October 2021
Stats from schweizmobil.ch : Section 2 ( https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/routes/route/etappe-01372.html ), Section 3 (https://www.schweizmobil.ch/en/cycling-in-switzerland/routes/route/etappe-01371.html ).
The entire Route 59 travels 180 km across 4 Sections, from Bex (Canton Vaud) to Erlach on the Bielersee (Canton Bern). Sections 2 (Les Diablerets to Jaun) & 3 (Jaun to Fribourg) are arbitrarily and awkwardly separated at Jaun (1,016m), a remote mountain village in the middle of the Fribourg Pre-Alps, not reachable by train. It would be difficult thus to start or end at Jaun. For this reason, I took an easy train connection to Saanen (middle of 59:02). From there, I biked towards Jaun and then continued on to Bulle (middle of 59:03), where I took the train back home. The total length of this tour is 45 km with an elevation of 830m.
From Saanen (1010m) at the crossroad with Route 9:02, the road starts a long ascent of 13 km into the Fribourg Pre-Alps, through pine forests and high pastures until the summit at 1,600m.
Complete silence and a bucolic panorama of vaste green fields and stony mountains awaits here.
Far from any signs of life, I was amazed to find the cutest self-service hut, like a fairytale house. Of courseI I stopped to purchase a delicious aged Alpine cheese and jam. They trust you to leave the correct amount, either in cash or by contactless payment via smartphone!
From there the road continues downhill all the way to Bulle.
But midway is the small village of Jaun (1,010m) (Section divide 59:02/03) nestled between mountains. Here, the new church’s cemetery has peculiar tombstones decorated in carved wood depicting the life of the deceased person.
From Jaun the road continues through a narrow valley along the stream La Jogne until Charmey. Incidentally, this is also a great trail for cross-country skiing in winter.
At Charmey the view opens up and continues until Bulle (800m).
Links to Introduction and other Sections:
bikeswitzerlandblog 