and after Valence (Stage 15), which styles itself as ‘gateway to the south’, the climate becomes mild enough for olives to survive the winter.
Beyond the Papal capital of Avignon (Stage 18) the route reaches the flat lands of the Mediterranean littoral and the way of life, architecture and landscape become recognisably Provençale, immortalised by Vincent van Gogh in his paintings of the area around Arles (Stage 19). The final leg (Stage 20) takes the route through the sparsely inhabited flat lands of the Rhone delta, known as the Camargue, to reach the Mediterranean 40km west of Marseille. See Appendix A for a breakdown of the starting and finishing points and the distance covered by each stage.
Natural environment
Physical geography
The course of the Rhone has been greatly influenced by geological events approximately 30 million years ago, when the Alps were pushed up by the collision of the African and European tectonic plates. As well as forming the Alps, this caused rippling of the landmass to the north, creating a ridge that forms the limestone mountains of the Jura and pushing up the older hard rocks of the Massif Central. Subsequent glaciation during a series of ice ages resulted in the Rhone cutting a series of deep U-shaped valleys through the high Alps (Stages 1–4). At the base of the glaciers a large lake formed (Lake Geneva, Stages 5–6). The outflow from this lake cut a winding gorge between the Jura mountains and Savoy Alps (Stages 7–10). At Lyon where the river reached the hard rock of the Massif Central it was forced south through the wide and straight sillon Rhôdanien (Rhone furrow) all the way to the Mediterranean (Stages 11–18). As this valley was subject to frequent flooding the river developed a winding course through a marshy environment. For most of its length the river cuts down through soft limestone and carries large quantities of sediment. Some of this sediment is deposited in Lake Geneva, which is slowly filling up though it will take many thousands of years to fill completely. The rest is carried down to the flat lands of the Mediterranean littoral (Stages 19–20), where the slow flowing Rhone has deposited considerable quantities of sediment to form the Camargue delta.
The Rhone is the only one of Europe’s great rivers that has an ‘active’ glacier as its main source, although this is now only 7km long compared with a length of 140km at the end of the last ice age 14,000 years ago. As the glacier retreated it left three terminal moraines (large piles of eroded rubble brought down by the glacier), which are crossed en-route. The glacier is still retreating at about 10m per year and at this rate will disappear altogether in 700 years.
The Rhone is fed by a number of important tributaries including the Saône (draining the western slopes of the Jura) and the Isère, which rises in the Savoy Alps south of Mont Blanc.
Wildlife
While chamois and ibex can be found in the mountains near the source and a number of small mammals (including rabbits, hares, red squirrels, voles, water rats and weasels) may be seen scuttling across the track and deer glimpsed in forests, this is not a route for seeing wild animals. However, there are a few places where old bends of the river, abandoned since navigational improvements have made them redundant, have been turned into nature reserves. Of particular note is Printegarde nature reserve (Stage 15), home to many varieties of birds, animals and insects including black kites, storks, bee-eaters, European beaver and 40 varieties of dragonfly.
In the Camargue (Stage 20), two species of semi-feral animal can be found – black cattle and white horses. These animals are privately owned and tended by local gardians (cowboys) but allowed to roam on the salt flats and marshes. The bulls are used to provide animals for local bull fights and for meat, while the horses are used as mounts for the gardians and for equestrian sports such as dressage and three-day-eventing.
Gardians (cowboys) from the Camargue gather in Arles for the bull running (Stage 19)
There is a wide range of interesting birdlife. White swans, geese and many varieties of ducks inhabit the river and its banks. Cruising above, raptors, particularly buzzards and kites, are frequently seen hunting small mammals, while flamingos can be found in the Camargue. Birds that live by fishing include cormorants, noticeable when perched on rocks with their wings spread out to dry, and grey herons, which can be seen standing in shallow water waiting to strike or stalking purposefully along the banks.
Preparation
When to go
With the exception of the first 14km of Stage 1 from the source beside the Furkapass to Oberwald, the route is generally cycleable from April to October. The Furkapass is blocked by snow in winter and is usually closed from November until May, exact dates varying from year to year depending upon snow levels. Indeed, snow can fall at any time of year, but is rare in July and August. The Postbus service over the pass, which can be used to reach the start of the route, runs only between mid-June and mid-October. As a result, unless you plan to cycle up to the source from Oberwald or Realp, the full ride can only be completed during summer and early autumn.
How long will it take?
The main route has been broken into 20 stages averaging 45km per stage. A fit cyclist, cycling an average of 75km per day should be able to complete the route in 12 days. A schedule for this timescale appears in Appendix C. Travelling at a gentler pace of 60km per day and allowing time for sightseeing, cycling the Rhone to the Mediterranean would take a fortnight. There are many places to stay all along the route making it is easy to tailor daily distances to your requirements.
What kind of cycle is suitable?
Most of the route is on asphalt cycle tracks or alongside quiet country roads. There are some stretches with gravel surfaces, particularly in Switzerland, but these are invariably well graded and pose few problems for touring cycles. However, cycling the exact route described in this guide is not recommended for narrow tyred racing cycles. There are on-road alternatives which can be used to by-pass the rougher sections. The most suitable type of cycle is either a touring cycle or a hybrid (a lightweight but strong cross between a touring cycle and a mountain bike with at least 21 gears). There is no advantage in using a mountain bike. Front suspension is beneficial as it absorbs much of the vibration. Straight handlebars, with bar-ends enabling you to vary your position regularly, are recommended. Make sure your cycle is serviced and lubricated before you start, particularly the brakes, gears and chain.
As important as the cycle is your choice of tyres. Slick road tyres are not suitable and knobbly mountain bike tyres not necessary. What you need is something in-between with good tread and a slightly wider profile than you would use for everyday cycling at home. To reduce the chance of punctures, choose tyres with puncture resistant armouring, such as a Kevlar™ band.
A fully equipped cycle at Furka Belvédère (Stage 1)
Getting there and back
By rail
The start of the route near the summit of the Furkapass is not directly accessible by train. However, there are stations at Realp (east of the pass) and Oberwald (to the west) that are served by hourly year-round MGB (Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn) narrow gauge trains between Andermatt and Brig. During the peak summer season (mid-June to mid-October) there is a Postbus service over the pass with two departures daily from Andermatt and three from Oberwald. These buses carry a limited number of cycles with reservations required before 4.00pm the previous day (PostAuto Schweiz, Region Bern/Zentralalpen; +41 58 448 20 08; www.postauto.ch/bern). You can cycle up the pass, but this is a steep 900m climb on a main road from either Realp or Oberwald!
