Day 37: X-Line in the mist

6 Aug 2011

Day 37: The MTB Mecca of Saalbach-Hinterglemm. It rained again all evening and all through the night, but things were looking better when we woke. So it was up the Schattberg X-Press again for some more pics in the early morning mist. There have not been that many female riders at most of the bike parks we have visited on the URT, and the only pictures we really have are of Maria from Norway (Todtnau), and Nadège from Switzerland (Livigno). So it was great to go out this morning with Saalbach cover-girl Sabine for a dedicated shoot. The trail conditions were surprisingly good despite all the heavy rain, so it looks like the drainage here is excellent. We are told that there has actually been quite a lot of rain here this summer but the X-Line trail is holding up really well. Sasch came along too and Tim worked miracles with the camera gear to get some of the best images of the trip so far.

Saalbach-Hinterglemm is just a fantastic region for mountain biking holidays, with a huge trail network and dedicated accommodation with the Bike n Soul hotels. There are trails for every level of rider ability and for every category of rider interest. The Leogang Bike Park is just over the hill and is an easy ride away. One shuttle per day up the Leogang Asitz cable car is included in the Joker Card – a brilliant value-for-money pass which covers your access to the lift network but also includes (either fully or discounted) numerous other activities and attractions in the wider area.

For those more into longer XC or Enduro riding, the Big 5 Challenge is a huge freeride tour of the area that utilises all 5 cable cars to give up 5000m of descending in the day. And the challenge is the time it takes you to complete the route; your lift pass records the time of day you access each lift, so your total time can be calculated and posted online with those of other riders – just go to the website and enter your lift ticket number. Of course you don’t have to take the lifts – you can ride up the hills if you must! Issues such as the biker/hiker conflict have all been recognised and addressed, check this out from one of the summer tourist leaflets…

“FAIR PLAY: The Summer Circus Saalbach Hinterglemm Leogang offers more than 400 km of well marked hiking and biking trails. Most of these paths can be used by both bikers and hikers alike; some are open only to bikers, others are open only to hikers. For the safety and convenience of our guests, we beg you to exercise mutual respect and considerateness towards other guests utilising the trails, heeding the “Fair Play” boards which are throughout the region…”

Not seen that sort of thing in too many places – just gives you an indication of how seriously they take providing mountain bike holidays in this region. Definitely worth a visit at some point in your biking career! Next we’re heading further east – off to Wagrain tomorrow.

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