It was a kind of bet: ride the entire Prato Piazza trail once - without getting off. From top to bottom. Yes, no stopping at the bridge in the steep face either, and of course I had to complete the following staircase over the abyss. I have no idea why I let myself get carried away. In hindsight, I would never do such nonsense again. Far too dangerous. In general, only people who are free from vertigo and fear of heights should ride this Dolomite trail. And the tour starts off really nicely. From the car park on the valley road in Schluderbach, you follow the tarmac road up to the Dürrensteinhütte, which is gravelled after just under a kilometre. The serpentines climb gently, the view of the Dolomite towers of Monte Cristallo and Hohe Gaisl grows. This is a fun way to crank away the 800 metres in altitude up to Prato Piazza. At the top, you can perhaps stop off at the rustic Dürrensteinhütte and take a look at the old Austrian barrage, which was built back in 1889. The route then continues on a narrow gravel track up to the Strudelkopfsattel. But before you plunge into the descent from there, it's worth pushing up the 100 metres in altitude to the 2305-metre-high Strudelkopf. The view of the northern flanks of the Three Peaks is simply marvellous from up there. So much for the tour's wellness programme.
The GPS data for Supertrail no. 75 - Prato Piazza Trail - from BIKE 6/2019 is available free of charge in the download area below.
If you then turn off from the Strudelkopfsattel into the Helltal, you have to be able to cope well with loose scree and exposed trails. Otherwise, pushing is definitely the better option! The trail runs straight down the steep left-hand side of the valley. A stream babbles at the bottom of the valley, with nothing in between to stop you in the event of a fall.
At the end of this valley, there is a short adrenaline break, but you can already see that the trail is heading towards the bulbous rock face of the Strudelköpfe. It will soon wrap around it like a belt. It's not for nothing that safety ropes have been bolted to the wall here. If you still want to give it a go on the bike, you should know that with 780 millimetre wide handlebars, you have to be able to keep very precisely on track to avoid getting caught in the wall on the right. There is enough air on the left side, but only that: 150 metres of free fall await you if you fail! The next step is a wooden bridge that doesn't look particularly robust - without railings, and uphill! Behind it, the trail regains solid ground on both sides and leads through a tunnel.
But as soon as daylight dazzles the eyes again, the next chicane appears: a wooden staircase over a gorge. In principle not a complicated thing, but the steps get stuck in a bulbous rock face again. Here you have to tilt the handlebars to the left at lightning speed to avoid getting stuck in the wall. So please push! Now that you've mastered the dangerous parts of the trail, it's time to start riding. The path winds steeply and undulatingly through the forest. Most people will be busy following the path. Riding technicians, on the other hand, will find plenty of jump aids and variations in the form of roots, rocks and natural wall rides. At the end, you drop down to the Drei-Zinnen-Blick car park and easily wind your way up the valley road to the car. Sensational! Finally a trail where you have to stay 100 per cent focused from top to bottom.
The tour
16.9 km and 843 metres in altitude - up to the summit of the 2305-metre-high Strudelkopf, the tour is suitable for all bikers. The descent from the Strudelkopf saddle through the Helltal valley and on to the Rienztal valley, on the other hand, is only recommended for bikers with a head for heights. Otherwise you will be pushing 500 metres.
Flo Konietzko
The 35-year-old riding technique trainer and PR coordinator from Munich loves extremely challenging trails.
You can find this article in BIKE 6/2019. You can read the entire digital edition in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or the print edition in the DK shop reorder - while stocks last:
