allmountaindinger

29. June 201529. June 2015

Pass’Portes du Soleil – Europe’s Biggest MTB Event

Portes du Soleil is the skiing area south of Lac Léman that stretches across 2 countries (France and Switzerland) and encompasses 12 resorts. It was one of the first skiing areas that opened the lifts during summer for mountain bikers. And on the 3-days lasting Pass’Portes du Soleil Event you can cruise (or shred) a good portion of the 650 km MTB-trails. More than 6.600 riders participated this year in the 12th edition.

Usually, I am not a big fan of crowded events or crowded trails. However, I had the area anyway on my “must ride list” when a friend told me how much fun he had at this venue in recent years. So, I did the inscription as soon as the gate opened to make sure I will be a Pass’Porteur this year.

As a group of three we started from Champery (Switzerland) with the cable car up the mountain to go downhill the trail with huge berms the other side to take again another lift up and across the Swiss/French boarder on the downhill slope…

Following the well-marked P’PdS course we got a impression of most resorts, collected roundabout 80 km and 6 or more thousands of meters down and had a blast! After all the 2.200 riders on this (smallest) event day were well distributed across the numerous downhill slopes and we had to line up for a lift only once. Although, we did a couple of extra runs there are still lots of lines I haven’t ridden yet in this freeride mecca. I guess, I have to come back next year to be part of the 13th edition…

14. June 201514. June 2015

Feldberg Downhill Track Opened Today!

The Taunus range nearby Frankfurt is turning more and more into a mountain bike hot spot. Just a month after the introduction of the Stop-O-Mat, a time measuring system to document the time you need (running, hiking, cycling or biking) from the bottom to the top of the Taunus, the way down from the top of the hill got a great new option. Of course there were a couple of nice (but unofficial) trails with jumps and berms running down the highest elevation of the Taunus, the Feldberg. However, now we got the first official purpose-built mountain bike downhill track – thanks to the “Wheels over Frankfurt” club.

There are actually two tracks – an easier and a more difficult one – that lead down the northern slope and end up near Oberreiffenberg. Furthermore, there is a less technical “flow trail” under construction that starts from the parking lot some hundred meters down south of the Feldberg to the Fuchstanz. Although, it is still closed, I can tell, it’s good fun…

After all those political discussions about even banning mountain bikes from the forest, this infrastructural boom feels like a real happy end.

15. May 2015

Roller Coaster Riding in Finale Ligure

Although I wanted to ride all the best mountain trails, we ended up in Finale Ligure again – the third time within 12 months…. Of course there are many great trails elsewhere, but this combination of outstanding trails, beach and lifestyle is hard to beat. In fact, it was my family that literally urged me to go there again. So, how could I decline this proposal?

Once again, Finale Ligure is a true mountain bike mecca. The roller coaster trails are awesome and the guys there did a fantastic job in maintaining and improving the trail system during the winter season.

19. April 2015

Good Shape

The trails north and south of the Alps seem to be in good shape now… Actually, in much better shape than I am right now. However, with increasing mileage in the saddle those days I should be able to catch up.

Some days ago I was in Finale Ligure (Italy). The trails there have been repaired and maintained very well over winter time. It is great to see how more and more purpose-built trails are created in lots of places. A post on Finale will follow as soon as the roller-coaster video is finished.

15. March 201521. March 2015

Back to Biking

Although I keep on riding during winter time when the trails are snow-covered I am longing for the spring to come. Once all that snow and ice has gone the trails appear to be somehow pristine. A new mountain biking season has started and the trails are getting faster and zippier…

Let’s see which mountain bike meccas I am going to explore during this year.

Despite my excitement about longer days and warming sunlight I figured out that it is still better to stay on the trails in the lower elevations. I literally got stuck in heavy, sticky snow a few days ago in higher altitude. When your bike keeps standing upright by itself after you plowed through the snow, even going downhill sucks.

22. December 20148. February 2015

The Best Mountain Bike Trail

So, after riding all these renowned, magnificent trails this year, which one was best? Websites like singletracks.com or mtbproject.com rank the world’s best mountain bike trails based on the ratings of users, so I used these rankings as an orientation. However, it is obvious that those highest ranked trails aren’t necessarily the best for everyone. It pretty much depends on the criteria and actually on personal preferences. Technical difficulty makes a trail challenging but not great. And the beauty of nature is even more difficult to rate. Anyway, here’s my take:

Whole Enchilada, UPS

Thunder Mountain Trail

Corviglia Flow Trail

McKenzie River Trail

Best trails with both breathtaking nature and trail fun are

Thunder Mountain Trail (near Bryce Canyon, CO)
McKenzie River Trail (Central Oregon, OR)
Tahoe Rim Trail & Flume Trail (Lake Tahoe, NV)

Best trails in terms of fun and flow are

Corviglia Flow Trail (St.Moritz, Switzerland)
Bend Trails, e.g. Tiddlywinks (Bend, OR)
Sandy Ridge Trail System (Portland, OR)

Best trails in terms of overall experience are

Whole Enchilada (Moab, UT)
Melogno Roller Coaster and NATO Base (Finale Ligure, Italy)
MAG7 Trails (Moab, UT)
Phil’s World (Cortez, CO)
18 Road Trails (Fruita, CO)

Although I am tempted to add more categories to list even more great trails I think it is better to stop here. My bottom line is: The best trails are where mountain bikers are to make them great trails, by painting dots on rocks, by shaping berms or by just riding on…

7. December 2014

All-Mountain Tour in the Snow

No, this one is not about mountain biking… Last weekend I tried ski touring for the first time. I did backcountry skiing before, but not with putting on ski skins and climbing a thousand meters to eventually ski down through powder. It is an all-mountain tour in the snow on skis and it is somehow quite similar to mountain biking.

We were in the Schnalstal (Val di Senales) with a larger group of people and two guides. First we got a training in avalanche victim search with an avalanche transceiver and then climbed up to the Fineilspitze (3514m), right in the area where “Ötzi”, the 5000 year-old Iceman-mummy was found.

On the 800m climb I realized soon that the weight of the equipment is an important factor – maybe even more than in mountain biking. Bottom line: It is a fantastic high-alpine experience and it can be as well quite exhausting…

2. November 201424. November 2014

Season Finale in Finale

Finale Ligure (Italy) is probably my favourite mountain biking mecca in Europe and fall is just the perfect season to be there. The temperature is still warm but not as hot as in summer. And as well the water temperature at the beach is still decent for a refreshing swim after a long ride. The combination of awesome singletrack trails, scenic landscape, culture and beach is unique.

After hitting several of the best MTB-trails in the world this summer, Finale Ligure seemed to be the adequate spot for my season finale.

The trails from Melogno, Pian dei Corsi and Terre Rosse are rollercoaster-like. In fact, at least 2 trails in Finale are even called rollercoaster. Pedaling up all the way to the old NATO-base to access the fantastic downhill runs to Orco Feglino and then up again to descend to Final Borgo is an epic ride of 46 km and 1750 meters of elevation gain. So, I was happy to enjoy some shuttle rides in addition to the epic loop. Thanks, Hendrik and Isa, for the lift and the company!

29. September 201429. September 2014

Magnificent Flow on the Rocks – Moab

I wrote about our MAG 7 ride already in an earlier post (Moab – Mountain Bike Mecca), however, now I have put this video together that shows a bit more of the magnificent flow on these magnificent trails.

Going back up on Gemini Bridges Rd. after Bull Run brings you to the trailhead of the Getaway Trail which simply means extended fun and pleasure with “flow on the rocks” for all levels of riders. The combination with the Moab Brands (Bar M) Trails makes it an epic but throughout pleasurable ride.

20. September 2014

Monarch Crest Epic – Salida, CO

Elevated Biking would be my two-word-summary of the Monarch Crest Epic ride.

The trail starts at the Monarch Pass in an altitude of 11312 ft/3448 m and on the first miles of the ride you continue to gain elevation to an altitude of about 12000 ft/3646 m. The Monarch Crest Trail ascents and descents moderately, but ascents are in the beginning a little longer than descents and let you gasp for air unless you have slept for weeks in a hypobaric chamber. The elevated epic ride is made possible (or better enjoyable) by a shuttle service that carries bikes and riders from Poncha Springs to Monarch Pass for 20$.

The Monarch Crest Trail leads to the Continental Divide Trail, then to Silver Creek Trail that turns into Rainbow Trail. Including the fast slight downhill ride back to Poncha Springs on Hwy285 the total mileage of the ride is about 35 (55 km). Over the length of the ride you experience very different conditions: singletrack and doubletrack, surfaces from smooth packed dirt or sand to loose, bumpy rocks and finally to paved road.

The ride is most fun in the lower part of the Rainbow Trail as it winds alongside the hills and crosses numerous ravines with little creeks. Altogether, this epic ride is perhaps not distinctly spectacular, but it leaves you with a feeling of deep satisfaction for a while.