"No, unfortunately we don't have a photo for you today." The jury looks sternly over at the contestant, who is stepping sheepishly from one hoof to the other. Despite those legs! Those eyes! That udder! By now at the latest, Heidi Klum's crybaby cabinet would be in tears. But Waltraud von der Mais Alm, also known as "the cosy one", takes it easy and lets a veritable flat cake splash onto the alpine meadow as a commentary.
Okay, luckily the cow casting for "Miss Kampenwand 2012" didn't turn out quite as pseudo-dramatic as the Klum TV show. Instead, passing hikers were able to cast their votes on their way to what is probably the most striking peak in the Chiemgau Alps. Five magnificent specimens of the four-legged milk taps faced the critical gaze on the various mountain pastures.
Tours around the Bavarian Sea
Just as I'm wondering whether I should find the spectacle funny or not, I realise that we're basically on a very similar mission in the Chiemgau mountains. A kind of trail casting, you could say, where the aim is to track down the most beautiful paths and routes that meander through this part of the Bavarian Alps. And the more our tour account fills up with kilometres and metres in altitude, the more I am fascinated by the diversity of this region. The lovely Chiemgau (yes, it really is male!) was already able to cast a spell over King Ludwig. Why else did the aesthete have the largest of his castles built on the Herreninsel in Lake Chiemsee? Surrounded by the Bavarian Sea and with the mountains as a backdrop, their contours silhouetted against the sky, gentle and rugged at the same time. It is this typical charm of the foothills of the Alps that inevitably casts a spell over every visitor. Gently undulating hills, with a magnificent farmhouse perched on every second one, the wooden balconies overflowing with flowers. In the villages, sometimes only a church spire peeks out of the valley or a decorated maypole.
Trail delicacies in the foothills of the Alps
Like me, my companion today, Holger Meyer, is on the lookout for flowing trails. After all, the Bavarian regions also feature in a chapter of his new book project. However, the freerider has wisely swapped his favourite mountain-oriented bike for a lightweight all-mountain. Because in the Chiemgau Alps, apart from the chairlift at the Samerberg bike park, the rule is "by fair means". None of the sometimes nostalgic gondola lifts transport bikers to the summit. The few ski resorts on German territory are small and Bavarian and cosy - no comparison to neighbouring Tyrol. In the border village of Sachrang, people even successfully resisted a planned ski circuit on the Geigelstein in the 1970s. Today it is a nature reserve where rare mountain flowers thrive. We stop for an espresso at Samerberg local and bike guide Peter Brodschelm, whose headquarters are idyllically situated at the foot of the Hochries. As an insider tip, he gives us directions to the so-called Feichteck Trail. Then we lever the chain onto the big sprocket and pump some savoury mountain air into our lungs. In the west of the Chiemgau Alps, between Hochries and Spitzstein, some of the best panoramic trails wind around the peaks. Even Holger, who has truly travelled in more prominent areas of the Alps, is impressed. Before we plunge into the promised downhill after completing the climb, we roll over to the Hochries. The path balances airily along the open slope until a de luxe panorama opens up at the unmanaged Seiten Alm. From Rosenheim to Lake Chiemsee, the view glides across the Alpine foothills. Only our appetite for the trail delicacy down into the valley can tempt us away from this fantastic vantage point.
Quiet tours around Ruhpolding
Further east in the Chiemgau Alps, the tranquil village of Ruhpolding has blossomed into a second hotspot for bikers. What hardly anyone knows is that in the 1950s and 1960s, Ruhpolding enjoyed a legendary reputation among package tourists, who were carted into the Bavarian picture-book village on special trains from the far north by an enterprising travel entrepreneur. It's hard to believe that, according to legend, the Kurhaus was transformed into a veritable party temple in the evening. As far as one could tell from the Schuhplattler dancers or pop-song performances with Vico Torriani. Fortunately, there is no sign of such mass tourism today. While the valley is known as a biathlon Mecca in winter, bikers find their Eldorado in the surrounding mountains in summer. "Yes, there's really something going on here," enthuses local and passionate marathon runner Andi Huber. And he's not just talking about the new BIKE Four Peaks stage race, which started on 5 June in Ruhpolding in the direction of Lofer. There is also talk of a bike park on the Unternberg, next to the Rauschberg, one of the town's local mountains. There is already a chairlift there, which serves a small ski area in winter. "The project still has to go through various stages, then hopefully it will be realised soon," says Andi. Of course, the 1425 metre-high Unternberg is one of his training destinations after work - without a lift, of course. After all, nothing comes from nothing. The steep climb up the imposing Rauschberg, on the other hand, is a tough nut to crack, even for climbing specialists like him. The closer you get to the 1645 metre high summit, the more the gradient is beyond good and evil. Added to this is the quicksand-like gravel, which greedily absorbs and literally pulverises every arduous step. "Many of the mountains in the region are therefore better suited to a circumnavigation," recommends the local. In addition to the fun loop around the Rauschberg, this also applies to another of his favourite tours: the singletrail-packed ride around the Hochgern. Typical of the Chiemgau mountains, however, there is also a section of suffering on this tour. In this case, a special kind of church tour. During the 470 relentless metres up to the Schnappenkirche church, you have plenty of time to reflect on your sins. The snow-white church clings to the top of the mountain and once again spoils us with a truly divine view over the Chiemgau. Now it's time to "pull yourself together" so that you don't forget to continue, or rather to push. Because there is a steep ramp in the way before the fun begins. Soon, however, the path becomes rideable and swings wonderfully along the north side of the Hochgern, past rustic alpine pastures where the dairymaid still personally prepares the snacks. What is the result of our trail casting? No, with so much riding pleasure, there can be no winner. In complete contrast to the Miss Kampenwand competition. With half of all the votes, Ronja, also known as "the noble one", trotted back to her stable on the Möslarn Alm as the winner. Adorned with a splendid new bell around her neck.
