Bad Kleinkirchheim is actually better known for its skiing. Women's World Cup races are regularly held here. In summer, however, the small village is nestled in lush green mountain peaks - the famous Carinthian Nockberge mountains. And as is usual in ski resorts, tours for bikers have also been legalised and signposted here. There are already 700 kilometres in total. Some of these tours lead up to over 2000 metres. But what is much more interesting is that the trails are legal and lead downhill again! And I'm not just talking about built flow trails here - no, I mean natural trails, which are my personal favourite. My favourite is even one of the longest trails in Austria: the Rossalmhütten/Alter Almweg trail.
As a former professional racing cyclist, you might not expect me to have certain downhill skills on a mountain bike. However, I can say that MTB has been one of my great passions since I was very young. Especially riding natural trails. That's probably because back then, in the 90s, there were no built trails. The Rossalmhütten/Alter Almweg trail can be reached from the south via the forest road from Brennsee. You can also hire a shuttle bus from the Krainer sports school. They lift their guests up to the Feldpannalm. From there, you can continue up to the 2145 metre high summit of the Wöllaner Nock using your own muscle power.
Adrian Krainer, whose father was the MTB pioneer who started the Nockbike programme in the region, shows us the easier option today. In BKK, as Bad Kleinkirchheim is called by the locals, we get into the gondola and float up to the Kaiserburg. Up here, there are now only around 100 metres of elevation gain to the trail entrance. At the start, the trail still feels comfortable. It winds gently through the grass of the Rossalm. As far as the Feldpannalm, it crosses a stream bed from time to time. However, great technical skills are not yet required. These await after the Klamerhütte - so if you want to fortify yourself, stop off here for some homemade cheese or salami. Then it's off to the second section of the descent, the Alter Almweg trail. Curvier and steeper, as nature has tolerated it for years, the path bumps over roots and stone ledges. The obstacles are still manageable for me, but Adrian uses them as jump ramps. It's almost as if the steps weren't even there. At the end of the 1300 metres of descent, the trail conveniently ends directly on the shore of Lake Brennsee. I particularly like this trail because it is so long and varied, but it is by no means the only permitted nature trail in our area!
PACO WROLICH
The Carinthian spent twelve years in the saddle for the German teams Gerolsteiner ('99-2008) and Milram (until 2010). He took part in the Tour de France five times (2nd place in stage 3 in 2015) and three times at the Olympics. Today he earns his living as a cycling coordinator in Carinthia.
Nockbike.com
The Krainer Sports School has been promoting biking in the Carinthian Nockberge mountains for 20 years. Thanks to the positive attitude of farmers and landowners, the range of trails is growing from year to year. In addition to the approved nature trails, the construction of another flow trail is planned for 2018. Info: www.nockberge.com
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