Dust, high speeds, and decisions right down to the final run: The iXS Downhill Cup season finale took place in Bellwald with over 370 riders. Nicolas Baechler and Gianna Nef secured Swiss victories on the day, while Lino Neumann and Hanna Blochberger claimed the overall titles. Jules Troillet rounded out the Swiss men’s podium in third place.

To cap off its biggest season yet, Enduro2 really went all out once again in the Aletsch region. Three days, 16 stages, and over 10,000 meters of vertical descent challenged the two-person teams between Riederalp, Bettmeralp, Fiescheralp, and Bellwald. This recap shows just how much adventure, speed, and Alpine scenery this finale had to offer.

At the Enduro World Cup in the Aletsch Arena, the penultimate race of the season, Ella Conolly prevailed over world champion Elly Hoskin and Nadine Ellecosta. In the men’s race, Ryan Gilchrist took the win ahead of Lief Rodgers and Adrien Dailly. In the junior women’s race, Switzerland’s Elena Frei rode to a home victory, while Hugo Marti Montessinos won the junior men’s race.

Enduro, currently the problem child of mountain bike racing, is coming to live TV. The Swiss free-to-air channel Blue Zoom will broadcast the World Cup race at the Aletscharena Bellwald this coming weekend. According to the organizers, this is a world premiere.

Twenty years ago, it wasn’t just a bike park that was created in Bellwald—it was a vision. What began with shovels, pickaxes, and a handful of downhill enthusiasts has evolved into one of Switzerland’s most versatile alpine bike destinations. To mark this anniversary, Bellwald is looking back on its pioneering history, celebrating the people behind the project, and opening the next chapter of its success story with a new partnership with Crankbrothers.

Since its opening last year, the Furka Trail in Obergoms has quickly become a popular singletrack in the Upper Valais. A new short documentary follows trail builders Donat and Leo on the descent from the Furka Pass to Oberwald and offers exciting behind-the-scenes insights into the construction project.

The Aletsch Arena invited top athletes from the national and international racing scenes to the Enduro Invitational. Wet, slippery trails turned the riders-only race into a true test of form ahead of the World Cup opener—no show, no audience, but with an official ranking. The winner was Tristan Botteram of the Netherlands, ahead of Urien Minuty (CH) and Max Pfeil (DE); in the women’s race, Winni Goldsburry (NZ) took the win ahead of Franca Rudolf and Malin Emily Hoyle (both CH).

Above the Galmihorn Hut in Goms, a new trail is being built to replace a previously difficult, very steep section. The project combines improved rideability with sustainable trail construction while reducing conflicts between hikers and mountain bikers in alpine terrain.

In the summer of 2025, a roughly three-kilometer section of the fourth stage of the Valais Panorama Bike national mountain bike route in the Saflisch Pass area underwent extensive renovation and optimization. The aim of the work was to stabilize the existing trail in a sustainable manner and ensure its long-term accessibility for mountain bikes. Bikeplan was responsible for planning and construction management, while the construction work was carried out by the specialist trail construction company VastTrails.

From May 16 - 17, 2026, selected athletes from the international enduro elite will meet in the heart of the Swiss Alps for the Aletsch Enduro Invitational. The event is a top-class pre-season race, by invitation only, without a public supporting program and without an audience.

The ski season is in sight and many snow sports resorts have already opened for business. Ideally, mountain bikers who are switching to bikes for the next few months should also stay in hotels that have a heart for cyclists in winter. Ride shows which hotels are particularly worthwhile.

The Swiss Enduro Series 2025 came to a spectacular end in the Aletsch Arena and Bellwald at the same time as the Enduro World Championships. Gustav Wildhaber and Silvia Penso triumphed in the final round, while Delia da Mocogno confidently secured overall victory - a season finale full of excitement, trails and alpine fascination.

The iXS Downhill Cup 2025 ends in Bellwald with spectacular races. Gianna Nef and Yannick Baechler secured the victories in the elite category, while the overall rankings went to Marlena Rieger and Simon Maurer. The traditional season finale in Valais provided a worthy conclusion to an intensive racing season.

