MarkFu said:
Cxfahrer, i've been meaning to ask you about the Volksbank arena trails in the Harz, are they any good for technical singletrack? I assume that only the black graded trails would contain anything exciting?
I have been to the Harz twice now, first to Hahnenklee bike park and once on a group ride from Clausthall-Zillertal (sp?), Hahnenklee was a blast and i will be back there again once the winter is over for DH type riding (As well as Schulenberg and Braunlage). If i'm honest though, i was a little disappointed with the XC that we did from Claust-Zill. We seemed to spend most of our time on forest roads, with very little singletrack. I know that the trails are there, as we kept on riding by lots of very interesting looking trails, but we were not the ride leaders, so the choice was not ours to make.
I have looked on Harz-mtb.de and have seen a lot of the routes on there. Would they be more suitable for technical riding?
Many thanks
Mark
I havent been riding in the Harz since last year christmas. I hope to get there before the snow comes.
I dont know the Volksbank arena or Clausthal-Zellerfeld.
Technical singletrails are:
(remember: most of these trails are in National Park and/or are strictly forbidden for bicycles! The fine for leaving the trails is high (but you probably get away with it if you stay on the trails, and if riding a forbidden trail, stay friendly to hikers and do not offend anybody with your style of riding).
All trails leading down from the Hohnekamm (Leistenklippe), especially Beerenstieg-Ottofels-Steinerne Renne (> trail reviews) or Moorstieg and farther down to Schierke the wonderful Pfarrstieg.
Around Schierke down from Wurmberg (Braunlage Bikepark) you find Mäuseklippen and some more small trails that are fun.
The Eckerlochstieg from the Brockenstrasse to Bahnparallelweg is legendary (for eating derailleurs) and is really fast down to Schierke. Alte Bobbahn is also from Brockenstrasse down to Schierke, and as the name implies is an old bobsled-racetrack. Get your DH bike.
A fine uphill from Schierke is the Sandbrinkstrasse leading to the Dreieckige Pfahl, from there you can go to Torfhaus on the Kaiserweg (big rocks) and from Torfhaus the also legendary Magdeburgerweg:
Near Torfhaus is the Oderteich and the Märchenweg leading down to it and around, quite easy rolliung CC, and the Clausthaler Flutgraben Weg, also easy. The Wolfswarte has two trails leading down, the Butterstieg and the "Wolftrail" which is going from the top down to the beginning of the Magdeburger Weg.
Then you have the Achtermann 31j , the Stieglitzeck 14c, the "TanteJu" leading down from hanskühnenburg to Riefensbeek, the Römkerhall trail (more into Goslar direction at that lake) and that other trail near Goslar i forgot the name of. Also strictly forbidden and great fun is Heinrich-Heine-Weg (Ilsetrail) along the Ilse River down to Ilsenburg.
Did I forget something?
Ah, the Eckergrund trail which is leading from Dreieckiger Pfahl/Goetheweg to the Eckerstausee.
Get youself a good map (Harzer Hexenstieg or so) and grippy fat tires and a raincoat.
Have fun !
BTW, where is Pooh Bear?