The five best MTB tours in Chiemgau
- Tour 1: Hochgern Reibn (36.5 km/1451 vertical metres, riding time 4:15 h, difficult)
- Tour 2:
Summit assault on the Steinplatte (31.7 km/1383 altitude metres, riding time 3:45 h, difficult)
- Tour 3: Over the Teisenberg (34.3 km/1336 altitude metres, riding time 3:40 h, medium)
- Tour 4:
Via Spitzstein and Hochries (43.8 km/1387 metres in altitude, riding time 4:30 h, difficult)
- Tour 5:
Rauschberg Reibn (32.6 km/1064 vertical metres, riding time 3:35 h, medium)
BIKE tour author Matthias Rotter was on a similar mission between the Inntal and Saalachtal valleys. He searched for the 30 most beautiful tours for his BIKE Guide Chiemgau Alps - he now presents five of them together with a map, road book, elevation profile and GPS data.
Information about mountain biking in Chiemgau
The precinct
The Chiemgau Alps stretch from the Inntal valley to the Saalachtal valley. Some mountain groups extend as far as Austria. This includes their highest mountain, the Sonntagshorn (1961 m) between Ruhpolding and Lofer. Somewhat lower, but with better views and therefore particularly popular: Hochries, Kampenwand and Hochfelln. Here you can enjoy the most marvellous views over Lake Chiemsee and the gently undulating Alpine foothills - the actual Chiemgau.
Arrival
By car: From Munich on the A8 motorway towards Salzburg, past the Inntal triangle. Depending on your destination, take one of the exits between Achenmühle/Frasdorf, via Ruhpolding to Bad Reichenhall. By train: The region is well connected to the railway network on the Munich-Rosenheim-Salzburg axis. Conveniently located railway stations: Raubling/Brannenburg, Aschau, Bernau, Übersee, Bergen, Ruhpolding, Siegsdorf and Bad Reichenhall.
Accommodation
Ruhpolding is centrally located. The Berchtesgaden Alps can also be reached quickly from here. Tip: Butzn Wirt, www.butznwirt.de
Bernau/Aschau: The southern shore of Lake Chiemsee is not far from the villages on the Kampenwand. Tip: Alter Wirt in Bernau, www.alter-wirt-bernau.de
Samerberg: Gasthof Alpenrose in Grainbach, www.alpenrose-samerberg.de
Bike shops Chiemgau Biking, Chiemseestr. 84, Bernau, www.chiemgau-biking.de, great shop, also hire, guided tours and events.
Radl Sepp, St. Valentin 1d, Ruhpolding, www.radl-sepp.com. Chef Josef Gruttauer also offers guided tours and GPS guiding.
Fahrtwind, Samerberg, www.mtb-fahrtwind.de, riding technique training and trail camps on the Samerberg.
Bike park
Bikepark Samerberg, Hochriesstraße 69 in Grainbach/Samerberg, www.bikepark-samerberg.de. Freeride, North Shore, single trails on a main route over two kilometres long. With chairlift.
Maps
Compass map no. 10 "Chiemsee/Chiemgau Alps" and no. 14 "Berchtesgadener Land/Chiemgau Alps", Digital: German Alps 3D (Kompass), ASIN 385026050X.
Info
Chiemgau Tourism, www.chiemgau-tourismus.de
You can download the complete Chiemgau MTB area guide with roadbooks and GPS data for these tours below.
