Sky's the Limit - Bike Kingdom

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The sun rises on a week-long outing in the World Cup venue of Lenzerheide. We’re here ten days ahead of the 2025 World Cup though and the builders are working on the finish line woodwork as we roll up to the first lift on the Parpaner-Rothorn.

Myself and Joe Barnes are here to hunt out some of the best riding away from the bike park, using the network of lifts, trains and post buses to link rides around Bike Kingdom. Outside the park boundary, unless specifically stated, you can ride pretty much any trail going.

Much like the trails at home in Scotland, access rights base themselves on common sense and there’s only a few instances where a trail of any kind would be closed to bikes. If it is, then it’ll be pretty obvious.

In Graubunden, the Swiss canton that Lenzerheide sits in, Fairtrail is the overarching code when outside the bike parks. Like the Scottish Outdoor Access Code, it’s an easy enough concept to grasp. Stick to the path, avoid sensitive wildlife and livestock… Just be respectful of the environment you’re in and don’t treat the wilds as a commodity to be used, rather a resource to be protected and conserved.

Fairtrail differs in that dusk and night time are generally off-limits, and the Scottish code allows for following of river banks, loch shores, walls, fences and other boundaries beyond the path itself. Whilst the rights exist, most of these are terrible on a bike and are often avoided if a path doesn’t exist on the ground.

With a substantial Hotel Revier breakfast down the hatch, we make the most of the lifts to the summit of the Rothorn at a cool 2865m. Our initial plans to ease ourselves into the week on the Scolattas side of the resort were changed last minute as there was some weather incoming.

Three days later and there would be a few inches of snow around the top lift station, so the decision was vindicated and we cracked on through the thin air where the eagle reigns supreme. Both of us living at pretty much sea level meant that we’d open our account in the moonscape that Dark Side of the Moon weaves its way though.

Dark Side of the Moon takes in 2.2km of singletrack through the shattered rock of the Rothorn’s north eastern flank and it makes it pretty obvious why the mountain bears its name. Here, the oxygen levels drop from our usual ~21% to somewhere in the mid 14% range and it shows. Joe unsurprisingly isn’t all that bothered but my legs and lungs are screaming so I opt to keep it chill as Joe rallies over the horizon.

Leaving the pedals and brakes alone here is the best course of action. Riding smooth to maintain momentum helps the body far more than trying to be fast. It takes a while for me to learn this though, and my head has started swimming by the time the realisation hits.

Some 200m below our start point, we’re at the Gredigs Furggli, a high pass that separates Lenzerheide from Arosa. On a previous trip here, my eyes were drawn to the Alplisee Trail, but we didn’t have the energy or the daylight for another monster day. Now we’d be setting out early to make this the main portion of the day. As the early morning cloud begins to burn away, we’re glad not to be at the valley floor as the temperature soon rises into the high teens.

As the Alpisee Trail opens out in front of us, two Golden Eagles swing overhead on the rising thermals. This is going to be a good day. From the rusty moonscape of Dark Side of the Moon, what awaits us stings the eyes in all its white limestone glory. No prizes for guessing why the mountain above is called the Weisshorn…

But wait… This is where the nature of your day ahead can change and it offers two very different, yet paradoxically, similar experiences. Head east down the flank of the Weisshorn and you get the full Alpine ride on the first two trails, then can build what Joe and myself did that day, which was a bit of an odyssey to find ice cream in Chur. If all the lifts are running, then you can make this loop shorter, but we didn’t have that luxury on our trip.

Head west, however and, with Lenzerheide below you, you can return to the lift station via a myriad of potential options. All will ultimately provide some serious marmot slalom, regardless of what grade of trail you opt for. You can also use this to link the Scolattas side of Lenzerheide into the mix, have the Rothorn bike shop and facilities nearby, as well as being able to chill by the lake, with the hotel at your back.

With Great White or the Motta Express at your back, you’ve the entire bike park at your finger tips. Head back up to get another otherworldly lap in on Dark Side of the Moon, or head down to try the black downhill run, the flow trail blues and anything in between.

Our pick though? The Parpan One Way Trail. For two country bumpkins, the hustle and bustle of a packed bike park felt quite overwhelming at times, but the Parpan One Way Trail gave us the technical charm and slightly less hectic environment for us to bang the laps out.

This is black-graded hiking trail, so keep your eyes up for both what the trail throws at you, as well as the odd walker and runner. Everyone understands the shared use here, so you’ll not get told off like you would back at home, but walkers here have priority, so say hi, slow down, and move over. Plus the cattle that graze the lower slopes won’t move and don’t care much for the rules.

This ribbon of bright white winds its way through the shattered remnants of the cliffs above. 7.9km of singletrack gold awaits and we might even catch a classic car rally in Arosa if we’re lucky. After reaching Arosa, we would work our way back home via a wicked collection of trails, ice cream and public transport that works like… Well, it just works.

From our vantage point high above the Alplisee itself, we can see a long string of hikers and walkers alike the size of ants in the distance. We will soon be those ants and we set about ticking off swooping corner after corner, being sure to keep our eyes up as the ground is damp and the limestone well polished. Clipping a pedal here would be bad news as the exposure off to our right for the duration is something to be respectful of.

As the trail swings its way through the boulders, we get our first view of Innerosa, our first junction and the head of the inhabited part valley on this side of the mountains. We’ve still plenty of height though and the ice cream in Chur is still in the distant future. For now it’s back to Joe effortlessly pulling away from me in a manner I am very used to, with both eyes welded to the trail ahead though, I am not one bit bothered.

Eventually, we leave the boulders behind, with grass and dirt taking over. It’s not got any easier, just different, as sniper rocks are ready to attack from the verge and the speed increases considerably. Our haste to reach the lake is offset by a shepherd and his guardian dog, chilling in the later summer sun as the herd grazed high on the shoulder of the hill.

Not long after this, we meet one of the trail builders from Arosa, giving the trail some love. We agree that everyone working in the valley today has the perfect job. Light winds, warm sun and dry underfoot. We’re glad to not be here in the weather due later in the week.

By now, we’ve lost some considerable height, and the air feels thick, almost like gold top milk. Everything gets that wee bit easier as the trail dives away from the Alplisee towards Innerosa. The rocks return in earnest, but are larger and easier to ride over than around, with some switchbacks thrown into the mix, this section is every bit as engaging as the trail we started on some fifteen minutes ago.

After a short, sharp climb littered with bovine obstacles, we wave the Alplisee Trail goodbye and join the very different Hornli Trail. A blue-graded flow trail that descends from the top lift at Innerosa, we can finally relax as the rock vanishes and the jumps and berms come thick and fast. Before we drop in, a long train of school kids come whipping past, followed eagerly by their coaches. This would have been the dream growing up… We both hope they understand how lucky they are.

Rolling into Innerosa, we opt not to take in the full Hornli Trail as the Arosa Classic Car rally has its grand depart that afternoon and as a bit of a car nut, I’m keen to see what turns up. A quick blast down the road and we’re in Arosa itself. As we throw some fuel in the tank, thunder fills the air around the Untersee as everything from 60s Mustangs and Camaros, Opel GT/Es, plus a host of cars I don’t recognise, followed by modern 911s, Corvettes and Lambos.

As the thunder of muscle and super cars becomes an echo, we opt to leave the relative hustle and bustle of Arosa behind to regain most of the altitude we’ve lost along the way. The two-part Weisshorn cable cars make the 900m vertical height gain a breeze and we try not to think of Jaws from the James Bond franchise as we pass over the Arosa Bear Sanctuary.

Opened in 2018, the Arosa Bear Sanctuary is home to bears who have been rescued from zoos, circuses and bizarrely, restaurants… Needless to say, the environment and treatment of these bears is markedly improved compared to their former homes in the Balkans and Ukraine.

Unfortunately, we’ve not got time in the schedule to enjoy the Arosa Ursids and we’re soon on the upper Weisshorn lift where most of the ~900m is gained. Back to where the air is rare, we can see Chur in the Rhine Valley below, where we hope to pick up an ice cream before they close.

Much like the Alplisee Trail, the Weisshorn trail is yet more sublime mountain singletrack. Rocky at first, before giving way to dirt as we approach the treeline. Speed here is high, a real no pedals and no brakes situation and line of sight down the trail seems never ending. This feels like real high alpine riding, and if we had more time, we would definitely be lapping this out. Down, down, down we go. We keep our eyes peeled for the waymarkers as we’ve a hard left at some point to swing back around the mountain and head west again.

With a high mountain crag to our immediate left though, it’s definitely not coming soon. Joe begins to leave me in the (literal) dust as is customary and I’m yet again content with keeping my speed up. The Weisshorn trail has that perfect feel of a trail that gets enough traffic to stay sweet but not enough to get hammered.

Whilst we only drop 400m in height, the gradient is consistent and grip levels have been all time. As the trail runs out to a natural low point, we find the waymarker posts, the Oschenalp trail awaits, but for now, we take a moment to enjoy what has just occurred. That was one for the books.

A short, stiff climb through the dwarf pines gets the lungs and legs burning again. It’s been hours since we’ve had to do any meaningful pedalling up a hill, plus we’ve likely done an hour of descending too. The Ochsenalp trail starts along the boundary of a field. Firm and rocky giving way to wetter where the water runs off the hill, but the going is fast.

Once again we’re losing height as we traverse and back into the sun again the trail narrows and dries, popping us out at a farm on the high pasture below the cliffs we were atop not all that long ago. From the farm, we follow a farm track that continues the traverse, undulating with the mountain and taking us through some pristine mountain villages that feel untouched by time. The farmers are baling grass for winter and every generation is involved in the work.

As the sun dips beyond the mountain once more, we’re aware that it’s not because of how far we’ve gone but in the lateness of the day. Switchbacks - Overkill was to be the last trail of the day, but with the light already beginning to fade, riding a black-graded trail blind with no lights likely isn’t the best course of action.

A short blast down the road into Chur and as the bells ring out from the cathedral, we wind our way through the streets towards Evviva Plankis in Chur’s Kornplatz. Plankis employs over 150 locals with additional learning needs, with 58 of these having accommodation provided for them.

A vanilla cone for Joe, a tub of mango and an espresso for me. The perfect way to end the day. With the sweet treats in hand, we now turn to the SBB app to book ourselves and our bikes on the post bus back up the hill to the hotel. A few taps later and we’re sorted. It’s not far to the bus station, and as the driver of our bus comes out to help us, the central location of Switzerland is evident in just one person.

In trying to decipher what I mean by showing him our booking, he talks to me first in Italian. As I try to remember all my modern foreign languages, he switches seamlessly to French, then German. The latter I am slightly more proficient in, and I manage to make myself understood. Magic. Even the bus’ WiFi is better than some of the static offerings I have used at home, and half an hour later, we spill out of the bus at the Rothornbahn where the day started to get cleaned up so we can shovel food down ourselves.


Words & Photos: Pete Scullion