A trail in the federal inventory area

There has been an official bike trail on the Weissenstein since 2002. However, due to a lack of maintenance, its condition is poor and its design is no longer up to date. Seilbahn Weissenstein AG has therefore wanted to build a new trail on the Weissenstein for some time. However, the project has taken a long time to get off the ground. The entire southern foot of the Jura is located in an area that is part of the Federal Inventory of Landscapes and Natural Monuments (BLN). It is therefore obvious that interventions there are difficult to obtain approval for. This was followed by concerns and objections from conservationists, BirdLife, hunting associations, forestry, local communities and others.

Five kilometers of ride pass

The operators of the Weissenstein cable car have opted for a flow trail that is also suitable for beginners and appeals to a broad user group among mountain bikers. Flow trails are not popular in the scene. In view of the fact that the Jura trails are often technically demanding, a simpler descent also gives less experienced mountain bikers access to the fun of riding on the Weissenstein. The trail, which is around five kilometers long, starts at the mountain station and leads via the Nesselboden and Klus middle stations to the valley station around 600 meters below.

Despite this, the route should also offer good trail bikers enough riding fun. The main line is to be given a playful character and mostly classified as blue. To achieve this, the trail construction specialists are creating around ten red to black sections as variants and elements that will run alongside the main line.

In addition, a platform is to be added to the mountain station, a project that has yet to be approved. According to Stuber, the construction of this launch platform is considered essential. This is because it will ensure an orderly flow of guests upon arrival - a separation of pedestrians and mountain bikers during rush hour.

The rocky terrain on the Weissenstein presents some construction challenges. But that doesn't mean it's bad, explains Jérôme Hunziker from Flying Metal: "The first few meters have a good mix of clay and stones, and in places some fantastic marl appears. But of course there are quite a few stones to sort out here."

Now there is no time to lose - as long as there is no snow, the track will be built. It will take a total of four months to complete the track. According to Konrad Studer, Managing Director of Seilbahn Weissenstein, the route is due to open in summer 2022. The opening would then roughly coincide with the summer vacations.