In the past, a new pair of slippers, a spa weekend, or even a cruise might have been the perfect way to celebrate someone’s 70th birthday. But these days? Experiences are far more valuable than things that are quickly forgotten – especially when the man of the hour is still fit as a fiddle, loves to ride his bike and lives for the mountains. This is how the story of a gift begins – a gift that is so much more than just a ‘thing’.
An international adventure. Words: Anita Gehrig. Photos: Martin Bissig (bissig.ch).
Electric Tailwinds
The question of what to get Dad for his 70th was answered quickly: “No spas, no expensive dinners, no useless stuff! We want something that lasts – and more importantly, something that connects us, his daughters, with our father… mountains, bikes and adventure!”
Even for a sporty retiree, tackling high-alpine adventures at 70 years young isn’t a given. That’s why we wanted to use this special occasion to create memories; moments that would fuel stories and big smiles for years to come, and maybe a funny anecdote or two. We hoped to find all of this in Graubünden on a hut-to-hut tour, with a little help from an ‘electric tailwind’. So, for once, we didn’t saddle up our analogue bikes, but our latest-generation Specialized Turbo Levos – plus some overnight gear for this three-day ride around Davos in Switzerland. A little bike adventure somewhere between off the grid and reasonably ‘senior-friendly’. For our dad, Karl, it was also his first multi-day tour on an e-MTB, which added its own spice of adventure. He’s certainly proven he’s up for it, like on our bikepacking trip from Val Müstair to Florence. And Karl is no rookie when it comes to riding off-road. He used to battle for position in motocross races against the fathers of today’s moto stars, and he still cranks out more miles on his mountain bike and road bike than most dedicated racers.
Somewhere between off the grid and reasonably ‘senior-friendly’.
The Gehrig Family
Caro and Anita Gehrig, once top contenders in the Enduro World Series, are now the hosts of the Flem Mountain Lodge in Flims. Even off the racetrack, they spend every free minute on two wheels, always searching for new adventures. Often joining them is their father, Karl, a spry pensioner in his 70s and a true bike pioneer. After racing motocross in his younger years, he switched over to mountain biking back in the ’90s and promptly got the whole family hooked.
Action Stations
Our loop starts at the train station in Filisur, where we meet up with Martin Bissig. The renowned Swiss photographer will be documenting our tour. Martin is no stranger to us, either. We’ve crossed paths several times and have joined him on various photo shoots – most recently for a gravel story in Finland. This, however, has very little to do with gravel and rolling hills. Our first objective: the Ducanfurgga. After arriving in Bergün, a long and, at times, steep climb leads us deep into the wild valley, flanked by rugged, majestic peaks. The views along the rushing mountain stream, the Ava da Stugl, are epic – and there’s a tough hike-a-bike section thrown in for good measure. But the sweat equity was worth it. After the first 1,400m of elevation gain (which was no picnic even with e-power and walk-assist), the icing on the cake was a beautiful singletrack descent; rocky and chunky in places, but often just naturally flowy, leading us down into the Sertig Valley.
The first stage is in the bag. No incidents, just huge grins all around.
The first stage is in the bag. No incidents, just huge grins all around. The inn on the valley floor provides a welcome chance to recharge our legs and our bike batteries. Even with their long range, ebike batteries aren’t bottomless – especially not when you’re grinding up steep singletrack in Trail and Turbo modes. And with our destination for the day, the Kesch-Hütte (Kesch hut) at 2,625 metres, still to come, we’d be burning plenty more Watt-hours. We cheerfully continue our tour, heading for the Sertig Pass and some steeper, more technical sections. “Dad, watch out, or that bike will loop out on you,” we warn, knowing exactly what e-MTBs are capable of. Karl doesn’t seem to take it seriously. “It can’t have more punch than my old 500 Husqvarna (his old motocross bike),” he scoffs. No sooner were the words out of his mouth than the Levo spat him off backwards. “Maybe not as much power as your old dirt bike, but clearly enough to buck you off if you don’t listen and can’t control the power!” Anita notes with a laugh as he picks himself up, unhurt but visibly surprised.
Not as much power as your old dirt bike, but clearly enough to buck you off.
The rest of the way to the hut is smooth, and we keep motoring along in the high-assist modes – simply because it’s more fun. Still, even with e-assist, it was a long first day: a good 2,500 metres of elevation gained and so many pushes of the walk-assist button that our thumbs were aching.