October is often one of the highlights of the MTB season. While the mountain railways in France and Italy have already shut down, the season continues until the end of October, especially in Switzerland. Here are some shuttle tips for October.

The Mountain Bike World Championships took place in Valais from August 30 to September 14, 2025, bringing together eight disciplines for the first time. As a result, 1228 athletes from 60 nations competed for 27 titles and set a record number of participants. Now Valais 2025 is taking stock and looking to the future.

On the sixth day of the 2025 UCI Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, Aletsch Arena/Bellwald provided the perfect setting for the E-MTB Cross-Country decisions. The world championship titles went to Anna Spielmann (Austria) and Jérôme Gilloux (France). The silver medals went to Switzerland's Kathrin Stirnemann and Joris Ryf. Sofia Wiedenroth from Germany and Hugo Pigeon from France won bronze.

On the first day of the Mountain Bike World Championships in Valais, Canada's Elly Hoskin and the USA's Richie Rude secured the Enduro World Championship titles on the final stage. In the junior races, the gold medals went to Nežka Libnik (SLO) and Melvin Almueis (FRA). Switzerland's Noé Forlin and Elena Frei shine with silver and bronze.

The destination of Goms inaugurates its new bike trails in perfect weather as part of the 25th Gommermärt. Around 30 mountain bikers take part in the inaugural ride on the Nufenen and Mossmatten trails, organized by the local Trailride Goms association. The new Furka Trail is also very popular.

Work on the new Furka Trail has been completed. The trail between Furkapasshöhe and Oberwald is now open to bikers, another milestone in the expansion of biking in Upper Valais. However, special care must be taken on the shared trail. Not only hikers, but also grazing animals and mules share this impressive section of Alpine cultural landscape.

On June 28 and 29, the Bellwald Bike Park and Rodeo Bike will be hosting the legendary Riding High Festival. The bike park will be fully open, the hottest brands will be bringing their test bikes and raclette, barbecue, cold beer and a party will be provided.

The Swiss Enduro National Team is preparing for the Home World Championships in September with a two-day training camp in Bellwald and the Aletsch Arena. On Sunday, the team met the youngsters from Valais as part of the Kids Flowtrail Race.

After the official opening ceremony in July 2024 was canceled due to the weather, the Trailride Goms association is offering all bike fans the opportunity to discover the two new Nufenen and Moosmattentrail bike trails together with the locals.

The World Championships in Valais are fast approaching. The MTB showdown will take place here in 100 days. The anticipation is palpable at first glance.

After the heavy snowfall in mid-April, the effects on the bike infrastructure in Valais are very different. While the Lower Valais is already off to a good start to the season, clean-up work is still ongoing in other regions. Shuttle providers such as Trail Taxi are providing valuable support in assessing the damage and are already making safe bike tours possible again in some areas.

Here is an overview of the newly recorded ride tours in March and April 2025. 41 researched routes have been added. The focus was on Lake Garda, the Ligurian coast around Genoa and Valais

The planned gondola lift project from Fiesch to Bellwald is causing heated debate. The aim of the new cable car is to improve access to the Bellwald mountain bike and winter sports area and to further boost tourism in the region. The start of construction has been delayed for some time due to an objection.

Five municipalities in the Aletsch Arena have joined forces to make the maintenance and further development of the tourist infrastructure more efficient. The focus is particularly on hiking trails and bike trails, the quality of which is to be improved by pooling resources and using new digital tools.

The Goms high valley in Valais is closing an important gap in the trail network with the newly created bike trail from the Furka Pass to Oberwald. As part of the overarching "St. Gotthard Bike Labyrinth" project, the new route offers a varied descent along natural trails with different characters. It will be completed in summer 2025.

After a long wait, the Swiss Enduro Series presents its 2025 race calendar, which features four races, with the series crossing the national border into Italy for the first time.

The "CM MTB UCI Valais 2025" association is preparing for a historic event: For the first time, eight mountain bike disciplines will be held in a single region, Valais, from August 30 to September 14, 2025. The competition calendar has now been officially confirmed. The Aletsch Arena and Bellwald have also been announced as the venue for cross-country competitions for e-mountain bikers.

