Barrhorn – der Zeit einen Schritt voraus

Mit der Publikation des Barrhorns hat Ride früh den Trend zu hochalpinen Routen aufgenommen. Die Zutaten dafür lagen eigentlich auf der Hand: bessere Fahrtechnik, mehr Federweg und breitere Reifen.

Once upon a time, there were just a few freaks who spent hours humping their bikes up high alpine terrain. The makers of Ride were among them when they climbed the Barrhorn for the first time in 2011. Even then, it was the highest peak in Switzerland with a path leading up to it without a glacier or climbing passage. It was a trial by fire because there was no one who had ever done the route on a bike. And the hikers had no idea what was possible on a mountain bike.

The ascent from the Turtmannhütte to the summit takes three hours. Three hours with the bike on your shoulders through high alpine terrain, one section secured with ropes. Then the liberating feeling on the summit, which is otherwise only known to mountaineers. The joy of the summit combined with the 3000-metre descent to Turtmann. Challenging but doable. A route of great emotions.

Ride produced a report on the tour in 2013 and picked up on the trend towards high-alpine routes. All signs indicated that this type of mountain biking would play an important role. The riding technique of the majority of mountain bikers was improving from year to year. The bikes had more and more suspension travel, tires became thicker and chunkier and the overall weight dropped at the same time. And the mountain bikers themselves were increasingly willing to put up with long stretches for a good descent and great emotions.

Mountain bikers are no longer a rarity at the Turtmannhütte, let alone freaks, and high alpine mountain biking has established itself as an important part of the sport. The Barrhorn tour, however, is an example of how Ride recognized trends early on. In the noughties, the early days of Ride, many tourist regions advertised mountain bike routes that went up to the alp on a gravel road and back down again on the same road. Only wide trails were signposted. At the time, Ride recognized the importance of single trails and took a different approach. The right one, as it turned out. The Barrhorn was no different. If the makers of Ride are often referred to as freaks today, then they know that they are on the right path. They proved it on the Barrhorn.