Sweat drips onto the E-MTB display, the rear wheel refuses to find any grip in the deep gravel, the tip of the saddle digs painfully into my bum. But the gravel ramp up to the Weißseejoch is never-ending. It seems as if my companions Claus and Stefan have found a more comfortable tactic to outwit the steepness of this ski slope: simply zigzag uphill and the front wheel stays on the ground. Unfortunately, this tactic doesn't work for me, the rear wheel spins anyway and the rear end smears sideways. They've probably fitted another tech gimmick that I don't know about yet. Or maybe my legs are just too weak today for a monster climb like this.
After all, we are at an altitude of almost 3000 metres, in the middle of crossing two high alpine valleys: from the Kaunertal Glacier via the Weißseejoch to the lonely Langtaufer Valley - miles away from any kind of flow. Bosch CEO Claus Fleischer and bike designer Lutz Scheffer had already planned and completed this mission a year earlier. And on the same evening of their expedition, Claus typed me a WhatsApp: "Silence over the hotspot - down below, holidaymakers are lined up in traffic jams, eating chips red and white at the sunken church tower, while the three-country enduro circus rages above. But high up in the side valleys, there's nobody around. There, two bold e-MTB adventurers are left to their own devices, their push assistance and their riding technique." Of course, there were also a few snapshots of trail bends in rough rock with the Ortler and Weisskugel glowing in the background. A panorama that I had never seen before in the Lake Reschen region. So it was clear that I would be there for the next adventure trip high above Nauders.
A mudslide buries the road overnight
Yesterday, we were made acutely aware of the fact that such endeavours can quickly come to nothing due to high alpine dangers: a mudslide had buried parts of the Kaunertal glacier road a few hours earlier. As a result, we were unable to take the regular bus to the start of the tour as planned. There is still no bus today, so we had to fall back on a taxi that had dropped us off at the Weißsee bus stop. Since then, we have been fighting our way steadily uphill.
On the way up to the yoke, I'm quite astonished. I had read something in a mountaineering portal about a lonely trail through "green-brown coloured alpine grass". That sounded idyllic. But we're actually trudging up a wide ski slope here. A rough sea of gravel, I would say, only it felt almost vertically uphill. Claus says that he noticed the same thing when he first travelled here last year. In fact, another refuge for ski tourism has been developed here since 2021. No stone has been left unturned up here for the construction of a new 10-seater gondola lift to the Weißseejoch, including a downhill piste. Huge plastic tarpaulins are trying to preserve the snow left over from last winter. An excavator crunches through the rubble and tries to smooth out the last piles of stones. Crazy, this new cable car hadn't even been registered by Google Earth at the time of our tour.
The viewpoint we finally reach from the Weißseejoch, on the other hand, puts us in a great mood: From an altitude of exactly 2960 metres, we can now look south towards countless 3000-metre peaks on the South Tyrolean and Swiss sides. Claus first points to the north-east: "Ötztal Alps." and then waves his outstretched arm towards a particularly ice-covered peak: "Gepatschferner, Austria's second largest glacier." While we unpack our well-earned summit snack, Claus pulls out his mobile phone to show us a 40-year-old photo. It shows him with his father in 80s hiking gear on the Gepatschferner.
The descent: Only a dotted line on the map...
The pass itself marks the border between Austria and Italy. Our route now follows the steep path down into the Langtaufer Valley. Smugglers must have once created this path and used it extensively. But on foot. Due to the brakes being applied, our tyres only find uncontrolled grip at first. The gradient soon eases, but the scree now mutates into boulders. Only Stefan steers through here reasonably smoothly, and he was once vice world champion in trials. Claus and I at least manage to keep our feet on the pedals. At least for the first few bends. Then there's a foot drop here, a too risky stepped hairpin bend there - but that was clear. This route is only marked with dots on the map, which for mountain bikers usually means pushing. But when we reach a glowing turquoise-blue mountain lake, we have left the key sections behind us.
The Langtaufer Valley is one of the most unspoilt valleys in South Tyrol. It stretches from the glaciers of the Ötztal Alps westwards down to Graun on the shores of Lake Reschen. That's exactly where we want to go. After an exhilarating trail descent, I can already see myself ordering a well-earned after-work beer and 'red and white fries' at the lakeside snack bar, but Claus knows how to dampen my anticipation with one sentence: "It'll take a while. There's still quite a way to go down to Graun." We now follow the Langtauferer Höhenweg trail, which meanders gently downhill through the green mountain flanks. Behind us, the Ötztal with the mighty Weißkugel mountain range shines brightly. We do make a few metres of descent, but shortly afterwards we gently climb up again.
