(jʊroʊ tɹɪp) (06|06|2024) ( 47° 16′ 09” | 11° 24′ 15” )
( Two Canadians explore the Alps. A story about great hiking trails,
Pistachio ice cream, whipoff jumps and an unreliable British car)
(Text | Kirsten van Horne || Photos | Moritz Ablinger)
British Columbia team.
50° 7′ 19” N | -122° 57′ 15” E
EWS review
46° 28′ 37”N | 11° 46′ 16” E
The first day was spent in Canazei, an iconic small town in central Italy where Georgia had competed in an Enduro World Cup a few years ago. A tram took them from the city center to some rolling meadows at the foot of the majestic Dolomites. The views were impressive and the descent was a great combination of rocky terrain and fast, loamy singletrack. All in all, it was a great day in the Italian Alps and got everyone excited for the next day’s adventure and the opportunity to ride some scree gullies.
As relaxed as possible.
46° 32′ 16” N | 10° 08′ 11” E
The next day we were up early after a night of heavy storms. However, the clouds cleared and the sun came out. The goal for the day was to ski down some picture-perfect scree chutes and get a taste of European freeriding! The mountains still had a decent amount of snow and the ridges that looked like every freerider’s dream had only been snow-free for a week at this point, making the ground pretty hard packed. Unfortunately, this meant that the scree wasn’t as playful as originally hoped, but it was still worth the climb and these freeride athletes had a blast on the way down! The day of riding came to an end, but with the goal of another adventure the next day, it was back in the car and on to the next town.
The rolling base camp.
46° 54′ 19” N | 11° 05′ 51” E
You might wonder what would make you choose a 35-year-old vehicle for a road trip through the Alps and over countless mountain passes. And to be honest, there’s probably no rational reason for that. But at least the thing looks good with a roof tent on it, right? The only problem was that the old British diva’s alternator broke just 2 days before the trip started. Somehow Moritz managed to fit a spare part from an old German tractor just in time. And that’s all part of the experience, right?
Waking up to incredible views of the mountains really couldn’t be beat, and after a night that was a little colder than expected, the morning sun bathed the landscape in a warm glow.
There are no bears up here.
46° 42′ 10”N | 12° 20′ 58” E
Italy is quite small compared to the province of British Columbia, yet the daily rides always took a little longer than expected. Not because of the distance, but because the roads are so steep and winding to get around all the towering mountains the towns are nestled in. After three impressively steep mountain passes and many stops to let cars and motorcycles pass, the crew finally reached Sesto in Italy. Another picturesque town and a great starting point for their next excursion, this time on the enduro bikes!
A short gondola ride out of town took them to a height of almost 2,000 meters. The first 10 pedal strokes were not so pleasant for Kirsten’s bike, however, as a stuck pulley put a stop to the mission. Since there was no chain oil or grease, the next logical option was to use the delicious pesto that they had packed for lunch. It worked perfectly and so the undulating crossing along the Monte Elmo ridge began.
It worked perfectly and so began the undulating traverse along the Monte Elmo ridge. The trail runs along the border between Austria and Italy. Along the way, one could spot many old bunkers and trenches from the war. The Canadian education system provides a brief overview of Europe’s long history of war, but being able to see actual evidence really brought the textbook information to life. It was a fantastic time on the trail and the views of the great Dolomite peaks across the valley were simply awe-inspiring. A 20km afternoon drive brought the team to a remote camp site next to a small lake where they spent the night. The next day, the descent continued through tiny Italian villages nestled in the hills. Once at the cars, it was on to the next town.
The route runs along the border between Austria and Italy. Along the route you could spot many old bunkers and trenches from the war. The Canadian education system provides a brief overview of Europe’s long history of war, but being able to see real artifacts really brought the textbook information to life. It was a fantastic time on the route and the views of the great Dolomite peaks across the valley were simply awe-inspiring. A 20km afternoon drive brought the team to a remote camp site next to a small lake where they spent the night. The next day was all downhill, the route passing through the Alps, forests and many small Italian villages.
Big hits and cold toes.
46° 58′ 02” N | 11° 00′ 25” E
As Crankworx Innsbruck was getting closer and closer, there was still time for a quick bike ride at sunrise the next day before we set off for Innsbruck.
Grand finale.
47° 16′ 09” N | 11° 24′ 15” E
There would be no better way to cap off such a memorable week than with a good old whipoff on one of the most photographed, iconic jumps overlooking the Innsbruck valley and Nordkette mountains. It’s always exciting to ride a new jump and the crowd there to cheer the riders on as they figure out the jump makes it even better. The whipoff lasts around two hours as the riders try to get their bike as sideways as possible and then back again to land seamlessly. From practice to judged riding and the finals, the girls progressed effortlessly and had a blast riding in trains with the other athletes. The last few whipoffs were the deciding factor that gave Georgia the win, closely followed by Kirsten in second place.
A champagne shower later, we went in search of a proper shower before heading back to camp.
The equipment.
47° 16′ 09” N | 11° 24′ 15” E
Both girls had their ABUS HiDrop helmets for the bike park days and ABUS Cliffhanger for the long pedal rides. Georgia rides a 27.5″ Devinci Chainsaw DH for bike park laps and the Crankworx Whipoff, her enduro setup is a Mullet 170mm Chainsaw for pedaling. Kirsten’s Trek Slash Mullet is her tool of choice for the long climbs in the Dolomites and her 27.5″ Trek Session for the jumps and the park.
And Bruno? Bruno is a 1989 Range Rover Classic. 2.4 TD VM, for those who want to know. First registered in Gorizia, Italy. Later sold to Florence and Viterbo, from where Moritz imported it to Austria in 2020. We wouldn’t say it never has problems, the gearbox leaks a bit, but all in all it runs smoothly with almost 200,000 km on the clock.
