FREERIDE took a look at the best trails on, around and almost under the Petzen: The spot guide is available in the download area below.
We rode these trails - the descriptions can be found on the following pages:
1st Enduro Eldorado: Thriller
2nd curve delirium: Flow Country
3rd Enduro paradise: Jamnica trail park
4th ghost train: Black Hole Trail
5. where is the goat? Lost Goat Trail
1st THRILLER - the Enduro Eldorado
The Thriller is not a flow trail! The nature trail on the Petzen is rough, steep, challenging and, with an altitude difference of almost 1000 metres, wonderfully long!
The Trail Thriller was created in 2016 because the operators realised that the Petzen mountain needed a challenging descent for advanced riders in addition to the tame marble run flow country. We say: mission accomplished!
The Thriller is a narrow single trail that winds its way from the summit to the valley station in a largely natural state. Only in a few places can you see stones dug into the ground to protect against erosion. Initially, the trail undulates at a moderate gradient through the forest before becoming steeper and steeper. Bend follows bend. Roots make it difficult to find the ideal line. The steep sections in particular require courage and technique - because if you make a mistake, you will roll down the slope. If this challenge is not enough for you, you can branch off twice onto variants. These are trail passages close to the fall line that were created especially for the Enduro World Series. Here it gets even steeper and more difficult, but also slower if you want to get all the hooks the trail has to offer. Alpine freeriding is in demand - ideal for enduro riders in race mode who want to really challenge themselves; flow hunters will definitely not find what they are looking for. We liked the main Thriller trail better, as it generates more flow.
Caution: In the wet, the Thriller becomes really treacherous and even trickier to ride. Then the descent over roots and muddy steep sections mutates into an uncontrolled slide - especially on the EWS variants.
Conclusion:
We were pretty excited about the Thriller! It is a challenging enduro descent full of roots, stone fields and dirt edges. The terrain is steep and the ground is rough. Only experts should tackle the EWS variants, especially when the ground offers hardly any grip in the wet.
Plus
> Technical
> Lots of variety
> Beautiful forest
Minus
> Difficult in wet conditions
> No built stunts
> No airtime
For whom?
> Enduro racers
> Nature trail fans
Favourite bike:
> Enduro
2 FLOW-COUNTRY - the curve delirium
Eleven kilometres speak for themselves! The flow country trail on the Petzen is a winding motorway with just one motto: flow, flow, flow for everyone!
The flow country trail is the centrepiece of the Petzen. Trail builder Diddie Schneider began digging the popular trail concept into the Petzen in 2010 with the help of EU funding. It wasn't finished until four years later.
Diddie Schneider invented it, and his success proves him right: flow country. This refers to an easy-to-ride trail that winds its way down into the valley with lots of bends and bumps on a smooth surface. Bikers roll through the trail like on a marble run - carried by the natural flow of the track. Whether in the Bikepark Bischofsmais or on the Petzen - the many visitors prove how well the flow country concept is received by the bike community. At Petzen, the approximately two-metre-wide Brechsandbahn track rocks bikers downhill in smooth curve radii on a moderate gradient. Everything is just right here: the berms are high enough, the bends are varied, the surface is grippy and the speed is so fast that even advanced riders get into a speed frenzy. That's what happened to us: We bent our hearts out until we no longer knew which way was up, down, right and left - and had only completed half of the route. In other words: if you don't experience flow here, you won't experience it anywhere else. The eleven-kilometre descent with its countless waves and bends takes around 15-20 minutes. We had a lot of fun, but after two descents we had enough of the rocking and rolling. Unfortunately, there are only a few opportunities for airtime.
Conclusion:
The flow country on the Petzen is a wide, weatherproof downhill run that seems almost endless at eleven kilometres in length. Great for beginners to experience flow. Advanced skiers can perfect their cornering technique here.
Plus
> Super built
> Flow guarantee
> Very long
Minus
> A bit monotonous in the long run
For whom?
> For all
> Flow hunters
Favourite bike:
> Trailbike, Enduro
3rd TRAILPARK JAMNICA - the enduro paradise
The trail centre in Slovenia attracts enduro fans and single trail hunters with its exciting natural trails. That's why the Enduro World Series even stopped here in 2018.
The trail park in Jamnica is not a commercial trail centre, it was created on the initiative of the local people - you can tell as soon as you arrive. The centrepiece is the Koros eco-hotel run by trail farmer Anej and his wife Suzana - it is tucked away in the Slovenian mountains. The friendly couple are always happy to welcome bikers.
It takes around 35 minutes by car from the Petzen Bike Park to Jamnica - a satnav will help, as Jamnica is not easy to find. The last few metres take you up a forest path to the Koros eco-hotel, a small guesthouse for bikers. A few manufacturer's flags give it away: You've come to the right place! You can park here. Use of the trail is free of charge. If you want, you can put something in a donation box. The trails are right on the doorstep. If you want to get to the top starting point, you have to pedal up another 200 metres on a forest trail. In total, two main routes wind their way down into the valley over an altitude difference of around 500 metres. Many variants branch off halfway up. They are all single trails, often peppered with stones and roots. In the second section in particular, the surface becomes tamer and the pace quicker. Small counter-climbs or pedalling sections slow down the flow a little - but that's part of enduro biking. The routes vary in difficulty and are marked accordingly. The signposting still needs to be improved; it's better to get a map from Anej.
Tip for experts: the trails of the EWS.
