"The hikers look at me in disbelief. Some are obviously fascinated by my supposedly strong performance and cheer me on; others shake their heads uncomprehendingly and refuse the usual greeting. This happens to me regularly when I'm riding my mountain bike at altitudes of over 3000 meters above sea level. With this passion, I often unintentionally polarize my counterparts. But I'm not doing anything out of the ordinary. I'm looking for the same mountain experience as any other hiker: the happiness of the summit, the mountain panorama, the fresh air, the crystal-clear mountain lake. Many others carry the twelve kilograms of extra weight on their shoulders in the form of a mountain bike on their hips. So what's the difference? At most in the descent. Because I master this by riding - and, unlike many a mountaineer, I still have fun doing it.

The willingness to carry a bike up the mountain, sometimes up to 2000 meters in altitude, has helped me to some of the most beautiful tours of my singletrail palmares. The Barrhorn in the face of the mighty Weisshorn, for example, then the overnight stay on the Wildstrubel summit or the stunning panorama from the Aiguille de la Grand Sassière at 3747 meters above sea level - I wouldn't have experienced any of this if I had only wanted to tackle every ascent by riding. Years ago, this inclination would have put me in the freak corner. Today things are different: More and more mountain bikers are willing to put up with longer hikes for summit bliss and downhill fun. This trend is set to continue, and mountain bikers will push on to ever higher altitudes. Not only because of their willingness to tackle carrying passages, but also because of the increasing improvement in riding technique. Riding high alpine single trails is no longer a feat for many, and the technology of chunky plus-size tires will push personal limits even further. Thanks to them, previously unrideable sections can now be mastered.

In the future, I will continue to encounter astonished hikers on high alpine single trail tours. But increasingly also bikers who, like me, carry their bikes to the summit. A sight that you should probably get used to."


Siegi Weisenhorn from Südtirolbike has also called for a discussion on this topic:
http://www.suedtirolbike.info/news/gipfelbiken-bikebergsteigen-am-ortler.html