Bikers have to crank quite a long way to get to Mayr hofen's local mountain, the Penken, under their own steam. Pleasure bikers or late risers don't do this uphill marathon, but instead take the Penken cable car in a relaxed manner and only start at the mountain station. They will work up a sweat all the way up to the Penkenjoch.
This tour is also a real blast in terms of scenery. The view from the Penkenjoch over the Zillertal 1,500 metres below, its side valleys with the reservoirs, the main Alpine ridge and the Tux glaciers is unique. Hardly any other tour offers so many panoramic views and metres of descent with so little sweat.
In the centre of Mayrhofen, you get on the Penkenbahn cable car with your bike. The ascent with the gondola is not only comfortable, but also spectacular. 1,150 metres in altitude with only one support pillar in the middle, where the gondola also turns the corner slightly. In sections, the gondola hovers many hundreds of metres above the ground.
A short time later, at the mountain station, you saddle up your bike and ride the last 300 metres up to the Penkenjoch on a not-too-steep gravel road. That's it - at least as far as the ascent is concerned. At the top of the Penkenjoch you can stop for a bite to eat. The best place is the Penkenjochhaus, as the panorama from the terrace is simply stunning.
The first part of the descent towards Mittertretalm is steep and the rough gravel requires good bike control. So put the saddle down and pull the brake levers in a controlled manner, then this section should be easy to master. Soon after the Mittertretalm, an asphalt road begins, which leads into the Zillertaler Höhenstraße 400 metres below. From here, you hurtle downhill for over 1,000 metres to Hippach. The tour ends on the beautiful Zillertal cycle path, which takes you back to Mayrhofen - almost always directly along the water. Thanks to the Penkenbahn cable car, you can also start this tour at midday, enjoy the afternoon sun at the summit and then ride down into the valley in daylight.
Tip: The short but steep detour to the Wanglalm is very beautiful. Just below the Penkenjoch, don't turn right downhill, but continue straight ahead along the newly built panoramic trail to the Wanglalm. The last ascent just before the Wanglalm is very steep, but the panoramic views as far as the main Tux Alpine ridge are indescribable. From the Wanglalm you can also descend in countless hairpin bends via the abandoned magnesite works to Vorderlanersbach and on to Mayrhofen.
INFO:
Location
Mayrhofen is the largest and probably best-known village in the Zillertal. It is famous in winter for the steepest ski piste in Austria, the Harakiri descent. In summer, transalpine bikers cross the main Alpine ridge from Mayrhofen via the fully rideable Pfitscherjoch.
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Mayrhofen Tourist Office, Dursterstraße 225, 6290 Mayrhofen, Tel. 0043/5285/6760, www.mayrhofen.at.
Food + drink
The best place to do this is directly on the Penkenjoch in the Penkenjochhaus with a gigantic view over the Zillertal, the Penkentenne or at Christa's Schialm. Zillertal specialities are available in the valley, e.g. at the Erlebnissennerei just before Mayrhofen.
Map
Compass map "Zillertaler Alpen - Tuxer Alpen", sheet 37, scale 1:50 000. Bike map of Zillertal Tourismus GmbH 1:40 000, sheet 2 Zell-Gerlos and rear Zillertal (available from May 2007).
Digital: Austrian Fly Map 4.0 of the Federal Office of Metrology and Surveying
1:50 000, www.bev.gv.at.
Starting point of the tour
At the start of Mayrhofen (at the train station), turn left to the PM11 car park in Scheulingstraße. Take your bike along Scheulingstraße to the main road and then turn left to the Penkenbahn valley station. Take the cable car up. The tour starts directly at the Penkenbahn mountain station. It ends again at the PM11 car park.
