Every autumn and every spring, it's the same old problem: where to go for trail shredding? For a long time, we felt like kings without a kingdom: the coolest bikes in our hands, but no fun trails far and wide. So, gritting our teeth, we got in the car for 7 hours and cuttered our way to Finale Ligure on the Italian Riviera for the flow dose we had been longing for. But then we discovered the Tschilli trail in Latsch. Here, too, the eternal summer seemed to be at home. The Vinschgau Valley is blessed with sunshine. A wall of mountains blocks the nasty rain clouds, letting the mucky weather bounce off like a firewall and pushing the mercury up. We are happy to accept the 3.5-hour drive (from Munich) for this. A few descents on the Tschilli Trail were enough to elevate the path on the south-facing slope to the status of nobility: it became our official FREERIDE test track.
If you take the mountain railway (unfortunately only possible in the morning and late afternoon or if accompanied by a guide), there are 7.8 kilometres of trail with 1045 metres of descent. As we get shuttled for the many test rides, we get on a little further down, turn off the tarmac road that leads to the village of St. Martin (trail is well signposted) and immerse ourselves in the mountain forest.
The first few metres undulate gently. Short root passages alternate with stony sections. The trail swings left and right again and again. The bike tilts with relish through the turns. Everything is still easy, but the gradient now increases. The forest floor disappears and slabs of rock slide under the tyres. Here, in the angriest part of the trail, we push the suspension to the limit during testing and many an enduro bike is in tears. Then it starts to moan and admits its weaknesses under the hard blows. After approx. 300 metres, the bumpy ride ends and we climb up a narrow road for 2 minutes until the trail branches off to the right and the second section begins. Here the path is mostly dusty and runs deep into the mountainside. A hollow path with lots of bends, fun off-road hops and bumps. This section is perfect for putting the enduro bikes through their paces and testing their manoeuvrability. Unfortunately awesome! Our favourite section ends on the Annaböden, alpine meadows high above the valley.
The third section begins here. Once again, the trail shows a completely different face. The forest is left behind and now the trail swings in long loops through yellow steppe grass. We jokingly call this part Kamloops. The Tschilli now meanders along the slope as wide as a towel - seemingly tame and with only a slight gradient. But if you let it go, you experience a dance of joy, as if you were surfing through a huge pump track. One bend follows the next. If you miss the line, you're out. If your nerves are on edge, you're out. Concentration. Flow. Fun. Thrills. All of this is available here in super-concentrated form. Of course, you can also ride slowly through the turns and circle around boulders and stone noses. But fast is sexy! Towards the end, it gets technical and steep again, then the trail ends in the vineyards at the foot of the mountain and we roll back to the motorway, where the shuttle for the next run is already waiting in the best case scenario.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
