New bike park near Garmisch: Is a visit to the Zugspitz Bike Park worthwhile? We were there

Bike parks are fun arenas for gravity fans and those who want to become one. New: the bike park in Ehrwald near Garmisch. We've been there and tell you who should visit.

The region around Garmisch-Partenkirchen has had another bike park to offer since 17 May. In addition to Oberammergau (45 minutes away) and Lermoos (10 minutes away), there is now the Zugspitz Bike Park near the border in Ehrwald. It has only just opened, but we've already been there and can tell you whether it's worth a visit and, if so, for whom.

The Bluebird (blue)

The chairlift takes you up. The longest line is the blue "Bluebird" (4.1 km, 420 metres). It runs from the mountain station down to the valley and offers a constructed crushed sand flowline with a number of bends, waves, berms and smaller jumps. The comparatively narrow route is striking - making the Bluebird more challenging than many other blue flow trails. A special highlight for advanced riders: the penultimate section with small tables and sharkfins.

The Fifty Fifty (red)

The red "Fifty Fifty" route (1.2 km; 160 metres) branches off from the blue route after a few metres. The name says it all: Built sections of crushed sand and natural forest floor alternate again and again - a fun concept with lots of variety, sometimes steep.

The Bare Knuckle (black)

The black "Bare Knuckle" starts about halfway up the slope (630 m, 130 metres). The route is mostly natural, supplemented by individual wooden elements and jumps with challenging natural landings. A few tests of courage await stunt freeriders here. Conclusion: The small park impresses with its varied and fun trails. However, the blue flowline is a little challenging for absolute beginners.

The red and black trails are relatively short, but in combination they provide plenty of excitement even for experienced park riders. More trails are to follow. At 36 euros for a day ticket, the park is comparatively inexpensive.

Our conclusion:

This is not a park like Schladming, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis or Leogang - no, the Zugspitz Bike Park is comparatively small.

Only the Bluebird (blue) still leads from top to bottom and makes full use of the 400 metres in altitude. Unlike many flow trails, the blue route is not quite as wide, which makes it a little more challenging. Otherwise, however, there is plenty of flow potential. Advanced riders will especially enjoy the warm-up section - and the penultimate section with the mini-jumpline, which also offers easy airtime for beginners. Top! I'd love more of it.

The red route (1.2 km, 160 metres in altitude) is particularly fun in combination with the black route (Bare Knuckle, 600 metres). Even advanced riders will get their money's worth here. During our visit, there were still some real loam passages - it's not yet possible to say what this will look like when the route is busy and washed out.

In short: beginners and advanced skiers can have a day of fun here. The best thing is that the trails in Lermoos or the Blindseetrail are not far away. The park in Oberammergau can also be easily combined for a weekend bike park trip.

Interview with Park Manager Christian Heitmann

We spoke to head shaper and park manager Christian Heitmann.

Christian Heitmann: The project has been running for around two and a half years in total. We've been working on the planning, all the notifications, authorisations and so on for around two years. The actual construction time was then relatively quick: around five months.

What was the idea?

The idea behind this was, firstly, to expand the range of trails. Secondly, we wanted to open up the area for summer use. And thirdly, it was about creating a complete offer that would satisfy every rider - from beginners to advanced or really good riders. That's why we have the classic range: blue, red, black. The focus was of course on the masses, which is why we made the blue route the longest. Red and black will be added.

Our focus is a little different to others: We don't want to take the area and turn it into a dream bike park, like in other well-known bike parks where everything comes down one slope. Our aim is to appeal to enduro riders who say: I ride one mountain in the morning, another at lunchtime and somewhere else in the afternoon - and can ride everything.

Are there plans for a combined lift pass with Lermoos?

That's in the works! Lermoos and Biberwier are already connected anyway because they are one company. Then there's Berwang-Bichlbach, because there are also trails there and some are still being planned. And then there's the Zugspitze Bike Park here at the Ehrwalder Wettersteinbahn cable car. Possibly also Ehrwald with the Ehrwalder Almbahn, because they also offer bike transport. There are no trails there, but there is a high plateau for sightseeing.

Who planned and built the trails?

The trails were planned by us, the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena. Further details or changes were discussed with the trail construction company, in this case Trailtech from Innsbruck, shortly before the start of construction.

The black route was planned from the outset so that we would build it ourselves. In other words, our team from the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena (tourism association) did it. The idea behind it was: environment, sustainability and creating a very special trail character through hand-building.

Who is the bike park suitable for?

I would say: for everyone! Of course, if you're a complete beginner and riding a trail for the first time... 420 metres of downhill in one go is a challenge for them. But in the end, anyone can get down the blue trail. If it's too difficult, I have enough forest road crossings where I can get out.

It's the same with the red one: It looks very challenging, but is relatively easy to ride and can also be ridden at lower speeds. And there are also several emergency exits where I can switch back to blue or a forest track.

The routes are relatively weatherproof.

Exactly, rain doesn't bother us that much - you could see that at the opening. Drought is much worse for us than rain. Of course, heavy rain is also not ideal when it washes out. But basically great!