La Palma - Interview with Philipp Foltz: "The E-MTB opens up new horizons for me on La Palma!"
Gitta Beimfohr
· 18.07.2024
BIKE: Good to see you Philipp! How long has it been since your last visit to Germany?
Philipp Foltz: It's probably been at least five years since I've been here. There was plenty for me to do on the island: first corona, then the volcanic eruption, renovation work...
The volcano has been quiet since December 2021. Is (bike) tourism now back to normal?
Let's put it this way: the banana trees are already sprouting again on the new ash and most of the paths have been repaired. Unfortunately, I had the misfortune that my location in Puerto Naos remained closed to tourists due to the volcanic gases still escaping. Only now have most of the businesses and accommodation in the town been given the green light again by the island administration. I will therefore be able to resume regular operations from November. But with a completely new approach.
And what would they be?
E-MTB tours! I won't be offering any more enduro tours in future. So no more La Palma classics down from the Roque de los Muchachos. But I will be offering day tours and weekly programmes that undulate through the ash flanks at altitudes of 700 to 800 metres. They are unimaginably fun on an e-MTB. Keyword: Uphill flow.
Yes, but don't most bikers come for the "over-the-clouds" scenery on the Roque and the eternally long descent from 2400 metres to the sea?
So far, that's true. But the corona and volcanic eruption season has also brought many a conservationist onto the scene on La Palma. That got me thinking. Each Roque tour takes 1.5 hours in the shuttle up to the summit. And depending on which descent you choose, you also need a shuttle back. From the north coast, for example, it's another 1.5-hour drive back to Puerto Naos. With a little distance, I can understand that this alone is not particularly sustainable for conservationists.
And with an E-MTB, the battery doesn't reach all the way to the top, does it?
That's not the only problem. When we started the enduro tours from the summit in 2005, we were still the only providers. Today, there are five stations alone that shuttle you up there. I would simply like to start my new beginning with something completely new and future-orientated and, in my opinion, the E-MTB has the greatest potential. It has certainly opened up completely new horizons for me. For example, I open the map and can suddenly read it in a completely different way. Trails and paths that were previously ruled out from the outset as too steep and/or unrideable are suddenly the most fun connections. There is still an incredible amount of touring potential!
And now you're looking for an e-MTB manufacturer for your station? Your future clientele can't get on a plane with an e-MTB.
Yes, that's how it looks. I was at the Eurobike in Frankfurt and had some very good conversations about hire bikes. But the main reason for my visit home is actually that I wanted to help my mate Stefan Schlie out of a jam. Together with Claus Fleischer from Bosch, he was responsible for the BIKE Transalp registered. For the new E-MTB version. Unfortunately, something came up for Stefan and I was happy to stand in for him.
Funny, as a former Alpine guide you should already know all the routes.
Yes, I've crossed the Alps well over 100 times in 25 years on my MTB and racing bike. But never in the race format of the BIKE Transalp and especially not on an E-MTB. I have to admit, it feels like it's my very first Transalp. I hope that the race will give me some important experience for my future business.
Well then, dig in!
Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