October is often one of the highlights of the MTB season. While the mountain railroads have already closed in France or Italy, the season lasts until the end of October, especially in Switzerland. Here are the shuttle tips for October.

Obergoms in Valais is known for its numerous single trails. The region is getting serious about its mountain bike offer and has declared the descent from the Nufenen Pass and the nearby Mossmatten Trail to be official MTB routes. The trails have been structurally upgraded and will receive more intensive maintenance thanks to their new status.

Here is the seventh and final Secret Spot episode from Kriss Kyle on his trip through the Valais. In the Aletsch Arena, he is accompanied by David Constantin. Known in Switzerland as "Bax" in the TV series "Tschugger". Chaos and lots of fun are guaranteed!

Jack Moir takes his first victory in two years at the Enduro World Cup in the Aletsch Arena. The Australian prevails against Slawomir Lukasik and Richie Rude. Thanks to her victory over Ella Connolly and Isabeau Courdurier, Great Britain's Harriet Harnden makes up a lot of ground in the overall standings.

If you want to relax, lie on your lazy skin. That was once the case. The new idleness is called borderline experience. For example on the Bahnentour, known for its 10,000 Elevation loss on trails in just one day. For the 2024 season, the Graubünden variants will be reinforced with a new route in the Aletsch region.

When it comes to mountain biking, Valais isn't just going all out in racing. From summer 2024, the mountain railroads of the Aletsch Arena, Belalp, Bellwald, the Hohsaas mountain railroads and the Grächen tourist company will be jointly offering a new bike ticket. The Upper Valais BikePass is available as a season ticket at four age-dependent rates and is valid during the respective summer opening times of the participating destinations.

From July 12 to 14, the World Series in the Aletsch Arena and Bellwald will be an enduro showdown. In the background, the real heroes of every event will be doing a fantastic job: the volunteers. You can now register for these positions with the organizers.

Save the date - from July 12 to 14, 2024, the Aletsch Arena and Bellwald will host the first UCI Enduro World Cup. Mark the date in your calendar and be there, whether as a rider or spectator.

While biting temperatures are still sweeping through the Alps, at Ride all signs are already pointing to summer trail fun. The first 2024 issue is currently in print, and this marks a small "turning point".

Mountain bikers who like to use cable cars sometimes have to dig deep into their pockets. But not everywhere. In the Aletsch Arena in Valais, for example, you will find one of the cheapest shuttle services in the Alps.

In its efforts to reduce the impact of today's lifestyle on nature, clothing manufacturer Patagonia is making progress. Retailers are also directly involved, recently receiving practical lessons in trail maintenance in the Aletsch Arena and picking up shovels and picks themselves.

In the mountains, the trees are increasingly showing their bright autumn colors, heralding the final phase of this year's mountain bike season. With the support of the mountain railroads, there are three weekends left in October in most destinations to collect many Elevation losses.

At the final of the international iXS Downhill Cup in Bellwald, Norway's Kine Haugom rides to victory ahead of Switzerland's Jolanda Kiener and Delia Da Mocogno. In the men's race, victory went to Simon Maurer from Germany, just ahead of Switzerland's Yannick Bächler and France's Cedric Taillefer. Myles Weber is another Swiss in the top 5, ahead of serial winner Tore Hemmerling.

In 2025, the UCI Mountain Bike World Championships will shape the history of mountain biking in Valais. Exactly two years before the huge event, the organizing committee unveils the Aletsch Arena together with Bellwald as the new official host destination for the enduro competitions. Leukerbad is bidding to take over the e-mountain bike races. Valais 2025 also announces the calendar for 2024 and takes stock of the legacy projects.

Anita Gehrig and Patrick Lüthi win the championship titles at the Swiss Enduro Championships at the fifth round of the Swiss Enduro Series in the Aletsch region. Patrick Lüthi also won the SES classification, while French rider Melanie Pugin won the women's race on the final stage.

