A labor of love

Mountains are home to us and ingrained in our identity, like our genetic makeup. Our love for the Swiss Alps, its sinuous rivers, deep valleys, rugged summits and rich culture, has been passed down to us through generations. It fuelled the creation of e-Alps and now permeates every aspect of our guided e-bike tours.

Nestled in the heart of the Valais region in Switzerland, e-Alps is the product of mountain enthusiasts who have poured their passion for adventure and tradition – keeping a local character and authenticity – into everything we do. 

From our carefully crafted (and off-the-beaten path) Haute Routes on electric mountain bikes and unique accommodations (including mountain huts, typical B&Bs and historic hotels) to the fresh picnics we prepare (using local ingredients), we strive to convey this passion for creating memorable experiences through slow, local travel.

More than e-MTB tours, e-Alps Haute Routes are experiences that provide a taste of the local culture and environment. What better way to do this than through food?  Food is a powerful means of discovering a culture, conveying emotions and sharing with friends and family. This is why we pay special attention to every detail that goes into preparing our picnics and meals, which are full of local flavour and an experience in itself. 

Take the dried meat in our picnics, which is locally sourced, cured and smoked by local Fully resident Jean-Luc Carron in a painstaking process lasting three months. Dried meat is a food staple and a centuries-old tradition in the Alps (read more about it here). So, it is a must on any bike trip to Switzerland. 

For most of his life, Jean-Luc has been curing and smoking his meat (which he sources locally), chopping his wood, and raising his chickens – all of this alongside a full-time job and rearing a family. According to those around him, this keeps the family's roots and traditions alive.

Jean-Luc’s mother harvested vegetables from her garden until she was 80 years old, preparing succulent meals for her 12 kids, numerous grandkids and the children of the local summer camp. Jean-Luc inherited that passion for growing his food, as well as for fishing, hunting and mushroom picking.

This pride and generosity to share his homemade products (like deer sausage, smoked trout, or jars of chanterelles) with loved ones and strangers continue to live through our experiences.

He handpicks the herbs for curing and smoking the meat during his walks through the forest. He uses hot smoking and a family recipe to season the smoked meat, which we won’t describe here (a trade secret ;)). The meat is first suspended on the roof of his cellar and dried for a few days.

Then, in a process lasting 48 hours, the meat is smoked in an 80-year-old furnace that resembles a Victorian relic, using pine tree branches as fuel.

After hours of smoking, the meat is dried again for two months, packed and ready to be enjoyed by our clients during our Haute Routes. If you have been to one of our e-bike experiences, you have had the pleasure of tasting Jean Luc’s dried meat, which is the product of his love for the Alps and his land. 

So, like the stunning Alpine landscapes and trails you will discover through our Haute Routes, you will also get an incredibly unique gastronomic and cultural experience with every bite – and, hopefully, an unforgettable taste of the Alps. 

Want to learn more about what we do? Check our experiences here.

For more information about the beautiful Fully region (where Jean Luc lives) with its lush vineyards, check out the Fully Tourism website.