THE VIOLENCE-DH: CHACK NORRIS
A crazy name, a crazy route - the Tschack Norris combines an angry downhill with big jumps for experts. Difficulty level: pitch black!
The name says it all. If you want to blast through the Tschack Norris, you have to clench your arse cheeks and hold on to the handlebars: fast, rough and full of tests of courage. Experts only! The Tschack Norris has been around since the park opened in 2014. The descent is the hallmark of Brandnertal and for many the real reason to come here. At least until now, because this calibre of downhill run is unparalleled here.
The unicorn lift takes you up. From the chairlift, you can already see the entrance on the right-hand side - and the dimensions of the jump that await you. There is also a monster double. But don't worry, it was dug up especially for a whip-off contest and is not part of the actual course.
You start off on a fast surface with a small road gap. If you take it easy after the landing, you'll get over the next two doubles. Now the trail dives into the forest and the route turns into a rough downhill. In this maze of roots, you need a good eye when choosing your line. This is followed by a stunt treat: a combination of a step-down, a big step-up and a five-metre road gap. Everything is superbly constructed and - provided you're determined - easy to jump. Yeehaa! After that, thick root networks alternate with terrain edges and built doubles.
Good: The natural speed of the course matches the dimensions of the jumps. For us, the two big doubles in the jump passage were the biggest test of courage. You don't want to jump too short here, and the look is frightening, even if the momentum of the trail carries you well over the big things. Our tip: take a good look and take the chicken line past them first - we didn't break a jag out of the gravity crown.
CONCLUSION
The Tschack Norris is a difficult downhill descent with fat but well-built jumps. If you've got what it takes, you'll be biting your fist with stokeness and happiness afterwards. In wet conditions: Hands off!
PLUS
- Airtime
- Rhythm
- Many features
MINUS
- Dangerous in wet conditions
- For experts only!
FINALLY TAKE OFF: TSCHARLIE TSCHÄPLIN
The new Jumpline provides its riders with airtime and a high jump density. Everything a jump line needs, right?
Everyone wants it, but hardly anyone gets it: a Canadian-style jumpline. In other words, one that carries its riders rhythmically from one jump to the next and creates that uplifting feeling of weightlessness. The newcomer trail Tscharlie Tschäplin wants to change exactly that and be just such a trail. According to master trail builder Tom Pro from Whistler, red jumplines are the most difficult to build. We were therefore very excited about the Tscharlie Tschäplin.
The trail is located in the upper part of the park, which can be reached by a second chairlift. The Tscharlie Tschäplin is a fairly wide dirt track that gently undulates along the slope, dotted with many well-built jumps. The track speed is not too fast, which is a good thing, as we want to fly upwards instead of forwards like a cannonball.
All jumps can be rolled off, and you can also jump too short without danger - this is no problem, as the jumps are built as tables. The dimensions are moderate and are suitable for a red course. This means that even beginners can feel their way around. This is followed by banked turns and further jumps, some of which have two jump options. It never gets boring here. In a fern forest, the trail features berms, rollers and jumps - great! Only the last section was a bit tricky. Was it the wetness? In any case, we didn't always make the landings cleanly. Nevertheless, the Tscharlie Tschäplin is one of the best jump routes in this country. The Tscharlie Tschäplin ends where the red route Tschäck the Ripper begins - very good!
CONCLUSION: Mission accomplished! The Tscharlie Tschäplin is a red jumpline with a very high stunt density and well-dimensioned table jumps, which is aimed at beginners and advanced jumpers. Very fun. Thumbs up.
PLUS
- Airtime
- Lots of variety
- Stunt density
MINUS
- Few metres in altitude
LINE MADNESS: CHONNY NOXWIL
Tschonny Noxwil is ... well, what is it? We say: an old-school downhill with jumps or an EWS descent with a fighting spirit.
The Tschonny Noxwil trail is labelled as a downhill trail, but starts out as an ultra-steep singletrail descent. At first we were surprised, then thrilled - and pretty sure that the experts among you will celebrate this trail. For this black descent, you have to go right up the mountain. That means: take the first chairlift up, ride down a few metres and get on the second chair, which takes you all the way up to 1786 metres. This is where the Tschonny Noxwil black run starts, an extension of the jet-black classic Tschack Norris, if you like. Together: 4.8 kilometres of downhill blocking.
Tschonny Noxwil jags into the valley as a towel-wide ribbon of earth rather slowly, steeply and technically. Safety car phase. But as soon as the track dips into the forest, the route starts to give it all away. It picks up the pace and sends the biker over several off-road jumps. The jump distances are ambitious, in keeping with the black difficulty level of the trail.
During our test ride, the trail was wet and slow - so even the testers with a lot of pop in their legs didn't always make it to the landing. In short: If you want to master every jump here, you have to carry momentum at all times and hit the line well, otherwise the speed will fizzle out and the tyres will stumble. This is quite tricky in the off-camber sections, root loops and bumps. Later, the route speeds up, then slows down again, narrow and winding like an enduro trail. You have to practise in order to really get going here, but it's a lot of fun. Are your forearms burning or is there still room for improvement? Then off to the next adventure! The Tschonny Noxwil leads directly into the brutal Tschack Norris descent with its XXL tests of courage.
CONCLUSIONsteep, rooty, versatile. Tschonny Noxwil is a hardcore enduro descent with a few tests of courage. Or a classic downhill, challenging, steep and really nasty in the wet.
PLUS
- Stunts
- Variety
MINUS
- Sensitive to moisture
- Rather slow
- Tricky stunts
THE NEW OLD ONE: ALTE-STATT-TRAIL
Until now, enduro riders and single trail hunters have been left out in the cold in the Brandnertal Bike Park. Nothing there. Not a chance! Three trails are now set to change that. The Burtscha Trail, the Parpfienz Trail and the Alte-Statt Trail. We particularly liked the latter.
To get to the trail entrance, you have to cross a forest road for around ten minutes from the mountain station of the upper chairlift. This is also where the easy but very flowy Parpfienz Trail starts (length: 4 km). We turn onto the Alte-Statt Trail, which leads back down to the valley station of the bike park. The trail is narrow, winding and unspoilt - an alpine hiking trail. But we mean that as a compliment. Because it's not just the landscape that we like, but also the gradient, the stone fields, root carpets, bends and natural berms. This is what an enduro trail should be like. Highlight: a plateau with alpine meadows through which the Mühlebach meanders. This is balm for the eyes and the soul. There are no built jumps here.
Nevertheless, you'll be happy to have a potent enduro bike if you want to leave the throttle on in the high-speed sections. In terms of character, the trail remains true to itself from start to finish. Caution: The lower section of the trail is shared by hikers and bikers. After three kilometres, the fun is over and you come out a little away from the park tracks. Now it's back to the valley station on a tarmac road, or you can cross over and take the last section of the Tschäck the Ripper.
CONCLUSIONFun nature trail for singletrail fans. Great for the last descent.
PLUS
- Panorama
- Versatile
MINUS
- Starts away from the car park routes
You can download the entire Brandnertal spot guide with these routes as a PDF here:
>> Austria: Spotguide Brandnertal (pdf) <<
Laurin Lehner
Editor
