Reviews for Saalbach Hinterglemm

Summary:
Saalbach Hinterglemm Bike Circus

Review:
Saalbach-Hinterglemm is simply an incredible destination for mountain biking holidays, with a huge trail network and dedicated biker accommodation with the Bike-n-Soul hotels. Mountain Bike Legend Richie Schley has even put his name to it and if it’s good enough for him then it’s good enough for anyone! It is actually two separate towns, Hinterglemm just a bit further up the valley from Saalbach, 2 minutes in the car or 5 on the bike. But the ‘Bike-Circus’ comprises both and there are lifts that go up from both town centres. There are trails for every level of rider ability and for every category of rider interest. At Hinterglemm you have the beginner Blue Line trail, great for a warm up before hitting the Adidas Freeride “Pro Line” trail, a fast-flowing trail with optional sections of northshore known as the “Evil Eye” Trails, after the adidas shades that sponsor it. There are some big drops is here, including the famous road-gap so go easy the first time down! At Saalbach a lift on either side of the valley gives you access to "X-Line" on one side and (get this) a “Family Freeride” trail called the “Milka Line” (named after the chocolate) on the other side. It would seem they are going to great lengths to provide levels of trails for every age and ability. Advanced riders head to X-Line, running down under the Schattberg X-press gondola. This is a fantastic trail – no exaggeration to say it is one of the most enjoyable trails we have ridden EVER! It has 1025m of height loss and includes everything you could possibly want – fast berms, roots, rocks, jumps, northshore etc. And you can ride it top to bottom without stopping if you can hold on to your bars! It is not super technical or steep, at least until you get to some very rooty sections near the bottom, but it is fast and flowing and super fun and makes you want to do it again and again. Just near the bottom there is a classic Canadian ‘BC’ section of woods with moss all over the ground, indicating some pretty wet conditions all year round. So in classic BC stye they have built huge sections of northshore boards to get you through – all ridable by those with not that much experience. There are a couple of large drops right at the end, both optional, and some more demanding northshore for those wanting it, and then it brings you out right by the lift so you can get straight back on and go up for more. On top of all this, Leogang Bike Park is just over the hill and is an easy ride away. One shuttle per day up the Leogang 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!
http://worldbikeparks.com/bikeparks/65/overview.html