This trail does not want to dip below the 2500 metre altitude mark
Now we know what Claus meant: The path does not lead directly into the valley. Almost 18 of its 22 kilometres in total refuse to dip below the 2500 metre altitude mark. Instead, the trail crosses the mountain flanks of Großer Schafkopf, Wölfeleskopf and Mataunkopf. From a distance, it looks as if the path is constantly climbing over creases in the landscape. But this is deceptive. In fact, these are counter-climbs in the form of ramps so steep that even in turbo mode, our pulse is pounding in our throats. This mountain trail is an old supply route that led to a military installation during the Second World War. We stop halfway along this old barracks. Similar to the famous anti-tank barriers on the Plamort plateau above Nauders, this installation is also part of the "Vallo Alpino", the "Alpine Wall" that Mussolini had built against Nazi Germany. He was afraid that Hitler, his actual ally, might challenge him for South Tyrol.
We continue along the strenuous folds of the high trail until we pass the crystal-clear Lake Pedross and press up another climb - but this time we don't know where to look first at the top of the pass: The long notch of the Vinschgau Valley gapes deep below, King Ortler throws himself into the profile, Lake Reschen shines like a small gemstone and we can see the gondolas of the Schöneben cable car whizzing by. Now it's really all downhill for us: 1200 metres of the finest, sporty, steep trails, past a few hamlets and into the civilisation of Graun. Late in the afternoon, the lakeside near the sunken church tower is bustling with holidaymakers. Although we soon have red and white fries in our hands, we still don't feel mainstream, because we'll be climbing up there again tomorrow. Then towards the escape wall.
The 3 adventure tours in the border triangle
Nauders is associated with the three-country enduro trails, but above the cable car stations you climb into a high mountain world that offers great panoramic views and adventurous trail experiences. Here is an overview of the three top tours:
Tour 1: To the escape wall
- Length: 35.2 kilometres
- Uphill: 1562 metres in altitude
- Trail share: 35 per cent
- Difficulty: S0-S2
Tour description
Starting point: Hotel Central in Nauders, Unterdorfweg 196
The tour: When hotelier and mountain bike veteran Harry Ploner takes guests on his favourite tour, it's far away from the gondola and bike parks in the lonely, north-eastern part of his local mountains. Here you cycle from Nauders briefly on tarmac, then on a well-maintained gravel path up to the tree line and from there zigzag through the flanks of the Schmalzkopf. After Labaunalm and Labaun-Hochleger, it is worth taking a detour (rough alpine path) to the escape wall with a unique view over Nauders, King Ortler and an edelweiss meadow. Return via Labaun-Hochleger and then on a technical uphill trail up to the Saderer Joch. This is the start of a 1400 metre descent on predominantly the finest single trails down into the Inn Valley. In Pfunds, cycle paths lead along the Inn to Alt Finstermünz. The medieval wooden bridge with castle once served as a customs station. Afterwards, the old pass road - now an ingrown path - leads up to Nauders Fortress. The path along old tunnels is a real highlight, especially on an e-MTB. However, the path is not officially permitted for bikers.
Key points: The trail from the Labaun-Hochleger up to the Saderer Joch is very technical. E-MTB riding technique experts will love it, with classic bikes you have to push.
Retreat: Labaunalm, Berghof Pfunds (all organic and regional), Gasthof Zur schönen Aussicht and Klausenschenke Altfinstermünz at the castle complex.
Tour 2: Over the Weißseejoch
- Length: 24.2 kilometres
- Uphill: 965 metres in altitude
- Downhill: 2000 metres depth
- Trail share: 94 per cent
- Difficulty: S0-S3
Tour description
Starting point: Starting point Weißsee bus station, Kaunertal Glacier Road, bend 4 (2500 m).
The tour: The crossing from the Kaunertal over the Weißseejoch into the Langtauferertal is anything but a leisurely day tour. It is more of a high alpine trail adventure for which you need a high level of riding technique as well as stamina. The best way to get to the starting point is by bus: from Nauders to Prutz and from there on the 230 bus to the Kaunertal glacier ski area. The tour starts directly from the Weißsee bus stop with an ultra-steep ramp over the ski pistes up to the Weißseejoch. From here, you ride down the steepest scree slopes and rocky trails into the Langtauferertal valley, turning right after around three kilometres onto the high-altitude trail, which crosses the valley lengthways at around half its height with constant ups and downs. The finale is an almost 1200 metre descent on the finest single trails to Graun on Lake Reschen. Then take the cycle path back to Nauders.
Key points: Steep scree descent directly after the Weißseejoch with very technical key sections. Descent recommended.
Retreat: No refreshment stops in the upper Kaunertal and Langtauferertal. Be sure to take enough water and provisions with you!
