The Monumentalps Difference
FAQ
LOCATION: ZURICH AIRPORT DETAILS: …
All our trips are available as women-only ride options on request, of course at zero extra cost. This means that your guide will be female, and, whenever possible, also the support staff with the vehicle.
LOCATION: ZURICH AIRPORT DETAILS: …
LOCATION: ZURICH AIRPORT DETAILS: …
All our trips are available as women-only ride options on request, of course at zero extra cost. This means that your guide will be female, and, whenever possible, also the support staff with the vehicle.
Custom itinerary & route design, designed along your bucket-list-lines, our own inspirations, or a healthy mix of both.
Choose from our selection of one-day trips to spend a great day riding in the alps.
The passes we ride reach high altitudes. Just for perspective: Stelvio, the highest, paved mountain pass is at 2757 m or 9045 ft above sea level. Therefore most of the times the roads will be closed because of the snow and will only be accessible for a limited time per year.
As a general rule of thumb one can say the high Alpine passes open sometime in June and close sometime in October. In our opinion the best period is July and August as well as September. That's because in July and August the weather is usually the most suitable and in September the summer holidays are over which means there will be little traffic. We are more than happy to make time frame suggestions depending on the trip you want to take.
Try them! But honestly - they are here to adapt to your riding and not the other way around :) We use a questionnaire prior to your ride with Monumentalps and/or riding data from Strava etc. to match you with the guides we think would be best suited. If you have any specific requests as per the guides, please let us know in our pre-ride onboarding process.
LOCATION: VAL MUSTAIR (CH) & LIVIGNO (IT) RIDE DISTANCE: 60 km, 25 mi ELEVATION: 800m, 2500 ft DETAILS: We use a one-of-a-kind tunnel built by the hydro-electric power plant company, look at the dam they built, and ride along lake Livigno, a ride often used by pro teams preparing at altitude for the big tours. After crossing the (tax free!) alpine town of Livigno, we ride up the Forcola di Livigno to give you a first taste of alpine climbing. Frequent stops along the way to fine-tune your gear, get coffee etc.
LOCATION: Brienz, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: We ride through pristine Aare valley with its many bovine inhabitants, along Lake Brienz with its incredible color, sporting some of the most impressive mountain faces as a backdrop. This day is make sure you are comfortable and familiarised with your bike and the Swiss kind of riding.
We use your provided information to match you with the guide we deem best. You are welcome to tell us your preferences, too. Women only options are available.
Our tour guides are members of the local cycling community and share our burning passion for cycling the alps. Our guides cover a wide range of skill levels: from the more casual rider to gritty QOM or KOM hunters. We also cover a wide range of age groups and genders. All guides are fluent in English as well as the local language and can provide all the know-how of the passes as well as all the (ride) support you might need.
Our tour guides are members of the local cycling community and share our burning passion for cycling the alps. Our guides cover a wide range of skill levels: from the more casual rider to gritty QOM or KOM hunters. We also cover a wide range of age groups and genders. All guides are fluent in English as well as the local language and can provide all the know-how of the passes as well as all the (ride) support you might need.
LOCATION: VAL MUSTAIR (CH) RIDE DISTANCE: 100 km, 70 mi ELEVATION: 2000m, 6500 ft DETAILS: Let’s be honest - today is why you’re here. Stelvio. Switchbacks after switchbacks. The G.O.A.T. and highest paved mountain pass in Europe. We leave in the early morning to ride down the valley of mustair, passing a UNESCO-heritage historic monastery, and cross into Italy at the bottom of the valley. After a short flat(ish) last warm up, the climb up Stelvio begins. Once you have earned your bucket list tick, we descend on the other side, and also add the Umbrail Pass to the collection with just a short saddle, so two passes for the effort of (almost) one.
LOCATION: Brienz, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: We would like to call this a hidden gem, but it’s in plain sight. One of our founders’ favorite passes, full stop. The pass road is closed for car traffic, and it gets more spectacular after every turn. The descent goes to Grindelwald and its century-old alpine history with some of the world’s most famous mountain faces, before we return to Brienz along pristine lake Brienz
We love this question, as it is an opportunity to point to our values. The answer is YES.
We know about the dietary requirements a lot of our guests have, and it will be no problem to meet them. For instance, we carefully select our accommodation partners in regards to their capability with a vegetarian or vegan diet. Just let us know while we plan your tour.
Our tours happen outside, and while we prefer sunny weather ourselves, the Alps also have their own magic in less optimal weather. For multi-day tours it means that we will adapt our plans meaning we will find an alternative route.
For one-day tours, you are free to cancel up to 24 hours before the start of the tour. If the weather is really bad, we would also contact you from our side to suggest alternatives.
LOCATION: VAL MUSTAIR (CH) RIDE DISTANCE: up to you! ELEVATION: up to you! DETAILS: After yesterday, let’s see how you feel! Maybe ride Stelvio from the other (Swiss) side? Go to the spa in Bormio (IT), or check out the historic monastery in Val Müstair and cross the border to eat Gelato in Italy? Up to you. We also keep this day as a reserve in case the weather did not allow for Stelvio on Day 3.
Of course! We work with different local suppliers depending on where we’re going. Let us know that you would like to rent a road bicycle and we will find a solution most suitable for you.
Because just you are the participant(s). We don't do ad-hoc groups. This trip is just for you, your own group of friends or family. Decide who you want to bring, you won't be mixed with other people or groups.
