My 5 top trails: Maxi Dickerhoff's latest finds + videos
Text: Maxi Dickerhoff
Trail 1: Bernina Trail
Engadin: from Pontresina over the Bernina Pass to Poschiavo
Above Pontresina rises the "Festival Hall of the Alps" - the Bernina group with the Piz Bernina (4048 m), the highest peak in the Eastern Alps. An equally impressive trail runs along the foot of this impressive mountain massif. From Pontresina, a single trail runs up the northern side of the pass road to the Montebello bend and on via Bernina Suot to the Bernina Pass at an altitude of 2330 metres. After passing Lago Bianco, the descent into the lovely Val Poschiavo begins. The trail often follows the tracks of the Rhaetian Railway, on which the legendary Bernina Express curves spectacularly down to Tirano in Italy.
Trail 2: Piz Nair Trail
Engadin: from Piz Nair through Val Suvretta to St. Moritz
On the other side of the Bernina group lies St. Moritz - just a stone's throw from Pontresina. The next super trail awaits here: the descent from the 3057 metre-high Piz Nair. From its summit, there is a gigantic 360-degree panorama, with a particularly impressive view of the legendary Biancograt on the northern flank of Piz Bernina.
The descent leads over the back of the mountain down to the Suvretta Pass, past the Lej Suvretta mountain lake and further out into Val Bever. In the last third, a constructed flow trail awaits you, making the whole tour another extraordinary experience.
Trail 3: Phoenix Trail
Valais: from Giw down to Visp
Almost 14 years ago, a devastating forest fire shocked the inhabitants of the small municipality of Visp in the Swiss canton of Valais. Above the village, an entire hillside was engulfed in flames. The fire left nothing but ash in its wake. And it was from these ashes that the Phoenix Trail was created.
Access to the trail is via the picturesque mountain village of Visperterminen, famous for its Heida white wine. From there, a chairlift also takes mountain bikers to the Giw mountain station at an altitude of 1962 metres. The descent via the Phoenix Trail offers around 1,200 metres of riding fun and combines flow and nature trails in a magical way.
Trail 4: Lumini Trail
Lake Garda: On the south side of Monte Baldo
Far away from the hustle and bustle on the northern shore of Lake Garda, there are numerous little-known trail gems on southern Monte Baldo. One of these gems starts in Torri del Benaco and leads across the Lumini plateau up to the Rifugio Fiori del Baldo at an altitude of around 1800 metres.
From there, the trail winds its way down Monte Baldo towards Garda. This tour is particularly recommended for e-mountain bikers, as the topography is characterised by constant ups and downs. The grand finale takes place on the headland of Punta San Vigilio - here the Aperol is waiting right by the water in the Taverna San Vigilio.
Trail 5: Bocca Saval
Lake Garda: Bob run to Lake Ledro
The gold-rush atmosphere of the mountain bike community on Lake Garda has long since faded. But where you can only get to with a lot of sweat and determination, there are still numerous barely travelled trails. On the alpine meadows of Malga Saval, for example, you will find the trailhead to a real gem.
The trail leads from the saddle of the Bocca Saval at an altitude of 1740 metres down a whopping 1079 metres to Lake Ledro. The trail is peppered with wheel-high drops, bobsleigh track-like hollows and plenty of high-speed passages.
This is Maxi Dickerhoff
Once a downhill racer, later active on the EWS circuit, then test editor and now passionately searching for the best trails in the Alps - for his new platform supertrails.bike. Maxi and photographer Markus Greber are constantly presenting their latest finds there in the form of videos, podcasts, detailed tour descriptions and GPS data.
Maxi Dickerhoff says
"Many friends are currently focussing on the fine grain of German standard gravel. Not for me. Despite all the trends, the chalice of gravel has skilfully floated past me. My passion is still for studded tyres - and those trails where even the coarse tread of a Maxxis Minion is just coarse enough. Instead of grainy, I like it gritty. And the Alps offer plenty of gritty trails, especially in Switzerland. When natural scenery and riding pleasure go hand in hand, you've found a super trail. There are two such super trails in the Upper Engadine."