Tour 3: Val d'Uina reverse
- Length: 58.3 kilometres
- Uphill: 2132 metres in altitude
- Trail share: 20 per cent
- Difficulty: S0-S2
Tour description
Starting point: Hotel Central in Nauders, Unterdorfweg 196
The tour: The route from Scuol through the spectacular Val d'Uina gorge up to the Sesvenna hut is a classic for Alpine crossers. Even if you have to push your bike in the gallery anyway for safety reasons, the whole thing is much more fun downhill. Just like on this day tour that bike designer Lutz Scheffer has devised: From Nauders, the route leads along cycle paths to Lake Reschen and, after the valley station at the Schöneben cable car, uphill for a while on tarmac. Then a forest track branches off into the lonely Rojental valley. The path soon becomes rough and you have to push for the last stretch to the Rasasserscharte. But the view of the Engadin is sensational. With a bit of luck, you might even see bearded vultures circling in the sky! The following meadow trail may contain a few stumbling blocks, but at the Schlinig Pass at the latest you will come across a paved path again. After a detour to the Sesvenna hut, the Uina gorge awaits. Here, pushing is compulsory until the end of the gallery. But as soon as the rocks open up again, the route descends on a flowing trail and later on forest and gravel paths to Sur En in the Engadin. Finally, from the banks of the Inn back to Nauders on forest road serpentines.
Key points: Steep, high alpine sliding section below the Rasasserscharte. The descent behind it contains a few unflowing holes in the alpine pasture floor in the upper section. Exposed but mostly secured rocky trail through the Val d'Uina with some oncoming traffic.
Retreat: The detour to the Sesvenna hut is worthwhile. Also worth a stop: the rustic Alp Uina Dadaint with simple cuisine but a beautiful (rear) view of the Uina gorge.
Attention: Val d'Uina
Since June 2024, the famous rocky gorge has had to be closed from time to time due to landslides. Most recently, there was talk of a closure until 31.10.24. Those who want to DK-Tours-App The GPS track automatically displays the current situation.
Info MTB area Nauders
Nauders is an ideal starting point for the three tours, as the infrastructure of the village on Lake Reschen has been geared towards bikers for years. Accommodation, bike shops and the famous enduro trails with lift.
The precinct
Nauders is located in southern Tyrol at an altitude of 1394 metres, just before the Reschen Pass on the Italian border. Its location in the border triangle opens up a wide range of day tours to Italy and Switzerland. With the legendary Snow Downhill, the village was one of the first winter sports resorts in the Alps to discover mountain bikers as a potential clientele in the 1990s. The range of biking options grew, but it was only with the enduro trend that Nauders finally found its purpose. Together with its Italian neighbours, Nauders developed the celebrated Dreiländer Enduro circuit and deliberately does not see itself as a bike park destination. Information on tours, trails, lifts and accommodation: nauders.com
Three-country enduro trails
Five mountain lifts are open throughout the season and also transport bikes. The enduro network consists of 30 trails with a total of 60 kilometres. The area at the Bergkastelbahn cable car is particularly suitable for families. Enduro riders will find their challenge at the Schöneben lift in Reschen. The trails on the Mutzkopf boast a high flow factor.
With the Dreiländer Bike Card, you have access to all lifts and can tackle all the trails in the circuit. The day ticket: 46 euros, season ticket: 307 euros.
New for 2025 in the Bergkastel area: the Goldsee Trail on the new Goldsee cable car, with a red and a blue jumpline.
Overnight stay
There is plenty of biker-friendly accommodation in Nauders. We have already tested a few of them ourselves:
Hotel Central (hotel-central.at): One of the best hotels on the square. Hotelier and bike pioneer Harry Ploner makes everything possible for biking guests and his son Michi runs the excellent kitchen.
Inn Zum Goldenen Löwen (loewen-nauders.com) and Naudererhof (naudererhof.at) and Hotel Post (post-nauders.com) - also top-class bike hotels.
More favourable in price and also top:
Holiday cottage Auer (holiday-house-auer.at): with cosy rooms and a great view.
Alpenrose-Apart (alpenrose-apart.com): Holiday flats also for larger groups.
Camping: Alpine camping Nauders (camping-nauders.com).
Tip for self-catering: On the Car park of the Bergkastel cable car you can park your camper and stay overnight for 20 euros per day.
Bike events
Green Days: The opening festival of the Dreiländer Enduro Trails with test bikes, BBQ, party. Date: 29.5. to 1.6.25.
Father & Son-Days: Great fun by and with Holger Meyer (also for mums with daughters). Dates: always on the first weekend in August.
Three-country enduro race: One of the most renowned enduro competitions. Date: 29 to 31.8.25.
Bike shops & hire
Bivouac Nauders: (bivouac-nauders.at) In the village and at the Bergkastel cable car. Hire bikes can also be booked online.
Sport Spöttl (sport-nauders.at) and Car Hutter (auto-hutter.at) Car and bike workshop in one.
