Who says that particularly beautiful mountain bike tours are only reserved for fit athletes with sophisticated riding technique? The Arena Panorama Tour proves them wrong. This eleven-kilometre tour leads you on gentle ups and downs above the tree line along a wonderful high-altitude trail from mountain pasture to mountain pasture with views of the Zillertal Alps and glaciers and the valley floor far below.
From Gerlos, you use the Isskogel cable car so that you only have to pedal for the first time at an altitude of 1,900 metres. This makes this tour suitable for less trained bikers and even beginners. The Kreuzwiesenalmhütte is a wonderful place to stop for a bite to eat and soak up the mountain panorama. The long descent over the Gerlosberg to Zell is technically easy and never too steep. The bus then takes bikers and bikes from Zell back to Gerlos.
From the Isskogelbahn mountain station, the route first takes you past the Latschenalm - about 100 metres uphill. Then the gravel road descends again to the Kellneralm, all the way down to the Innerertensalm. Even on this first descent, you have a fantastic view of the Zillertal Alps.
In constant ups and downs, but without any really strenuous climbs, you follow the natural road via the Gerlostalalm and Außerertensalm to the Kreuzwiesenalmhütte. On this long section, you can really enjoy biking while the main Alpine ridge passes by on the left.
At the Kreuzwiesenalmhütte, you should first take a break and enjoy the sun terrace. If you fancy more, you can follow the high-level trail for another three kilometres to the idyllic Kreuzjochhütte. But be careful: it's so beautiful here that it's hard to get on your bike again.
Back to the Kreuzwiesenalmhütte. The panoramic marathon is now followed by the downhill marathon: 1,300 metres in altitude in one go over the Gerlosberg to Zell. Despite the considerable difference in altitude, this descent is completed relatively quickly on a mountain bike. In the valley, it is then only a few minutes to Zell and the banks of the Ziller.
Tip: There is a very tasty ice cream right by the Zillerbrücke bridge in the town centre, the ideal end to this enjoyable tour.
At the railway station in Zell, you and your bike get on the bus that takes you back to Gerlos via the Gerlospass road.
INFO
Location
Gerlos is the easternmost village in the Zillertal. The border to Salzburger Land runs along the top of the Gerlos Pass.
Accommodation
Zell-Gerlos Tourist Office, Service Centre Gerlos, 6281 Gerlos,
Tel. 0043/5284/52440, www.gerlos.at.
Food + drink
On the large terrace of the Kreuzwiesenalmhütte you can enjoy the view over the Zillertal. The detour to the beautiful Kreuzjochhütte (a good three kilometres further on) is well worthwhile.
Map
Compass map "Zillertaler Alpen - Tuxer Alpen", sheet 37, scale 1:50 000. Mayr hiking, cycling, MTB and touring map 1:35 000, sheet 32, Gerlos. 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
The tour starts at the Isskogelbahn mountain station. Ascent with the gondola from Gerlos, bikes can be taken along without any problems.
The road book for the Arena Panorama Tour is available as a free PDF download.
