The well-known and popular serpentine trail from Alp Munt to Samedan is one of the trails affected by the bans. In future, mountain bikers will have no alternatives and will be denied all other trail options downhill. The single trail via Alp Clavadatsch to Cristolais remains open; it is the only remaining single trail option for the descent from the famous Trais-Fluors.

The big discrepancy between forbidden and marketed

The reason for the bans is the consistent implementation of the master plan, explains Claudio Prevost from the municipality of Samedan. This defines the route network for mountain bikers and everything else is prohibited. Darco Cazin, who drew up the master plan with his company Allegra Tourismus, takes a completely different view. It defines which routes should be developed and marketed in order to channel mountain bikers with a high-quality offer. "The original mountain bike master plan, which was accepted by the municipalities, states that bans should be avoided wherever possible. This strategy has been very successful so far. The fact that bans are now appearing on a route that has become a beacon for the Engadin diminishes the value of the investments made by all the other municipalities and partners," comments Cazin. A request for reconsideration was submitted against the decision, but this was rejected by the municipality.

As mountain bikers heading for Samedan are not offered any alternatives other than the forest road, violations are likely to be the order of the day in the summer season. However, Prevost admits that the municipality lacks the capacity to monitor the bans and fine mountain bikers. And that in turn could have the opposite effect: Even more conflicts, because hikers want to enforce their sole right of access against mountain bikers who don't want to put up with the blanket ban on single trails between Alp Munt and Samedan.

The last word has not yet been spoken on this matter. The municipality of Samedan will now publish its decision in the cantonal official gazette and, in the event of objections, the administrative court will then have to decide on this measure. The Bike School Engadin has already written to the municipality, the Engadin bike hotels have also spoken out, and it would be very surprising if the official tourism authorities of Engadin St. Moritz did not also put up a fight.

Samedan has already taken the lead in this matter and installed a prohibition sign at Alp Munt - without any legal basis and therefore effectively illegal.

Overview of the decided paths with bike ban: