Zermatt Magazin 2017

Abenteuer in Zermatt | Zermatt Magazin 17
Can mountain bikers
ride wherever they like?
Walking trails are accessible to
bikers in the canton of Valais
unless they are subject to a specific
ban. However, the tourism associations
cannot simply advertise
walking trails as mountain bike
routes. Our plan in Zermatt is to
take a slightly different approach:
We want to channel the mountain
bikers along new mountain bike
trails so that they are not everywhere,
even if you can’t stop some
of them from using the hiking
trails. We would rather create new
options instead of issuing bans.
We want to channel guests by
making it fun for them. That requires
market-oriented planning.
We need appropriate, broad and
sustainable trails, and that takes
up space. I believe that this is
the price we have to pay in terms
of making our landscape accessible
so that children and families
can also use these trails.
How do you view the expertise
of the people in Zermatt in terms
of mountain biking? There are not
that many specialist guides and
only ten properly equipped hotels.
The support services depend on
the trails, as these are the multiplying
factor. The infrastructure has
to be there, and then the rest – the
auxiliary and value adding services
– will follow. There is a great willingness
among service providers in
Zermatt.
That’s why the local Commune of
Zermatt has initiated a project
called “Fachstelle Bike”, which
is aimed at coordinating the different
elements of the biking-oriented
developments in the resort.
Next year, for example, there
will be new one-day and two-day
tickets for the entire summer region.
It’s a complex process to get
all stakeholders and interest
groups to come together and follow
a common strategy. But that’s
when things start to happen. In
the end it has to be right for everyone,
and especially for hikers.
Do you go hiking?
Yes, I was a hiking guide, and even
spent time as a trekking guide in the
Himalayas. My wife is training to
become a hiking guide. We go walking
and biking with our children.
At EuroBike 2016 in Friedrichshafen,
the world’s largest trade fair
for bikes, you presented a report
on the Zermatt project. What was
the wow factor for your audience?
Apart from the Matterhorn.
The fact that Zermatt wants to do
it really well. That things are being
approached in a coordinated and
sensitive way. Nobody is going it
Paradise for mountain
biking enthusiasts
alone. It is all being properly
planned, which takes time. At the
same time, unlike other destinations,
things are moving fast.
We are creating a sustainable product,
which consists of one third
environmental, one third social
and one third economic aspects.
We are doing pioneering work in
Zermatt.
Adrian Greiner was born in Emmental
but lives in Zermatt. He is
a professional spatial and scenic
designer and a guiding expert for
Swiss Cycling, the national cycling
association of Switzerland. As
CEO of BikePlan AG he runs a
planning office based in Visp und
Zermatt dedicated to bike-oriented
resort development. zm
Zermatt offers ten marked mountain bike tours covering all grades
of difficulty and extending for a total of 100 km. In 2016 the Moos
Trail was opened between Furi and Zermatt. Suitable for children
and adults alike, the so-called Flow Country Trail runs for 1,3 km,
has an average gradient of 7,3% and falls just 95 metres in height,
making it the flattest trail in Switzerland. Another newcomer is the
37 km, medium-difficulty Zermatt – Visp mountain bike trail. Eight
more marked mountain bike trails, most of which run on gravel
roads, lead to and from destinations including Rothorn, Gornergrat
or Schwarzsee.
A lot has been done in Zermatt in the last two years to expand the
range of supplementary measures: There are hotelleriesuisse-certified
bike hotels, bike holiday homes, bike guides and bike schools.
Not only does Zermatt has its fair share of biking expertise, but it is
also well equipped to teach the art of mountain biking. Various bike
shops rent mountain bikes and kit, offer repair services and sell a
wide range of equipment and spare parts. The transport options on
the mountain, on the railways and in critical places such as Täsch are
second to none. Attractive Combi rail tickets for mountain bikers are
an additional lure in this superlative mountain biking paradise.
Last but not least, Zermatt Tourism offers comprehensive information
on its home page, over the counter and in a dedicated mountain
biking brochure.