Bellwald is rejoicing as the Goms ski resort will be tackling the coming winter with a new 6-seater chairlift. The joy in the bike community is slightly muted, as the 2022 season has been completely canceled. The bike park will not be open again until spring 2023.

"The trails will always be blocked in other places by construction machinery or construction site transportation, which is why we're not opening it at all," explains Claudio Della Bianca from Bellwald Tourism. Even those who would make the effort to pedal up themselves would hardly have any fun, not to mention the fact that it could be dangerous in construction site traffic.

This is of course a difficult season, says Claudio Della Bianca. But he is also looking forward to the new lift, whose chairs will be able to transport four passengers and three bikes instead of six - a huge increase in capacity compared to the almost 30-year-old two-seater chairlift.

This also means that the downhill community will have to do without the traditional high-speed race in Bellwald this year (since 2005). The iXS European Downhill will return to the "National" course in 2023.

Three new courses in 2023

As a reward for the long wait, so to speak, the Bellwald Bike Park will be offering three new trails in 2023. The "Sliderman" trail was in operation for the first time on the last weekend of the 2021 season, so it is still as good as untouched. Vast Trails, the company that created the existing Bellwald trails, is building a new flow trail from the mountain station to the middle station this summer. In addition, the "Into the Wild" single trail will be extended down to the village.

Last summer, the Bellwald bike school was very popular, especially for levels 1 to 3 out of 5. The courses will also take place in 2022, emphasizes Della Bianca. The pump track and skills area are open and the groups at these levels do not normally go to the bike park. However, the training sessions at the two highest levels will also be held. The guides take their students to the neighboring areas. There is plenty of space for this on the Fiescheralp, Bettmeralp and other locations in the region.Let's hope that the Bellwald Bike Park can build on its record season of 2021 in 2023. It certainly shouldn't be down to the infrastructure.www.bikeparkbellwald.com