G6 Bergkönig

From the start in the Gstaad pedestrian zone, the route first goes downhill for quite a long time. We follow the Saane on small roads and cross the entire Pays d'Enhaut via Rougemont and Château-d'Oex past Rossinière with charming views of the surrounding mountains; the first quarter of the route rides itself.

That changes shortly after entering the canton of Fribourg; in Montbovon, it turns sharply left and climbs along the Hongrin through pastures and past alpine huts to the Hongrin reservoir. Circumnavigating the lake offers a short break before it becomes truly alpine: the challenging climb up to the Col du Moëllé. It is worthwhile to enjoy the fantastic panoramic view on both sides before tackling the technically demanding descent. Before reaching the village of La Comballaz, turn right onto a charming route with short ramps and descents to Leysin. After passing through the village, it's a fast descent to Le Sepey.

We cross Le Sepey and start a tough climb to La Forclaz, a beautifully charming small chalet village in the Leysin region. After crossing the village, the route continues on very small roads to the well-known ski resort Les Diablerets.

Here, it is worth gathering all remaining strength because now comes the steep climb over 7 km with an average gradient of 8% to Isenau – the steepest (short) section here is no less than 21%! Once again, the high alpine atmosphere and stunning views of the Diablerets massif invite. There are several gravel sections here, the longest a bit over one kilometer.

At the top in Isenau, the hard part is done; now it's time to let go, passing the picturesque Lac Retaud downhill to the pass height of Col de Pillon. Now the traces of Koblet's 1950 Tour de Suisse stage lead down the only significant section of main road on the round to Gsteig, where our route leaves the main road again and returns via small roads alternating on both sides of the Saane back to the finish in Gstaad. Voilà, 115 km and 2800 meters of elevation gain accomplished!