It’s always good when real-life experiences are quickly incorporated into future planning. Bike parks usually set their season dates at the start of the year. This is particularly the case in the Alps, so that cable car operators can plan their maintenance periods more effectively and, if necessary, convert their gondolas for ski transport. However, as snow has been slow to arrive even in the Swiss mountains in recent years, the Swiss regions of Lenzerheide and Arosa have responded accordingly.
Cycling or skiing? Both are possible
There is a summer and a winter season here too, but the “November high” now runs from 24 October to 22 November. In other words, the lifts remain open at weekends during this period. Whether you head up on a bike or on skis depends on the weather and snow conditions.
It’s not uncommon for this transitional period to present a ‘neither fish nor fowl’ situation: there’s been snow at the top for quite some time, whilst at the middle station, shorts are the order of the day. The bike park has already closed, but there simply isn’t enough snow yet for skiing alone. That’s why the cable car operators in Arosa and Lenzerheide have now taken action and are offering this interim solution for everyone. For more information: bikekingdom.ch
The Graz Bike Park is open all winter
In fact, there is already a bike park in the Alps that is open all year round because running a ski resort there has long since ceased to be viable: the Schöckl Bike Arena in Graz, Austria. Here, the cable car only suspends operations in the event of gusts exceeding 60 km/h – that is, wind force 7. Otherwise, cyclists can board the cable car all year round and ride the largely unspoilt trails.
Michi Gölles, a multiple Austrian downhill champion, has been the course manager for some time now. He also runs riding technique courses, which might well be worth a go, as the Schöckl trails are considered particularly challenging. Roots, rocks, steep gradients – it’s no surprise that you’ll even come across professionals on the trails here in winter.
However, the 11 trails now available are said to include options for beginners and children aged eight and over: a coaching zone, including a pump track, right next to the top station, and the flowing Vurnowi trail. Graz’s flagship attraction, however, remains of course the European Downhill Championship course “Gedscho”, which even the pros are a little wary of.
- Altitude: Valley station 780 m – Mountain station 1445 m (elevation difference 655 m)
- Lift journey time: approx. 7 minutes
- Day pass: 41 euros / children 26 euros (no Gravity Card)
- E-bikes: permitted on 10 out of 11 trails
- Riding Technique School: The Gap (Michi Gölles) – the-gap.at
- Info: schoeckl-trail-area.at
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
