Bikepark Oberammergau: All routes open

THE SPOT
Bavaria at its most beautiful: Oberammergau is located in the Ammergau Alps, an hour's drive from Munich. Alpine meadows, aerial paintings, cowbells - a holiday dream. The six main trails of the Oberammergau Bike Park are hidden in the forest next to the Kolbensattelbahn cable car. That sounds like a lot, but the length of the trails puts it into perspective. OGau, as the park is affectionately known, is a small bike park. There used to be a chairlift to the top, but now there are two anchor lifts for the 220 metres in altitude. That sounds uncomfortable, but it works well.
www.bikepark-oberammergau.de

THE TRAILS
OGau is more of a trail spot than a bike park in the classic sense (i.e. with wide full-throttle descents full of stunts). All routes lead through the forest and are narrow, natural single trails except for the flow trail. The names say it all: Wurzelsepp (980 m / 160 m elevation gain), Switchbacker (480 m / 100 m elevation gain), Fichtenschreck (1300 m / 220 m elevation gain). The mountainside is damp - if it has rained properly one day, it takes a week for the trails to dry out again. So if you want to have fun here, you shouldn't be afraid of mud, wet stones and slippery roots. Ideal bike? An enduro will do just fine.

THE JUDGMENT
We liked the Fichtenschreck trail because it was steep, with a soft forest floor, root carpets and a few stunts. Alternative fun: Little Hobbit, because it's fast, narrow and rooty. Wurzelsepp and Switchbacker left a rather pale impression. The Flowline is fun for park newcomers with harmonious curves, for experts it's more for warming up. Disappointing: the jump trail (380 m/100 m elevation gain), which we couldn't manage at all due to the special routing and the strange distances. Striking: all the trails are rather slow.

FOR WHOM?
Anyone travelling from further afield, looking for park shredding
shredding and are looking for airtime on a big bike, fast lift rides and stunts will be disappointed by the small singletrail park with its two anchor lifts. This is more fun for enduro riders who enjoy riding on natural trails and see wet ground as a challenge. The 2-kilometre flowline is fun for park beginners, but the jump trail is too short and the jumps are poorly dimensioned. Not even superstar Bernard Kerr managed to land every jump here.