New bike park near Garmisch: Is the Zugspitz Bike Park worth a visit? We went there

​The region around Garmisch-Partenkirchen has had another bike park to offer since 17 May. Alongside 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 will tell you whether it’s worth a visit – and if so, for whom.

The Bluebird (blue)

You head up via the chairlift. The longest run is the blue ‘Bluebird’ (4.1 km, 420 Tm). It runs from the top station down to the valley and features a man-made crushed-sand flow line with plenty of bends, undulations, banked turns and small jumps. What stands out is the comparatively narrow route – this makes the Bluebird more challenging to ride than many other blue flow trails. A particular highlight for advanced riders: the penultimate section with small tables and shark fins.

The Fifty Fifty (red)

The red run, ‘Fifty Fifty’ (1.2 km; 160 Tm), branches off from the blue run after just a few metres. The name says it all: sections of compacted crushed sand alternate repeatedly with natural forest floor – a fun concept offering plenty of variety, with some steep sections.

The Bare Knuckle (black)

The black “Bare Knuckle” starts roughly halfway up the slope (630 m, 130 Tm). The run is largely natural, complemented by a few wooden features and jumps with challenging natural landings. There are a few tests of courage in store here for stunt freeriders. Verdict: This small park impresses with its varied and fun trails. For absolute beginners, however, the blue Flowline is a bit too challenging.

Although the red and black runs are relatively short, when combined they offer plenty of thrills even for experienced park riders. More trails are set to follow. At 36 euros for a day pass, the park is comparatively inexpensive.

Our conclusion:

It’s not a park like Schladming, Serfaus-Fiss-Ladis or Leogang – no, the Zugspitz Bike Park is relatively small.

At the moment, only the Bluebird (blue) runs from top to bottom, making full use of the 400 metres of elevation gain. Unlike many flow trails, the blue run isn’t quite as wide, which makes it a bit more challenging. Otherwise, though, it has plenty of flow potential. Advanced riders will particularly enjoy warming up – and the penultimate section with its mini jump line, which even allows beginners to get some easy airtime. Brilliant! We’d love to see more of this.

The red trail (1.2 km, 160 Hm) is particularly good fun when combined with the black one (Bare Knuckle, 600 metres). Even advanced riders will find plenty to enjoy here. During our visit, there were still some proper loam sections – it’s too early to say what the track will look like once it’s been heavily used and washed out.

In short: both beginners and more experienced riders can enjoy a fun-filled day here. Best of all, the trails in Lermoos and the Blindseetrail are not far away. The park in Oberammergau is also a great option to include in a weekend bike park trip.

Interview with Park Manager Christian Heitmann

We spoke to Christian Heitmann, Head Shaper and Park Manager.

BIKE: How long has the Zugspitze Bike Park project been running?

Christian Heitmann: The project has been running for about two and a half years in total. We’ve been working on the planning, all the notifications, approvals and so on for about two years. The actual construction period was relatively short: around five months.

What was the idea?

The idea behind this was, firstly, to expand the range of trails on offer. Secondly, we wanted to develop the area for summer use as well. And thirdly, the aim was to create a comprehensive offering that would satisfy every rider – from beginners to advanced or really skilled riders. That’s why we have the classic range: blue, red and black. The focus was, of course, on the general public, which is why we made the blue trail the longest. Red and black trails have been added to the mix.

Our focus is a little different from others: we don’t want to take the area and turn it into a ‘dream bike park’, as is the case with other well-known bike parks where everything runs down a single slope. Our aim is to appeal to enduro riders who say: ‘I’ll ride on one mountain in the morning, another at midday and somewhere else in the afternoon – so I can ride it all.’

Are there plans for a combined lift pass with Lermoos?

That’s in the pipeline! Lermoos and Biberwier are already linked anyway, as they’re part of the same organisation. Then there’s Berwang-Bichlbach to add to the mix, as there are trails there too and a few more are in the planning stage. And then, of course, the Zugspitze Bike Park here at the Ehrwalder Wettersteinbahn. Ehrwald might also be included, with the Ehrwalder Almbahn, as they offer bike transport too. There aren’t any trails there, mind you, but it’s the high plateau for sightseeing.

Who planned and built the trails?

We, the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena, planned the routes. Further details and any changes were discussed with the trail construction company – in this case, Trailtech from Innsbruck – shortly before work began.

The black trail was planned from the outset to be built by us. In other words, our team from the Tiroler Zugspitz Arena (Tourist Board) carried out the work. The idea behind it was to prioritise the environment and sustainability, and to create a trail with a very special character by building it by hand.

Who is the bike park suitable for?

I’d say: for everyone! Of course, if someone’s a complete beginner and it’s their first time riding a trail… for them, a 420-metre descent in one go is a challenge. But ultimately, anyone can make it down the blue route. If it’s too difficult, there are plenty of forest track junctions where I can turn off.

It’s the same with the red one: it looks quite challenging, but is actually relatively straightforward to ride and can be tackled even at a slower pace. And there, too, we have several escape routes where I can switch back to the blue trail or a forest track.

The routes are relatively weather-proof.

Exactly, we don’t mind the rain that much – you could really tell that at the opening. Dry spells are far worse for us than rain. Of course, heavy rain isn’t ideal either when it washes everything away. But generally speaking, it’s great!