Conclusion:
The Jamnica trail park consists of natural trails with an altitude difference of up to 500 metres. You have to pedal all the descents yourself. The single trails of Jamnica are a fun change from the bike park in Petzen and well worth a day trip.
Plus
> Fun nature trails
> Route guidance
Minus
> Not for gravity bikers
> No airtime
> Confusing signposting
For whom?
> Enduro riders
> Single trail fans
Favourite bike:
> Trailbike, Enduro
4th BLACK-HOLE-TRAIL - like a ghost train
The Black Hole Trail winds its way through an old mine shaft. For €50, a guide will take you on a steep and technical descent. We say: really scary!
The idea is great: converting an old mine tunnel into a bike trail! Not far from Petzen, in Slovenia, lies the disused Mežica mine. Here, deep underground, the Black Hole Trail teaches bikers to fear the technical and damn steep.
A warning up front: Only experts should attempt this trail. Professional biker Olly Wilkins categorised the trail as a double black diamond - in other words, an absolute expert route. The descent would already be difficult in daylight, but in the cone of the headlamp it gets really scary. There is no residual light in the tunnel, so you have to rely on your headlamp to stay on course on the sometimes very narrow trail. Every now and then you even have to duck your head and literally squeeze through the rock tunnel. The surface on the bare rock is grippy, but there is also a lot of loose rubble and stone dust - traction is quickly lost here. If you like steep, technical trails, you can let off steam here, swivelling your rear end to the side in hairpin bends and tipping the bike down several steep descents. If you're not up to it, you'll be pushing a lot and not having much fun. You need to book in advance. It is around 20 minutes by car from the bike park on the Petzen to the lead mine in Mežica. Two guides are waiting here and hand out headlamps. The shuttle takes about 15 minutes to the Black Hole Trail tunnel shaft. The activity takes about three hours. The trail ride alone, however, only takes 20 minutes. Great: the Black Hole Trail is completely weatherproof.
Conclusion:
Bizarre rock formations deep underground and technical freeriding in the light of a headlamp - the Black Hole Trail is an experience. Provided you have experience in alpine terrain. Otherwise you'll be pushing more than riding. We say: definitely try it out! Cost: €50 per person. podzemljepece.com
Plus
> Real experience
> Technical
> Tests of courage
Minus
+++ For advanced students only
> Extra costs (50 €)
For whom?
> Alpine bikers
> Bike mountaineers
Favourite bike:
> Enduro
5th LOST-GOAT-TRAIL - where is the goat?
Race feeling: The nature trail was created for the Enduro World Series.
The Lost Goat Trail is located in Slovenia - not far from the disused Mežica mine. It shows the terrain in which the pros hunt for seconds in the pursuit of winning laurels.
You need help to find the Lost Goat Trail. Either digitally through Trailforx or analogue through a guide, as the signposting is inadequate. We use a guide and shuttle, which means we only have to pedal up about 80 metres. This is followed by a very steep 20-minute push section to the summit. This is where the Lost Goat Trail begins. The narrow trail undulates smoothly through the mountain forest with lots of bends and hairpin bends. Super: the feather-soft forest floor. It shows: The trail is still very new. That will certainly change with time and after a few hundred descents. Apart from a few natural drops, there is hardly any airtime. In short: an enduro descent to our liking. It could happily be longer.
Conclusion:
The Lost Goat Trail is an enduro descent par excellence. The soft forest floor allows a lot of speed and the many bends create a surfing feeling. We say: super!
Plus
> Flowy
> Fast
> Awesome
Minus
> Directions
> No stunts
For whom?
> Endurists
> Trail bikers
Favourite bike:
> Enduro, trail bike
FURTHER INFORMATION:
Petzen and Klopeiner lake, Carinthia
The Petzen (2126 metres), south of the town of Bleiburg, is part of the Karawanken mountain range. Here, a fast cable car takes bikers over 990 metres to the top. There are three routes available to visitors:
1st flow country: easy, 2nd thriller: medium to difficult, 3rd thriller with EWS variants: difficult.
INFO:
Routes 3
Lift Gondola
Season June to September,
Weekend operation: Mid-May to mid-June and mid-September to the end of October
Opening hours 9 am - 4 pm
Day ticket 30 €
Web mtbzone-bikepark.com/en/snitch
Jamnica and MeŽica, Slovenia
The Jamnica trail park is approx. 35 minutes by car from the Petzen lift station. Use is free of charge. Bikers can stay overnight at the Koros eco-hotel (double room: €30). The owners Suzana and Anej are happy to help with excursions to the Black Hole Trail or the EWS Lost Goat Trail.
Web bikenomad.com
CLARTEXT
Wolfgang Watzke: "Experienced enduro skiers get their money's worth in the Petzen region. Because the Thriller and the EWS line are challenging. The Flow Country Trail is an easy and very fun addition. Unique: the underground Black Hole Trail - but it's a real challenge for experts only!"
Laurin Lehner:
"I wouldn't make the long journey just for the park on the Petzen - not even for the Jamnica trail centre or the Black Hole Trail. But I would for the combination of all the trails. It makes the area exciting for enduro fans. But then you have to plan at least one long weekend."
Dimitri Lehner:
"In my eyes, you can safely leave the big bike at home. An enduro bike is more than enough for me here. You should know that, otherwise pure park shredders may be disappointed by the trails on offer. There's hardly any airtime here."
Downloads:
Laurin Lehner
Editor
