had slowed considerably and it was clear the temperature was warming. After we toured the town and ate breakfast Phillip determined that it was clear enough for us to head for the train station and see if we could get out. Fortunately, as we approached the station the car train was preparing to depart. We were loaded immediately and headed for the other side. We exited the train to blue skies and an area totally devoid of snow, except for the very upper regions of the mountains. It appeared the snow was limited to the Andermatt area and the higher elevations.

The snow and the roads around Andermatt were the peak (pun intended) of the trip. The return was somewhat ordinary from a road perspective, but the old cities of France are very enchanting. I encourage you to heed the advice of those who tell you not to plan your alpine ride before the 1st of June, unless it's the only time you can go. On the other hand, if you have to be stranded someplace, Switzerland is a lovely place for that to happen.