IAESTE Mountain Biking Weekend, Einsiedeln
June 6-7, 2009

Einsiedeln, what a powerful place. A lot of people go there to see the Einsiedeln abbey and to replenish. But before we can replenish we need to use our energy by biking. Are you ready to use your energy completely? Are you ready for two exhausting and exciting days of mountain biking?

Be sure that you can ride your bike during 50 km with a uphill altitude difference of 1300m. Saturday's and Sunday's tour will add up to 100km and 2600m uphill altitude difference during the whole weekend!

IAESTE LC Zurich invites you to test your limits!

Title image with mountain bike

Program

Saturday, June 6

  • Meeting point 10:00 am at the train station Einsiedeln where they rent bikes (it's called Rent A Bike)
  • Riding the mountain bike to the house, which is 3 km away from the train station. So make sure you can ride your bike with your luggage for 3 km before we put it to the house (the house has spots for up to 25 people).
  • We'll ride on directly after we deposited our luggage. Our ride would be 4.5h without breaks. But of course we'll have some breaks and snacks. So we won't be back before supper.
  • Supper
  • Possible activities: table tennis, fussball or even cool down in the lake which is 2 km away from the house.

Sunday, August 27

  • 8 am breakfast, then cleaning the dishes and the house
  • Getting the luggage ready and leave it at the house
  • Starting our Sunday's mountain bike tour. Right after the start after 3 km will stop in Einsiedeln. There you get the chance to see the Einsiedeln abbey from outside or inside. This is where you can replenish spiritually. The Black Madonna is worth to be seen. If you are not interested in religion and architecture you can spend the time in shops around the abbey.
  • Moving on, the ride would be in total 3.5h without breaks, but again we'll have some breaks and snacks.
  • We'll get the luggage at the house and ride to the train station to return the rented bikes (those who have rented ones).
  • Estimated time at the train station around 6 pm.

Sihlsee & Einsiedeln abbey

Mountain Bikes

There are only 15 bikes for rent at the train station in Einsiedeln. 5 of them have suspension forks, the other 10 don't. It costs 66 Swiss Francs to rent a bike for two days (there's also an additional discount for groups (-10%) and people with GA or 1/2 (minus 10 CHF)).

If you have an own bike or if you can borrow a friend's bike I recommend to do so. The rides can be done with bikes without any shock absorbers. This will save you some money. You can transport your bike on the train for 2 times 15.- CHF (or 2 times 10.- CHF if you have a GA or 1/2). Get yourself a Day Card for bikes in this case.

If you really need to rent a bike in Einsiedeln, I'd say the ones who register first will get a bike with shock absorbers (as long as they will last).

Participation fees

The participation fee is 20 CHF per person. The fee covers the house and food only. So it's for everybody 20 CHF.

Except for the participants who are not affiliated with IAESTE or its partner organisations a surcharge of 20 CHF will apply (ESN is a partner organisation, no surcharge).

The money will be collected at the start of the weekend . Only cash is accepted!

Included in the participation fee

  • Snacks (apples, bananas, cereal bars) on the way on Saturday and Sunday
  • Supper
  • House
  • Breakfast

Cancellation Policy

If you cancel your registration
  • less than 12 hours before the start of the event (that is, 10 PM, June 5), you pay the entire participation fee
  • 12-24 hours before the start of the event, you pay 75% of the participation fee
  • 24-48 hours before the start of the event, you pay 50% of the participation fee
  • 48-72 hours before the start of the event, you pay 25% of the participation fee

Checklist - Remember to Bring

  • Right amount of cash for paying the participation fee
  • Bike for those who have one (maybe with a helmet and a lock)
  • Slippers (mandatory in the house!)
  • Sleeping bag
  • Full bottle
  • Good shoes (sometimes we have to walk our bikes)
  • Waterproof jacket if it's rainy. The event will take place in any weather.
  • (optional) A sandwich for Saturday if snacks are not enough
  • (optional) Professional bike dresses
  • (optional) Bathing suit
  • Strong muscles and endurance

I recommend eating enough breakfast on Saturday morning at home and on Sunday morning there. You can ride your bike better if you only eat snacks during the day (compared to having a full stomack after eating a huge sandwich in the middle of the day when the day's maximum temperature is reached).

There's the possibility of buying something to drink and eat at restaurants on the way.

Meeting point and train connections

  • Meeting point 10:00 am at the train station Einsiedeln where they rent bikes (it's called Rent A Bike)
  • Participants traveling from Zurich could meet at Zurich main station, meeting point (under the big clock) before the train leaves
  • Note for the ones who travel togehter and bring their own bikes: "Groups of 10 or more people are not allowed to take accompanied bikes on trains." (found here). So, maybe you should not all be in the same train if there are not enough spots to transport the bikes

Train connections

For further information on train connections, check the SBB website.

Registration

The maximum number of participants allowed for this event is 25 (including organizers and helpers) and the registration is on a first-come, first-served basis. If your registration is not among the first 25, it will be put on the waiting list.

The online registration closed on Tuesday, 02 June 2009, at 20:00:00.

Check out the list of participants for this event.

Contact

If you have any questions, write to Show e-mail address.