As the gondola plunges into the cloud, the conversations fall silent. Hands that were just gesticulating "flow" or "whip" are now rummaging in protector rucksacks and pulling out rain jackets.
As the gondola climbs the last 500 metres in altitude on suspension cables seemingly suspended in the void, a tense silence spreads. Only a few bikers have made their way to the Parpaner Rothorn today. It's the end of July, peak mountain bike season in Graubünden. The weather forecast had actually predicted stable high pressure conditions. But it seems that the mountains between Lenzerheide, Arosa and Davos are producing their own climate. A decidedly mountain bike-friendly climate, in fact.
You can find the GPS data for these three tours in the download area below:
- 1st Furcletta-Welschtobel (27.3 km | 780 m elevation gain | 2790 tm | 4:30 h)
- 2nd Biketicket-2-Ride (51.5 km | 575 m elevation gain | 3940 tm | 5:30 h)
- 3rd Piz Scalottas (18.4 km | 160 m elevation gain | 1700 tm | 2:30 h)
There are places that you are familiar with as a mountain biker, even if you don't know them personally. The unassuming summit of the Parpaner Rothorn at 2860 metres is clearly one of them. This alpine stone desert regularly produces a large number of bike videos compatible with fizzy drinks. Especially from the Bike Attack, of course. Every year for the past twelve years, apparently sadomasochistically inclined downhillers have been plunging down the Rothorn in a spectacular mass start - mass crashes included. Lenzerheide owes its high profile in the bike scene to events like this. However, it is rumoured that the good reputation has more to do with the quality and the sheer number of alpine trails that can allegedly be found here.
Although the laundry room and slippery shimmering slate rock dampen our motivation a little today, the bike guide won't allow us more than a quick coffee. Beni Ott seems to have internalised the Swiss calmness of mind. However, Beni has already impressively proven that he is still in attack mode with two podium places at the Bike Attack in the past. And of course, as head of the Lenzerheide bike school, he also knows the course of today's tour. The programme is ambitious, the schedule tight and the guide correspondingly strict. Beni sounds the horn for departure.
Under the label "Biketicket 2 Ride", the mountain railways of Lenzerheide and Arosa offer three freeride tours that promise maximum trail fun with minimal ascents under your own steam and with cable car support. Similar to the rating of the pistes in winter, the trails in the two valleys can be combined in blue, red and black. Black is beautiful, the longest trail sections await here. However, we have slimmed down the programme a little: wanting to ride the entire black variant, with its ten cable car rides and a good 6000 metres of vertical drop, in one day is a challenge. But even if, like us, you "only" head for Arosa and Chur from Lenzerheide, you have to keep at it. Otherwise you'll find yourself standing in front of closed cable car gates in the late afternoon. So let's get into the action. After 200 ice-cold metres downhill, we leave the Bike Attack competition piste at the Gredigs Fürggli pass. The weather slowly improves. The lower edge of our white-out cloud now marks the start of the trail, which leads down to Arosa over a good seven kilometres. A real cream trail! It winds along the left flank of a moraine valley at a constant, pleasant gradient. Exposed passages and tricky stone fields soon turn into a bouquet of high-speed trails that the grazing cattle have trampled into the alpine pasture. After the shimmering turquoise Älplisee lake, a short stretcher section is the ticket to the next relaxed trail. We cross over to Arosa above the valley basin and reach the middle station of the Weisshorn cable car after a counter-climb.
A net difference in altitude of 2000 metres separates the summit of the Weisshorn from the cantonal capital of Chur, which awaits us down in the Rhine Valley. 2000 metres of descent full of surprises, because on this descent the trail changes as often as the landscape. Some trail branches are not even marked on the map. The Alpine Bike Park on Brambüesch, Chur's local mountain, is much better known. The five lines, each with a 1000 metre descent, are officially part of the Biketicket-2-Ride tour. We decide to save them for another day. Back in Lenzerheide, our hunger for trails is satisfied for the day.
Enduro is on the agenda for the next day. As we had good experiences with the colour black yesterday, today is the parade tour in this discipline over the Furcletta. The weather on the Rothorn is at its best today. The cable car is very busy. As half-shell carriers, we are clearly outnumbered. Most of the bikers are moving heavy equipment and are armoured up on the Bike Attack trail. Technically challenging trails await us too, but we only have to share them with a few other bikers. The loneliness on this tour is probably due to a steep carrying passage that gets in our way before the Furcletta, over 400 metres in altitude. This is no mean feat, but we gladly put up with it for the almost ten-kilometre-long trail descent down to Arosa. Just like the downpour that catches us cold on the way back at Urdenfürggli. Wet but in high spirits, the final descent takes us back to Lenzerheide with a detour through the now deserted bike park. Two tours are actually too few for a final conclusion. But in Lenzerheide, we all agree, they know how to satisfy bikers. Namely with high mountain trails that are maintained without changing their character. And anything goes, thanks to trail tolerance. Chapeau!
