Blindsee-Trail
Description
The Blindsee Trail winds its way down from the Grubigstein toward the Fern Pass over a distance of seven kilometers. In terms of difficulty, it’s rated S2 with a few (fall-prone) S3 sections. This dream of a trail starts at the Grubigalm (1712 m). Most riders take the lift from Lermoos to the mountain station—and reach the actual trailhead from above. But if you don’t want to start your day with a grueling climb, you can pedal straight up from Lermoos (994 m) on the finest forest trails. The wide and gently sloping ascent eventually joins the Grubigalm Trail (No. 864) in front of the Grubigalm, which is only open in winter.
Here, the Blindsee Trail begins on the right and heads uphill at first. But only for a few meters. Once you reach a ridge at an elevation of 1,749 meters, the view opens up to the wildly jagged rock formations of the Mieminger Range. Flow or no flow—during the descent toward the Fern Pass, there’s hardly any time to take in the sweeping, deep vistas. That’s because the trail is quite exposed for the most part. So it’s best to take a break every now and then. And let your mind wander right into the heart of the Canadian wilderness. From far below, the eponymous Blindsee glimmers upward. There’s something magical about this lake. Its color shifts between emerald, turquoise, and pine green. Like its counterparts—Fernstein, Sameranger, Mitter, and Weißensee—Blindsee is, geologically speaking, still in its infancy. It was formed just over 4,000 years ago by an apocalyptic rockslide. Through the steepest mountain pine terrain, the narrow path winds its way through the steep slopes and then abruptly drops off toward a waterfall. Better to push your bike here! If you were to fall, there’d be no stopping you. Cooled by the waterfall spray, it’s just a few more minutes to the swimming spot on the northeast shore of Blindsee.
After a short stretch on a forest road, keep left onto a short trail and later turn left again onto the challenging trail toward Blindsee. Once you arrive at Blindsee (1,092 m), it’s time to keep your eyes open and jump right in! The lake is so clear that while splashing around, you might get a little spooked by the many sunken tree monsters on the bottom—even without diving goggles or an oxygen tank. After the obligatory swim, push your bike uphill through the woods from the northeastern shore, then ride via the Loisach springs to Biberwier and back to Lermoos via the Wachtersteig (another short but steep climb).
Note: The route is located on Austrian territory and leads over routes that are not approved for mountain bikers. Riding this route on a mountain bike is the responsibility of each individual, in full awareness of the legal situation.
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Details of the tour
13 km
195 m
910 m
975 above sea level
1739 above sea level
1 day
Lermoos
Lermoos
1973
well suited
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User comments (1)
Note: This content has been automatically translated from German. Please report any incorrect translations.
I’ve been mountain biking for over 25 years and enjoy riding challenging trails. This trail definitely falls into that category. In my opinion, the descriptions “flowy descent” and “technical level S2 with a few S3 sections where a crash is possible” don’t apply. The trail is steep, exposed, rough, and rocky; S3 with S4 sections describes it much better. The short stretch along Blindsee is off-limits to bikes because there is an official biking ban in effect there. You must go around the lake on a narrow S2 trail that’s shared with hikers. The short approach to the Wachtersteig is not rideable; after that, the trail becomes predominantly S4.