Skull Trail (Lake Garda, Italy)
Steep, technical, bumpy, often with lots of loose rubble - that's what the trails on the Lago are like. Nevertheless, I'm always drawn here because the Italian flair is enchanting: gelato, the smell of pineapple, cappuccino, mild temperatures when the frost is already creeping into my bones. And of course: the lake! The disadvantage of the lake: it's too steep uphill and then too steep downhill again. Flow? Not at all. A trail that at least generates some flow and a lot of riding fun: the Skull Trail (Val del Diaol) on the Altissimo (-800 m, 4.2 km). Shuttling or pedalling is up to you. The ascent is around 1000 metres. The trail winds through the mountain forest, has a few built jumps and pulls out all the stops of an alpine trail to make it exciting: Roots, hairpin bends, steep sections, boulders and rocky ribs.
Tip: Suspension travel is good on the Skull, otherwise the teeth will rattle.
Buca Delle Fate (Tuscany, Italy)
The coastal forest near Piombino in Tuscany is home to an entire MTB trail network. Great: after every descent, you end up on the beach. And you can jump into the sea. I love it! Then you pedal back up again. It's only a few metres in altitude, but the descents are great fun. The Buca delle Fate is a black trail, but there are no real danger spots. The path is narrow, winding, sandy (and therefore a little slippery!). You tip your bike from one banked position to the next and hurtle through a tunnel of leaves and sand.
La Carigole (Morgins, Switzerland)
Have you seen the YouTube clips of Vincent "Vinny" Tupin in Morgins, Switzerland? Please take a look: Freeride heaven! There are only four trails, but they are all killer. My favourite: La Carigole. Berms, as perfectly shaped and high as I am tall. Rollercoaster feeling guaranteed! The trail speed is right, the radii are just right, the stunt density: high. It's a shame that Portes du Soleil (PdS) is so far away, it offers much, much more besides the super trails of Morgins - a place of longing. My tip for every freeride to-do list, because PdS is the Euro-Whistler.
"These berms are mega. Nowhere have I ever experienced such a rollercoaster feeling as on the trails in Morgins." - Kathrin Baumann
Buca Del Bandito (Elba, Italy)
What a view, what a mountain bike trail! You have to struggle up 1000 metres in altitude in the north-east of Elba, but then you can see the whole island. And the sea. And the trail. The name gives you an idea of what to expect. It starts off as a bandit trail with scree and rocks, challenging your technical skills and your nerves (exposed), but then it plunges into the forest and the flow-o-meter skyrockets. Locals have added bends, jumps and northshores to the trail. Super exciting, super fun. And long. The whole loop is 18 kilometres long.
Foldahal (Madeira)
"Best trail in the world!" is how bike pro and Red Bull Hardline rider Jono Jones described this descent on the flower island of Madeira. I can only agree with Jono, because the Folhadal is fast and incredibly flowy. It tunnels through the eucalyptus forest, dives into canyons, jumps over bumps in the terrain and balms the studded tyres with black, grippy earth - potting soil! Mountain biking is like riding waves, that's exactly what it feels like. Take a look at the trail on YouTube.
Kathrin Victoria Baumann
The freerider from Innbruck loves all facets of biking. Kathrin is constantly shredding the park and on the hunt for the super trail.
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