Ralf Glaser, BIKE Touring author: "Racing is not my thing. But with the Grischa Trail Ride, they have a format here that could make me weak. An enduro race where you put together the stages yourself using GPS. The spirit behind it is exactly my thing!"
AREA HIGHLIGHTS
Lenzerheide really has it all: a bike park with family-friendly flow trails and pump tracks, but also World Cup routes for professionals. Easy trails through the greenery on one side of the valley, high alpine challenges on the other. Plus: top events and a swimming lake!
GENERAL INFORMATION
The precinct
For many bikers, Lenzerheide is mainly associated with "trail and freeride". This is due not least to events such as the Bike Attack, the Grischa Trail Ride and the Downhill World Cup. As a result, you will increasingly encounter a gravity-orientated clientele who appreciate the often challenging high mountain trails and the excellently shaped bike park.
However, the focus on trails should not obscure the fact that this very extensive biking area offers a wide range of activities for every type of biker. With a total of 500 kilometres of signposted routes and 900 kilometres of GPS tracks, there is a suitable tour for every level and ability. Only beginners might find the area too challenging. After all, you start here at 1500 metres above sea level, and on many tours the metres in altitude add up considerably.
Best touring time
The first floor above the valley is usually good for biking from the beginning of May. The first section of the Rothorn cable car (and therefore the bike park) will start operating at weekends from 6 May 2017 until the end of May. From June, all cable cars, with the exception of section 2 to the Rothorn summit, will start daily operation. The Rothorn cable car itself will follow at the end of June. From the beginning of July, the trails in the high mountains are usually easy to ride except for a few patches of old snow. In autumn, the cable cars run regularly until the end of October.
Overnight stay
In Lenzerheide and Arosa, a total of 17 establishments have specialised in catering for the biking clientele. It's worth booking in, as the price of an overnight stay includes at least one cable car ticket. There are also various attractively priced bike package offers.
Info: www.lenzerheide.com/bikehotels www.arosa.ch/bikehotels
Ropeways
All cable cars around Lenzerheide and Arosa transport bikes without any problems - with two exceptions: on the Weisshorn cable car in Arosa and on Piz Scalottas in Lenzerheide. Here, only bikes with up to 160 mm suspension travel and bikers without full-face helmets and protector jackets are transported (knee and elbow pads are permitted). The prices for day tickets range between 40 and 70 Swiss francs (37 and 65 euros) - as mentioned, the cable car tickets are already included in the price if you stay overnight in the bike hotels.
Info: www.lenzerheide.com
Bike school
The Lenzerheide Bike School offers a fixed programme of tours in summer. The programme also includes interesting package deals and bike camps. Guides and shuttles can be booked for individual tours at any time. Info: www.bikeschule.com
Bike parks
The Lenzerheide bike park offers five lines (1 blue, 2 red, 2 black), which are highly regarded for their excellent trail layout and exemplary trail maintenance. The never-ending blue flowline is ideal for a taster. The more difficult lines run directly under the cable car route. In some places, a red and a black line run parallel here, so you can switch to another line at any time. The World Cup Straight Line is extremely challenging and has no chicken line in the lower third. Info: www.lenzerheide.com/bikepark
The Alpenbikepark Chur offers a total of five routes (2 blue, 1 red, 2 black) on two sections and mixes bike park elements with natural trail passages. Info: www.alpenbikepark.ch
Bike camps
Various interesting bike camps are on offer in Lenzerheide between the end of June and the end of September. From trail to youth, ladies and yoga, practically every target group is catered for.
Info: www.lenzerheide.com/bikecamps
SCENE SPECIALS
UCI MTB World Cup date: 7-9 July 2017: For the third time, the world elite in the Olympic cross-country and downhill disciplines will be making a guest appearance in Lenzerheide. An extensive supporting programme transforms the race weekend into a real mountain bike happening. Info: www.mtbworldcup-lenzerheide.com
Grischa Trail Ride Date: 17-20 August 2017 The mountain bike race for soul riders takes the teams on first-class trails through the bike destinations of Lenzerheide, Arosa and Davos. Each team determines its own route. The route travelled is documented by GPS. The aim is to collect as many points as possible on various sections of the route. Info: www.grischatrailride.ch
Bike Attack date: 25-27 August 2017 The legendary mass start race leads from the Parpaner Rothorn (2865 m) down to Churwalden (1240 m). And the route has it all: 15.5 kilometres and 1800 metres in altitude downhill through the middle of the Rothorn scree slope.
World Championships MTB and Trials In 2018, the World Championships Mountain Bike and Trials will also be held in Lenzerheide. It is therefore quite possible that local pros such as Jolanda Neff and Nino Schurter will be seen training more often this summer.
You can read this article or the entire issue of BIKE 6/2017 in the BIKE app (iTunes and Google Play) or buy the issue in the DK shop reorder:
Downloads:
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
