An Alpine adventure

With Lake Geneva on one side and the foothills of the Alps on the other, it's impossible to get bored of the view as you whistle through the vineyards and pastures en-route to Montreux.

I have only ever visited Switzerland as a skier, when the country is covered in a blanket of snow. But in September, the countryside is as green and lush as an English valley in summer.

This time around, however, I was leaving my skis at home, in exchange for a mountain bike. Some might wonder why you would want to expend all that energy slogging up the mountain by pedal power when the train can take the strain - but the glow of satisfaction and feeling of pride at the summit is worth all the effort - and the ride back down is truly exhilarating.

Mountain biking in Switzerland can be as easy or as hard as you like. Die-hard cyclists love the near vertical ascents, winding Alpine roads, hairpin bends and frighteningly speedy descents.

Intermediates settle for a more sedate pace, while beginners stash their bikes on the train, head for the top and freewheel down without breaking a sweat.

Three weeks into September - and without a hint of snow or ice in sight - my aim was to discover a little bit more about this Alpine country, courtesy of my trusty mountain bike.

If you thought there was little to do in the Switzerland once the snow has melted, think again!

The flexibility of being on a bike means you can stop off at any number of picturesque villages, such as Chateau-d'Oex and Villars to relish their stunning scenery.

Chateau-d'Oex is famous for hot air balloons and, has become one of the world's major ballooning centres.

On March 1, 1999, Bertrand Piccard and Brian Jones set off from the Swiss village for the first non-stop, round-the-world flight in a balloon. A replica of their balloon pod can be seen in the village.

Villars could not be more Swiss if it tried. Top Formula One racing drivers, European Royalty and film stars - as Roger Moore, Sophia Loren and Gerard Depardieu - have all fallen for its charms at one time or other.

The mountain railway climbs from the valley right into the heart of the village. Most of the traditional chalet-style buildings overlook the stunning Rhone Valley.

With the sun shining and cow bells chiming gently in the pastures, this feels like the most relaxing place in the world.

While soaking up the breathtaking scenery and enchanting atmosphere from the comfort of my bike, I discovered a traditional cheese-making farm and stopped to sample the local produce.

The Pays D'Enhaut area near Chateau-d'Oex is renown for its varieties of soft and hard cheeses. Phillipe Rossier has been making four types of cheese on his farm for generations and the results taste fantastic, the Tomme and Gruyere being my new personal favourites.

This quaint but highly efficient farm churns out tonnes of cheese between May and October - and it is claimed Mr Rossier can tell which pasture the cows have grazed on to produce their milk, through the taste alone. Apparently, the variety of flowers and grasses found in the different pastures give a distinctive flavour to the produce.

While devouring Mr Rossier's finest Gruyere, I discovered Switzerland's best-kept secret - its wine. While we're all familiar with the world-renowned cuckoo clocks, cheeses and chocolates, it transpires that the Swiss are rather proud of their wine and won't export a drop because they prefer to drink it all themselves. The gentle slopes around Geneva are testament to this, covered in vineyards bursting with first-class crops.

With Montreux as a base, the efficient train system is on-hand to carry you to all the places beyond your pedalling range. Trains in Switzerland are incredibly efficient, clean, easy to use and - perhaps most importantly - very punctual.

Once you arrive at your chosen destination, you can hop off the train and jump on your bike to explore further afield at your own pace.

If you want to go even higher, Switzerland's excellent cable car and ski-lift system is also open in the summer, proving easy to use, even with a bike in tow.

The summit of Les Diablerets (3,251m) and the surrounding area, known as Glacier 3000, provides panoramic views of the Vaudoise Alps, the Valais and the Bernese Oberland.

A must see is the Quille du Diable (Devil's Skittle). Local shepherds believed ghosts and evil spirits played games with the rocks and it was said that the Devil playing skittles, hence the unusual name given to the tower-shaped rock, situated at the southern end of the glacier.

In the winter months, the mountain is packed with skiers and snowboarders. Summer's more sedate pace allows for a leisurely, crowd-free lunch at the Botta restaurant on the mountain's summit, followed by a snow-bus tour to the Quille du Diable in the afternoon.

However, leisurely lunches and mountain bikes don't always mix.

On a steady descent, having gained confidence on my trusty mount, I fearlessly approached the final hairpin at breakneck speed. A momentary lapse of concentration sent me tumbling head - first down the road and into Montreux Hospital's X-ray department.

A broken collar bone and two cracked ribs put a stop to any more escapades up the mountain.

But, being laid up in bed at the Hotel Eden au Lac in Montreux did have its advantages. Situated on the shores of Lake Geneva, my bedroom offered stunning views to aid my recovery.

Genteel Montreux may not be the most exciting town in the world, but its charms did captivate the rock group Queen, who were frequent visitors to the town's world-famous jazz festival. A statue of Freddie Mercury now stands on the shores of Lake Geneva as an enduring testimony to the group's popularity here.

I certainly discovered that Switzerland is about rather more than snow, cuckoo clocks and chocolates - but in future, will always go easy on those famous descents.

Travel Facts

Alistair Keely was a guest of Inghams Lakes & Mountains and Swiss International Airlines and stayed at the four-star Hotel Eden au Lac in Montreux where seven nights' half-board is from £710 per person (two sharing) including scheduled flights from Heathrow and Swiss rail second class transfers to resort, a free Swiss Half Price Card, offering half-price excursions throughout your holiday (first class costs £24 supplement).

Regional supplement on flights out of Manchester.

Inghams brochure hotline: 09070 500 500 (calls cost 59p per min).

Further information on holidays in Switzerland are available from your local ABTA travel agent