Nature and diversity
Over the course of 30 years the Eggen Valley has continuously developed as a mountain biking area. But what has changed in all this time? Three local cycling enthusiasts tell us.
“We weren’t really taken seriously,” says Kurt Resch, as he looks back at his early attempts at mountain biking in the mountains of South Tyrol. It’s now a good 30 years ago – and at the time, of course, the hotelier from the Steineggerhof bio-hotel had no idea that he would become one of the pioneers of the biking scene in South Tyrol. Kurt recalls how in those days mountain bikers were considered to be somewhat eccentric. And although there weren’t yet many of them exploring the trails of the Eggen Valley on two wheels, he “soon saw that something big could come of it”. Above all here, where there is beauty in abundance. Where the breathtaking Dolomite massifs of Rosengarten and Latemar start to glow a fabulous deep red on a morning and evening. And where Lake Carezza, with its intense colours, reveals itself against an unbelievably picturesque backdrop.
„perfect conditions and endless panoramic views“
In 1993, he placed his first advert in a trade magazine – initially with only a little success. “We had our first guests two years later,” he says looking back with a smile. His patience has long since been rewarded, not least because over time he has found a few allies. For instance, after Bike Hotels South Tyrol was founded just before the turn of the millennium and around ten Eggen Valley businesses joined it. “This area blazed a trail in South Tyrol right from the start,” recalls Kurt. In the meantime, many other destinations have jumped onto the mountain bike train and with some building trails and parks in grand style. “But the Eggen Valley has kept its closeness to nature and its diversity,” says Kurt. Climate, scenery and cuisine – all combine here to create a perfect mix for bikers. “From early spring until late autumn,” explains the hotelier, who has himself conducted guided tours almost every day for 15 years, mountain bikers enjoy “perfect conditions and endless panoramic views.”
On the other side of the valley in Deutschnofen and Obereggen, Christian Ploner is one of the most experienced mountain bike guides in the region. “Everyone is inspired by the landscape here,” he says of his experiences of countless tours against the mighty backdrop of the Rosengarten and Latemar mountains. “But some didn’t always have their eyes on the Dolomites,” says Christian, with a wink. In the past, when there were no e-bikes, he pushed even some accomplished mountain bikers to their limits – both in terms of fitness and riding technique. That’s because Christian, who for years did a lot of training a racing bike with his father, Richard, was amazingly fast in those days – both uphill and down.
Today Christian takes it a bit more steadily, partly because he is a permanent member of the winter and summer team at Ski and Bike Siegfried, where he makes sure that every holidaymaker is supplied with the sports equipment that they need. “E-bikes have changed everything here,” he says of his experiences at the rental shop. Enquiries for hire bikes without motorised support can be counted on the fingers of one hand these days. Christian himself also gets out and about almost exclusively by e-mountain bike these days. “You can start in spring without having built up a foundation of fitness and have real fun with them,” he says. And above all, “differences in performance can be much more easily balanced out with e-bikes.”
„It is still the highlight among the tours“
When he heads for the Latemar Ronda with his guests, things are much more relaxed than they used to be. “It is still the highlight among the tours,” says Christian. There was a time when it was taboo for mountain bikers to use extra assistance when cycling uphill. Anyone who overcame the ultra-steep slopes from the Fassa Valley to the Feudo Pass without having to get off and push could feel like a king on two wheels. Today, however, it is completely normal to tackle the ride with the support of lifts and a motor. “That is why the ride around the Latemar has now become a popular tour among families,” says Christian. Both from Welschnofen and the settlement at Lake Carezza as well as from Obereggen, there is only a brief ascent to the Karer Pass with only a few metres of altitude to be overcome on the scenically unique clockwise circuit. And whilst both descents of the around six hour-long whole day ride may be steep, they do not present any major problems to hobby mountain bikers or families who ride regularly.
When Kurt Resch thinks back to the time before e-bikes, then he talks about guests who even wanted to ride the circuit around the Latemar from Steinegg – with strength-sapping extra climbs and distance. “Afterwards we would need two days’ rest,” he recalls with a smile. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, Kurt was also one of the pioneers in the region when it came to e-bikes. “In the beginning, nobody wanted to touch them,” he remembers, when he first started to offer e-bikes for rental at the hotel. Nowadays, however, even the sportiest guests no longer want to go without a bit of motorised support. “Our rides these days have not only a much larger radius, but are also a lot more fun for everyone,” he explains. A pleasing side-effect is that the Steineggerhof has been able to significantly reduce the number of shuttles for its guided tours by around 90 per cent.
For Verena Fabbro too, having fun on the bike plays a much bigger part than it once did. When she was still an active ski racer, fitness training on a racing bike and on a mountain bike was a basic requirement of being fit for the winter. “Nowadays I ride a mountain bike if I feel like switching off sometimes,” says Verena, who uses the Eggen Valley in both winter and summer as a year-round playground. While, as a ski instructor, she passes on her experience as a ski racer during the season, she can enjoy the mountain biking area below the Rosengarten at her leisure. Either on the Carezza Trail from the Frommer Alp down to Welschnofen or on the Frinwiese, where the Rosengarten and Latemar are revealed in all their splendour between the Niger Pass and the Karer Pass. Occasionally she might even simply lie in the grass in her “favourite spot” in summer next to her bike and with the panoramic view let her thoughts run free.
„Our guests want to spend the best days of their year here“
Here, where the Dolomites seem close enough to touch, a great deal has changed for mountain bikers over the course of time. What remains the same, however, is the breathtaking scenery of the Rosengarten and Latemar. It is an abundance of beauty that even those who sat in the saddle over 30 years ago never take for granted. Not being taken seriously as a mountain biker is no longer a problem for Kurt Resch and his comrades-in-arms. “Our guests want to spend the best days of their year here,” says Kurt. That cycling plays an ever greater role in this, is due in no small part to him. Because he always believed in it. And because he has what people who like getting out and about high up in the mountains open up to – broad horizons!
