The Osttirol region is the southwestern corner of Austria. It may not be the most famous region when it comes to biking, but it offers 2 interesting bike parks and network of around 600 km of bike trails. Last time we took You to Lienz bike park. Today we invite You to have a closer look at Grossglockner bike park.
Osttirol – Kals am Grossglockner
Osttirol, or East Tyrol, is a small mountain paradise in which the Hohe Tauern Mountains and Lienz Dolomites are located. Kals am Grossglockner, is a small mountain town located in a valley, right next to the highest peak in Austria, to which it owes the second part of its name. The town is located at an altitude of around 1,300 m above sea level. All the peaks surrounding it exceed 2,000 m, and after reaching the higher parts of the mountains, You will see a beautiful high-mountain panorama, with some of the peaks exceeding 3,000 m. In winter a ski resort works here with network of ski lifts and slopes. In summer, a gondola lift is working for hikers and bikers. It takes You from the town to the Cimaross Pass high in the surrounding mountains. Kals am Grossglockner and its resort are at the border of the Hohe Tauern National Park and offer a lot of nice hiking trails and wonderful landscapes.
Grossglockner bike park
The Grossglockner bike park is located in the Grossglockner Resort. Bikers can use the Kalser Bergbahnen gondola lift, which goes straight from town of Kals to an altitude of 2,405 meters. There are 3 trails available here, which combine into one varied and long descent. One ride down is 7 km long and with an elevation drop of nearly 1,000 meters. The area also offers a network of touring and mountain bicycle trails. We stayed overnight at the bike park in the city of Lienz. Grossglockner Resort is about half an hour’s drive away. If you’re in the area, definitly it’s worth visiting both of the bike parks.
Grossglockner bike park – infrastructure and lift
The lower station of the main lift is located close to Großdorf town. At first glance, it is located in the middle of a field, but everything you need is there. There is a large parking lot, a ticket office, a small tourist shop, a bicycle rental that offers basic service and toilets. The lift is a modern and fast gondola lift that comfortably takes You up with your bike. It is possible to get off at the middle station and take just two trails located in the lower part of bike park. If we don’t get off, the lift will take us to the Cimaross Pass. At the upper gondola station there is a mountain restaurant with an amazing viewing terrace. From here you can admire Austria’s highest peak, Grossglockner and lot of other mountains that are more than 3000 meters high. All trails and even short access roads are very well and clearly marked.
Grossglockner bike park – Adler Trail – Blue Flow Line
Right next to the upper lift station is the beginning of the Adler Trail. It is a typical high-alpine single trail. It runs entirely in an open area and offers beautiful views. Its flowy line is clearly visible from the lift and is impressive! Since it is a flow route, there are many well-shaped berms and some rollers. Advanced bikers will also find several options here that will allow them to fly off the ground a bit. The whole trail is designed to maintain a constant, safe speed and offer a pleasant and relatively easy ride. During my visit, the first half of this route had already been renovated and allowed for a very nice and smooth descent. Its second part was more washed out and the turns were not as smooth, but the work will be continued to bring the flow back to the whole trail. The Adler Trail offers 3.5 km of descent with around 450 m of elevation. The trail ends at the middle station of the gondola lift.
Grossglockner bike park – Gornerwald Trail – Black Enduro/DH
From the middle gondola station, you have to go down a short distance on a gravel road. After a while, you will see the begining of the Gornerwald trail. It leads through the forest and the steepest part of the slope. Trail is marked as black, and it is intended only for advanced mountain bikers. Its beginning may seem like a rather gentle, winding path. However, some further fragments are steep, lead over rocks and roots, and require technical skills. Advanced bikers will find small jumps and very interesting technical sections here. I really liked this trail, especially that it was in great condition, without any brake bumps or washed out elements. The trail has a great flow and doesn’t let you get bored. It may not be very difficult, but with the higher speed obstacles become more difficult. The Gornerwald Trail is almost 2 km of descent and has over 400 m of elevation. The trail ends with an exit from the forest onto a gravel road. A little further on, the last short and easy flow trail begins. Beginner bikers who would like to avoid this difficult variant can choose to take the access road and also ride down to the beginning of the last Temblerfelder route.