Watching the sunrise from the top of a mountain is a bucket list item. There are several first-class mountain peaks for mountain bikers, some of which are even accessible by cable car.

The forest fire in the Aletsch region above Bitsch in the canton of Valais has left visible traces. Numerous trails on the Riederhorn are still closed at the beginning of August, but the closed area has been significantly reduced. Mountain bikers are hardly affected in their tour planning; for example, the descent from Riederalp is once again possible on the Aletsch circular tour from the Ride tour database, as is the Stoneman Glaciara route.

Crossing the Gotthard Pass by stagecoach - this adventurous undertaking was recorded almost two hundred years ago. Today, comfortable Postbuses ride over all the Alpine passes in the Gotthard region. At the Ride Camp from July 14 to 16, 2023, there will even be a convertible Postbus with trailer exclusively for mountain bikers.

The Valais mountain village of Bellwald has big plans for the implementation of its "Bike Park Vision 2024". Once realized, seven new trails will be available. A partial success can already be celebrated in 2023. Four of the seven planned trails will be fully completed by the opening on 1-2 July. Crowdfunding was launched at the beginning of December for the final work in spring 2023 and to partially finance the "Scarry Shotter" enduro trail.

It's the crux of trail building: how do you build a trail that works perfectly for practically all skill levels? The brains behind the young company Vast Trails have built their vision of a playful, creative and beginner-friendly trail with the "Forest Bump" in Bellwald. With passion and a few more shovels than planned, the result is much more than just a conventional flow trail.

On June 11, the Aletsch Arena in Valais will start the 2022 season with a new feature: the region now has a flow trail that rides from the mountain station of the Wurzenbord chairlift down to Bettmeralp.

Because Bellwald is building a new chairlift, the bike park will remain closed for the entire 2022 season. However, the bike school will continue to offer lessons. The bike park will open in 2023 with three new trails.

The Valais municipality of Bellwald recorded more summer guests than winter guests for the first time in summer 2021, and a record number of summer guests were also recorded on the Wiriehorn. Mountain biking contributed significantly to the success of both destinations.

Bikepark Bellwald is busy building as part of Vision 2024. Following the first new trail, the "Forest Bump", the Upper Valais-based company has opened the "Sliderman" section. The so-called "Play Trail" with its numerous fun elements is the technical extension to the Forest Bump and appeals to mountain bikers who like to play and jump on their mountain bikes.

After the Nagens Trail in Laax, the company Velosolutions is building the second bike trail in Valais, using only electrically powered construction machinery. The almost three-kilometre-long, flowing but natural descent from Wurzenbord to Bettmeralp is set to open at the end of August 2021.

The Bellwald bike park is being expanded as part of Vision 2024. The first stage of expansion is a four-kilometre flow trail from the Fleschen middle station with a planned opening in June 2021. In 2022, bike park operations will be suspended due to the construction of the new chairlift, but another trail will be built in the meantime. The expansion is set to continue at this pace until the end of 2024.

Newcomer Janine Hübscher beats the favored women in the final of the iXS Downhill Cup in Bellwald. Austrian Andreas Kolb prevents Basil Weber's hat-trick in the men's race. A Dutchman, Tristan Botteram, flies to victory in the juniors' race. The traditional downhill race in Bellwald is being held for the twelfth time.

The first Singletrail Books were launched a year ago - a total of five books for the canton of Graubünden. Now three more volumes are being added for Valais and the Aosta Valley. They will be launched next weekend at the Bike Days in Solothurn.

The iXS Swiss Downhill Cup has a highly exciting finale in Bellwald, which also brings with it some drama. Basil Weber and Lea Rutz manage the feat and repeat their victories from the previous year, as well as in the overall standings.

The "Stoneman" has come to Valais this summer. Because what works in the Dolomites and the Ore Mountains also works in the Aletsch region. The concept is simple: whoever masters the 127-kilometre and 4700-metre elevation gain in one day receives the golden Stoneman award. For two days it is silver, for three days bronze. However, the focus is not primarily on performance but on the nature and trail experience.