Biking is ON in Engelberg

If we haven’t talked much about the biking here in the valley it’s mostly because we want to keep it a secret. To many bikers can easily make for a “very expensive new brakes account”. But as Engelberg slowly progresses into the new era of flow trails and letting bikes up on the mountain, we will play nice.

So the big picture is something like this: The Titlis side has fast trails and the Brunni side has more steep and technical trails as well as actual roads. On the Titlis side you would be pushing it quite hard to get up to the lift area by bike from the valley, on Brunni it is a mere 45 minutes. So maybe you want to take the lift up to Trübsee instead – it’s up to you. From Trübsee you can easily bike over to Jochpass and take the lift up from there. When you are up on Jochpass you can choose between three trails.

Titlis/Jochpass Biking

The Flow trail is the latest addition and pretty straightforward, flowy and nice. Good for beginners and intermediate riders that want to push the speed a bit.

Trudy Trail is more for intermediate to better bikers, the first part is a bit technical and narrow with rocks and clay. The second part of the trail intertwines with the flowtrail and becomes easier.

Hells Bells goes from Titlis down towards the lake on the other side of the mountain. It’s a mix between trail and flow with some small obstacles, nothing big and nothing you can’t avoid. Be aware of the last 300m, there are small pebbles and they roll like hell. Don’t go in with full speed towards the lift hut… just sayin.

Brunni Biking

If you have an enduro bike the Brunni side is great for uphill. You can start from the village and work your way up on the roads to Ristis (liftstation cable car), or continue all the way up to Brunnihütte (liftstation and sleepover cabin on top of the chairlift). From Brunnihütte you can go straight past the small lake and turn right or left when you get to the bench, It’s a pretty obvious crossing, the right path will take you straight then down towards Grafenort but you just take a left when you arrive at Restaurant Schwand to get back to the village, by road or trail. The hiking trails are clearly marked on the map and have yellow signs. You will be on an old road if you go paralell to the normal road up to Engelberg (white and red marks on trees and stones if you are on the walking trails).

Another nice route is straight down from the lift station at Ristis. It is very technical the first 150 meters, but you can always jump off the bike and walk it down if you find it too steep. Then take left on the trail in the farm (actually between the houses) for an easy way down, or straight over the field for a more technical way down. Whenever you hit a road between the trail parts you just follow it right and search for the next sign for the trail going down. You will arrive at Hotel Waldegg and from there you can cruise the road down or go under the concrete passage and turn right just before it.

Melchsee-Frutt

Go down Engstlen and follow the trails next to the lakes. You will pass Melchsee-Frutt and come down to a bus station at Stöckalp village station, in about 4 hours time depending on lunch break. There you take the bus down and the train back from Sarnen.

If you just want to cruise halfday you can go over and have a lunch in Melchsee-Frutt and then cruise back and take the lift from Engstlen up to Jochpass and back to Engelberg. The views are great and it is a good path for normal biking.

Hard Facts:

Titlis > Jochpass have three more or less hand made trails. “Trudy Trail”, “Flow Trail” and “Hells Bells”.

Price: 44 CHF

Brunni > a number of trails and roads to follow both up and down.

Price: 22 CHF / cable car run.

Titlis to Melchsee-Frutt > Long day trip or half-day trip.

Price: 44 CHF + bus and train back approx. 20 CHF. (sbb.ch, Stöckalp valley station – Engelberg)

Links:

https://www.titlis.ch/en/activity/detail/mountain-biking/4485/60757
http://www.melchsee-frutt.ch/

Weather and Conditions:

http://www.bergfex.com/engelberg/schneebericht/

https://www.meteoblue.com/de/wetter/vorhersage/woche/engelberg_schweiz_2660902

http://www.titlis.ch/de/titlis-gebiet/wetter

 

// Ski Lodge Team