Grossglockner bike park – Temblerfelder Trail – Green Flow Line
Short moment after leaving the forest, there is the beginning of the last trail. Temblerfelder is an easy flow line that is going along a gentle slope. It offers very gentle turns and some nice table jumps where you can fly a bit at higher speeds. A very good option to cool down your emotions after the previous difficult trail. The Temblerfelder is around 700 meters long, during which it overcomes 100 m of altitude. The trail ends at an intersection with a gravel road. From there, there is a short marked trail through scenic pastures back to the lower station of the gondola lift.
Grossglockner bike park – My visit
Before going to the Grossglockner bike park, I quickly checked its offer and, to be honest, one option of descent divided into 3 routes did not make me optimistic. But since I like visiting new places, I decided that it was worth giving the place a chance. And I was absolutely not disappointed. The gondola quickly and efficiently took me to the upper part of the resort, where I had amazing views of the entire area and the twisted Adler singletrail. I really appreciate the alpine atmosphere of the upper trail. Although the second part of it, is not super smooth and requires some corrections, overall the ride on the first trail was nice. Then I entered the forest with the Gornerwald route and that’s where the fun began. Good berms, technical sections and some jumps, mixed with a winding singletrail with a lot of good flow, offer an amazing ride. Thanks to the fact that the place is rarely visited, the route is in really good condition and shape. To complete a nice ride, there’s one last section with some flow and a few jumps.
The overall descent is long and varied, making it very interesting. Initially, I thought I would ride it three times and then maybe go on one of the nearby scenic bicycle trails. However, I liked the ride at this three trails so much, that I did 5 descents from the top and 2 more from the middle station to focus on the Gornerwald section. While having a good fun on the trails I also met GGtrailshaper who was working on the trails. As it turned out, he is the main creator and builder of these trails. Currently he is also responsible for their maintenance. The guy is doing really good job and the descents are at very good level. My personal favorite is definitely the difficult Gornerwald trail. This is one of the best singletrail/enduro routes I have ridden this year. I keep my fingers crossed for the further development of the place. Currently, with only one option of descent, the Grossglockner bike park is a place for one day of riding. However, if you are planing to visit Osttirol region and ride in the Lienz bike park, it is definitely worth visiting here as well.
Grossglockner bike park – when to visit, bike pass price
We visited Grossglockner bike park in the second half of September. Interestingly, the more famous Lienz bike park operated then only on weekends, while the Grossglockner resort gondola still operated every day of the week except Wednesdays. In the summer season of 2024 the lift will operate under the same rules from June 22 to September 22. The price of a bikepass in the 2023 season was EUR 33 for a full-day of riding. There are also cheaper morning and afternoon tickets and, of course, reduced-price options. The most up-to-date opening hours and price lists are available at official web site of bike park.
Grossglockner Resort – mountain bike trails
As the addition to riding in the bike park, there are more bike trails marked in the area. Highly recommended is sceenic loop, which also runs through the pass at the upper station of the gondola lift. Cimaroß-Goldriedrunde is marked as MTB146 route and is a relatively easy walking and cycling trail that offers plenty of beautiful views. Another interesting option may be to descend from the Kals-Matreier-Torl shelter to the gondola middle station along the MTB140 trail. For those who want to explore more of this picturesque area, a whole folder has been prepared, which also describes other tour options. Of course, the area is also rich in typical hiking trails. The easiest way to check the available options is at official Osttirol web site.
Więcej artykułów związanych z naszym wyjazdem do Osttirolu:
- 43ride – Lienz bike park – Osttirol
- Travel blog Bałkany rudej [PL]– Lienz i okolice – praktykalia
- Travel blog Bałkany rudej [PL] – Osttirol na aktywne, jesienne wakacje
This article was made with cooperation of 43RIDE with Rasoulution and Tourismusverband Osttirol.
About Osttirol
Osttirol, or East Tirol, is surrounded by 266 peaks with more than three-thousand meeters of elevation. The Hohe Tauern Mountains rise on one side and the Lienz Dolomites on the another. Thanks to this, it is a travel destination at any time of the year. It’s a true paradise for outdoor fans. There are 2 bike parks and an impresive network of 600 km of various trails for bikers.
Oficial web site: osttirol.com
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