Good thing dinner and power outlets would soon be part of the recovery programme. Or so we thought. While dinner was simmering, the hut keeper delivered the bad news: “Sorry, but we haven’t had nearly enough sun in the last few days to produce sufficient solar power. You can’t charge your batteries – we have to conserve the remaining energy to run the hut.” Oh, crap. Almost-dead batteries for the next stage! Time for Plan B? Tomorrow would require smart battery management and a bit of luck. While the first day was beautiful but not exactly an epic ordeal, we were just realising: our wasteful riding style today was about to make tomorrow a real adventure.
Davos Klosters
Endless trails, spectacular Alpine passes, and charming Walser villages – Davos Klosters is a riding paradise at 1,500m. From flowy panoramic trails and the legendary Alps Epic Tour to high-alpine, super-technical trails, the region offers everything that makes an adventurer’s heart beat faster. With an e-bike, even remote, technical terrain becomes accessible, extending far beyond the treeline to secluded SAC huts where you can spend the night high in the mountains. Combined with mountain lifts, a dozen bike hotels tailored to the needs of cyclists, and a magnificent mountain backdrop, Davos is a must-ride for everyone who prefers to rack up vertical metres with smiles instead of suffering. davos.ch/ebike · Overnight at the Kesch-Hütte: kesch.ch · Overnight at the Walserhaus: walserhuus.ch
It’s Not All Sunshine and Levo-Pops
We all exchange questioning glances in the early morning. How much juice is left, and whose battery will die first? But after the first few metres, the low-battery anxiety fades. After a quick breakfast at the hut, we’re treated to a solid serving of flow. We enjoy almost 500 vertical metres of fun dropping into Val Funtauna before reality hits us again at the Scaletta Pass. While we’re furrowing our brows, Dad just grins: “Nothing stops the Gehrigs!” he says, and cheerfully hits the walk-assist button. With only six or seven per cent battery left, pedalling is no longer an option. But, one foot in front of the other, aided by walk-assist, means we all manage to reach the summit of this historic mule pass (2,605m) with exactly one per cent battery remaining. We’re relieved to have dodged a bullet as we drop into the descent into the Dischma Valley.
But after the first few metres, the low-battery anxiety fades.
From the valley floor, we’ll eventually reach Davos – and, more importantly, some power outlets. After that, we decide to save our batteries and treat ourselves to the gondola ride up the Jakobshorn to ride the first section of the legendary Epic Trail. It’s not exactly a rugged adventure, but it’s a beautifully flowy trail that leads us back to the Sertig Valley, where we spend our second night surrounded by stunning peaks.
An Epic Finish Is Never Free
The third and final day is no cool down. It’s the grand finale, taking us along the Alps Epic Trail all the way back to Filisur. Including the first section from the Jakobshorn yesterday, that’s about 40km – mostly on singletrack. It also packs in nearly 1,000 metres of climbing, which is still a solid effort even on an ebike. It’s that unbeatable mix of sweat, dust and pure bliss that money can’t buy. No, this, you have to earn. While our Specialized Turbo Levos make quick work of most of the climbing, even serving up some flowy moments on the way up, the fatigue from the first two days is definitely setting in. And then, after the most impressive part of the route near the mountain village of Jenisberg, that dreaded hike-a-bike section blocks our path. It’s not that we didn’t know it was coming. It’s more that we’d just blocked it out of our minds. And so we fight our way up the rugged trail, just as we do every few years when we tackle the Alps Epic Trail – only this time, with significantly heavier e-MTBs.
Near Jenisberg, that dreaded hike-a-bike section blocks our path.
But the suffering is short-lived. Before we can even complain, our bikes are picking up speed on the final descent. This time, the flow is uninterrupted all the way back to the train station in Filisur. Back where we started two days ago – clueless as to how tough this tour would be, even with e-assist, but hopeful that it would all be worth it.
And it absolutely was. Three days, the three of us – plus Martin behind the lens. No distractions, just the here and now. We couldn’t have asked for a better way to share our common passions. The experiences, the unforeseen battery crisis, and one or two hairy but harmless situations wrote an unforgettable story for our family album. And maybe for the next big birthday, we’ll plan a slightly more ‘senior-friendly’ option. Maybe.
Follow the riders: @anitagehrig and @caro_gehrig.