…because just you are the participant(s). We don't do ad-hoc groups. This trip is just for you, your own group of friends or family. Decide who you want to bring, you won't be mixed with other people or groups.
LOCATION: Andermatt, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: Grimsel is a perfect mix of sights and effort in its own. Long, but never overly steep, the road straddles along gorges and waterfalls, sometimes car free and on short cobble stone sections - before we descend on Switzerland’s most fun descent to Gletsch. After this we climb Furka on the other side of the valley, with famous historic hotel Belvedere sitting in a hairpin close to the top. The ride down to Andermatt is more technical.
In theory, yes. However, the Monumentalps experience is designed for road bikes only and the fact that we aim to earn the earn the full bragging rights :) But still: If you want to bring somebody along as part of your group who would prefer joining on an e-bike, then we can look into that.
Because this is your tour, and your tour only, we will have the possibility to make changes to the trip as we go. Bad weather, or worse: bad legs? We will figure out a plan B for the day.
LOCATION: Andermatt, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS:
LOCATION: ZURICH AIRPORT RIDE DISTANCE: nope ELEVATION: nuh-uh DETAILS: Give us your money and 5 stars on Tripadvisor. Thanks!
Because this is your tour, and your tour only, we will have the possibility to make changes to the trip as we go. Bad weather, or worse: bad legs? We will figure out a plan B for the day.
For our multi-day tours, by default we are aiming for nice, authentic and sustainable hotels that we are certain you will like. But because every tour is planned individually anyway, we can also adapt to your requests - if you want to splash out to stay in The Chedi, for instance. Just let us know while we fine-tune your tour.
We only offer private tours. It enables us to provide the best possible experience to our guests. Especially on long and demanding climbs like the Alps, the performance levels and expectations differ immensly from person to person. This might lead to a lot of waiting for the faster riders. As such, we limit our tours to private tours, free to book for individuals or private groups of people.
There's one exception, and these are our free supported social group rides, which happen about twice per year. More information on this will be on the website soon.
LOCATION: Andermatt, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: Today we climb Gotthard. Twice. Once from the North on the historic Gotthard pass road, and then from the South over the famous Tremola road. Did we mention cobble stones? Did we mention quasi car-free? If you thought it can’t get better after all these other days - well - it just might!
One-Day trips include a cold cycling lunch & snacks only
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On-ride hybrid or fully electric support vehicle with your baggage, spare tubes, tools, and a Monumentalps trip representative. This vehicle will also be used for local transfers.
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All overnight stays in great hotels including all breakfast and dinners. Monumentalps work with excellent quality and comfortable hotels that have a focus on local cuisine, sustainability, and authenticity. All stays include our care package: daily cycling laundry service and safe bicycle storage at no extra charge. Vegetarian & vegan options are available on request and a true non-issue.
Riding on pass roads with a rich history that are true works of art, staying in quaint alpine lodges*, eating Raclette for dinner (OK, not every night)*, diving into the local culture, immersion of not just the roads but also the villages, the food and all its history. All this will bring you countless photo opportunities and unforgettable memories – on top of some of the world’s best cycling.
Like any outdoor activity that contains traffic, riding the Alps on a bike is not risk-free. The biggest risks are the people riding "stronger" vehicles - meaning, car, busses and bikes. Please listen to the safety suggestions of our guides, and don’t take unnecessary risks. While we plan our trips to avoid traffic as best as we can, there will always be other road users. Please note that you must wear a suitable cycling helmet at all times, no exceptions.
You are also responsible of taking care of your own insurance. Monumentalps does NOT cover any kind of personal insurance protection.
OCATION: Andermatt-ish, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: To the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife museum?
On-ride cycling snacks & drinks, refills along the way.
We can try - easiest if you just book the flight with us too. We know what airlines, transfer airports etc. work best for bike transport and can adjust accordingly. This also enables us to include the CO2 offsetting right into your flight booking.
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Our experience happens around some of the world’s greatest natural wonders, so it is an absolute no-brainer for us to preserve the environment. We aim to reduce our emissions as much as possible. We are sustainable by design - find more information on our our values page (link).
LOCATION: Andermatt, Switzerland RIDE DISTANCE:ELEVATION:DETAILS: Visit Lucerne or the Victorinox Swiss Army Knife museum along the route, fuck knows.
Our experience happens around some of the world’s greatest natural wonders, so it is an absolute no-brainer for us to preserve the environment. We aim to reduce our emissions as much as possible. We are sustainable by design - find more information on our our values page
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Riding on pass roads with a rich history that are true works of art, staying in quaint alpine lodges*, eating Raclette for dinner (OK, not every night)*, diving into the local culture, immersion of not just the roads but also the villages, the food and all its history. All this will bring you countless photo opportunities and unforgettable memories – on top of some of the world’s best cycling.
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For one-day tours, payment is due upon booking, but can be cancelled and refunded up to 24 hours before the start of the tour.
For multi-day tours, payment is due in instalments, usually with a non-refundable deposit upon booking that covers our work of planning the tour, and then the rest of the amount shortly before the tour starts. We will let you know the specifics while we plan your tour.
For one-day tours, payment is due upon booking, but can be cancelled and refunded up to 24 hours before the start of the tour.
For multi-day tours, payment is due in instalments, usually with a non-refundable deposit upon booking that covers our work of planning the tour, and then the rest of the amount shortly before the tour starts. Multi-Day tours are cancellable up to 72 hours before the tour starts, except for the non-refundable deposit mentioned above.
Local and amazing people only :) Refer to our guides page to find out a little more about everbody.