course
The course of the SWISSMAN Xtreme Triathlon is as challenging as it is breathtakingly beautiful. After the start at the Palms in Ticino, the route heads into the mountains, past glaciers and snowfields through the cantons of Uri and Valais into the Bernese Oberland. There, the route first goes up to the Giessbach waterfalls, then along Lake Brienz and then up to Grindelwald, where the final climb to Kleine Scheidegg awaits. The athletes have to master this climb together with their supporters. In this way, they finish the SWISSMAN Xtreme Triathlon together in front of the imposing backdrop of the Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau.
Elevation profile
Highlights
Swimming
Ascona is a true paradise with its direct lakeside location, palm trees and Mediterranean ambience. Characterised by history, art and culture, it is now a popular holiday resort and the characteristic lake promenade make the small town on Lake Maggiore a unique bijou.
Biking
The Leventina is mostly known as a transit axis leading from the Gotthard Mountain to the south. At certain points in the partially narrow valley, where trains, roads and super highway emerge, one does not expect to find scenic beauty and cultural and historic sights – but this assumption is unfair.
The ride across the cobblestone paved Tremola on the southern side of the Gotthard Pass is breathtaking. The Tremola takes you in hairpin turns and serpentine curves from the peak of the pass to Airolo and is considered to be Switzerland’s longest historical monument.
Further Information
Even the Romans avoided the immense mass of the Gotthard. The Pass only gained significance around the year 1200, when the Schöllenen Ravine between Göschenen and Andermatt was developed. Today the Gotthard Pass is the main North-South connection, traversed by leisure hikers and pass enthusiasts.
Further Information
A scene for the James Bond movie “Goldfinger” was filmed on the Furka pass road in 1964. The focal point of the scene was a sweeping curve on the Uri side of the Furka Pass, which is known as the “James Bond Goldfinger Curve” today.
The Furka Pass links Andermatt in the Canton of Uri with Gletsch in the Canton of Valais. It is part of the popular Three-Pass-Ride over the Furka, Grimsel and Susten Pass. In summer, a ride with the nostalgic Furka steam engine from Realp to Gletsch is an unforgettable experience.
Further Information
The Grimsel Pass links the Hasli Valley in the Bernese Oberland with Goms in Valais. The pass road runs through a wild, sparsely grown mountainous region marked by granite rocks, reservoir lakes, and power plants.
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Running
The turquoise Lake Brienz and neighbouring Lake Thun are set amid the spectacular mountain scenery of the Bernese Oberland.
Further Information
The Giessbach brook tumbles in 14 stages, over a length of 500 meters and out of the high valleys of the Faulhorn area down to Lake Brienz. Historic Grand Hotel Giessbach is located at the foot of this nature spectacle. The hotel is accessible by means of Europe’s oldest funicular.
Further Information
Iseltwald is the only village on the left shore of Lake Brienz and is rightly called the pearl on Lake Brienz. With around 420 inhabitants, the pretty fishing village is one of the small communities in the canton of Bern. However, its 23 km2 offer a diversity that is unparalleled: from the idyllic fishing bay to the highest mountain peaks with breathtaking views, you will find it all.
The famous mountain village of Grindelwald is embedded in a unique Alpine landscape at the foot of the Eiger north face. It is the diversity of the glacier village that makes it so attractive.
Further Information
Festive reception on Kleine Scheidegg: Two cogwheel railways meet here, where you can discover the most beautiful region in the Bernese Oberland.
The three most famous mountains in the Bernese Alps are the landmark of the Jungfrau region. The Eiger, Mönch and Jungfrau lie in the midst of an imposing mountain landscape, which is crossed by wild rivers and streams, clear mountain lakes and roaring waterfalls.
On the Top of Europe: A visit to the Jungfraujoch puts a jewel in the crown of any visit to Switzerland.
For more than 100 years, the Jungfrau railway has been making its journey to Europe’s highest-altitude railway station at 3454 metres a.s.l. – right at the heart of the UNESCO heritage site “Swiss Alps Jungfrau-Aletsch”. All through the year, the cog railway runs steeply up through a tunnel to the Jungfraujoch from Kleine Scheidegg.
