Those who take the Giw Enduro Route 548 on the steep mountain flank above Visp end up at a turning point for forestry vehicles. Instead of turning west into the trail as before, a wooden gate with the inscription "The Phoenix" shows mountain bikers the new route. Around three kilometers of medium-difficulty trail lie ahead. With an average gradient of almost 15 percent, the descent is steeper than most bike trails.

A bike trail with the character of a hiking trail

On the first few metres after the entrance, you quickly realize that this is not a classic bike trail that is a good one metre wide. The Phoenix Trail is a single trail, really narrow in places. It hardly feels any different from hiking trails that run along steep mountain slopes. As soon as the terrain opens up a little, the trail is also more open. Flowing and tight bends alternate, small steps and stones, even small jumps offer the opportunity to spice up the playful riding style with some airtime.

Where the descent changes back to the steep part of the mountain flank, the trail becomes a little narrower again and a few hairpin bends follow, some of which are not without their challenges. This is where the old hiking trail character comes to the fore again, and without a solid cornering technique, you would not be in good shape here.

In the last section, things get faster again, with quick turns between the trees and some undulations. Only a short uphill section interrupts the flow.

Conclusion

The Phoenix Trail is a great mix of bike trail and classic hiking trail. Lovers of natural trails get their money's worth in this region anyway, and the Phoenix fits perfectly into this genre. This is the kind of bike trail you want more of!

Information about the project

vast-trails.ch/phoenix-from-the-ashes

The film about the "Phoenix from the Ashes" project