Until Battery Life Do Us Part: E-MTBing in the bike paradise of Latsch

When we piled into the van heading for the trail mecca of Latsch, Italy, all we knew was that we wanted to avoid being crammed into yet another sweat-infused shuttle alongside perpetually perspiring riders whose knees knock into yours with each hairpin while the your stomach takes the brunt of the driver’s penchant for sudden swerving and late braking…. In our attempt to bypass the shuttle, we were taking our E-MTBs to explore the area, shred a ton of trails, and enjoy the beauty of the nature with #nofilter.

A last-minute suggestion that ended up being the best one of the season, Latsch sounded appealing: we wanted to ride as many tightly contoured descents as possible during this short trip. However, as we trundled down the motorway, we were well aware that the limiting factor would be the bikes’ battery capacity. How likely were they to last the distance? But the vote was unanimous: we had no interest in grinding our way up unforgiving climbs without pedal-assist.

Roll back to Thursday evening on the couch and our Whatsapp chat is seeing more action than usual: “Crap weather in all of Germany, let’s go south!” writes Max at 21:35. Within twenty minutes, there’s a vague plan and the location of Latsch is thrown around. We’re pretty regular mountain bike visitors to this veritable riding El Dorado in the top part of the Etsch Valley, but this would be our first time there on E-MTBs. The concept would basically be the same: shred the sickest trails and enjoy some of the finest food and wine around. We set off as a group of four: Max, Florian, Noah, and I. Four colleagues, four mates, four guys mad about E-MTBing. The pace is high as we speed down the German autobahn, but we let the foot off the pedal a little as we take the sinuous Fern Pass and wind our way through picture-perfect South Tyrol.

We roll into a café at 9:30 am the following day with the sun beating down on us, our arms burning and disc brakes squealing. Thanks to the gondola up to the mountain village of St. Martin (elevation 1,740 metres) that runs for riders between 7:00 – 8:30 and 15:00 – 18:00, we’ve already barreled down a 1,000 metre descent – without using an ounce of the battery power. Admittedly, given that it was so early, there’d been a slight chill at the top, but once we’d started the descent you could barely feel it. The sun is now beating down at an increasing intensity, and we are thankful for the region’s inherently temperate climate. It beats what we left behind in Germany. The trail had begun fairly mellow, but got more and more technical as we shredded down to the valley floor. Popping around corners with the back end breaking away, hitting small jumps and rock drops, we’d picked one of the area’s gnarliest trails for starters and weren’t regretting it! After around two-thirds of the descent, the trail unceremoniously spat us out onto a narrow singletrack on the Annaberger Böden. This is where it got even better: incredible panoramic views and a prime opportunity to make sure everyone back in rainy Germany would squirm with envy. Photos snapped to include envy-inducing views and grins, we then ripped our way down to a late breakfast. Could there be a better way to start the day?

After our lift-assisted warm-up and a round of strong espressos, we are ready to tackle the day’s planned ride – a route that’s absent from most of the local shuttle companies’ itineraries, but one that has been on our radar for a while. We have to be sensible, we reason; overeager use of the pedal-assist would most likely call an early end to the ride, and who wants that? We stubbornly ride in the least supportive mode on the man-made bike path that follows the Etsch River, heading upstream towards Morter. Between a cluster of houses there’s a little turn to the right that leads you up the mountain, one of those lanes that only a local would know. That’s where our 1,000 metre climb begins. Switching the shocks to climb mode, we embrace the gruelingly high gradient that doesn’t abate. First through woodland, light flickering through the trees, then a fire road flanked on the left with a meadow that drops down steeply to the valley. Much like the almost invisible lane that had marked the start of the climb, we keep our eyes peeled for the trailhead. Eventually we spot it. Two notches of battery life remaining. But now it’s time for mountain biking at its purest! A narrow zig-zagging path carves its way down the steep pasture before turning into a trail and diving under the canopy of the woods, giving us technical parts combined with flow sections where you can really get some speed!

With that descent over and adrenaline coursing, we are hit by pangs of hunger. Fortunately, a trip to South Tyrol wouldn’t be complete without an impressive spread of regional delicacies – an asset that South Tyrol are happy to exploit. Every single piazza is littered with bars and cafes, so we pick a spot in the sun for an aperitivo. From there we select a restaurant based on the generosity of its fried Kaspressknödel dumplings, Schlutzkrapfen ravioli, and salad. Once satiated, we sling ourselves back onto the bikes, ready to make the most of those final two bars of battery. They get us to one of the trailheads for the Propain trail, dropping us into a serious carnage-style, tight-switchback trail garnished with dust, dust, and more dust. We’re grinning like mad at the bottom as we regroup.

Batteries suitably emptied (legs included), we roll back to our hotel. Time to recharge the batteries and refresh our own energy levels. Tomorrow’s another day, and our plans are set in stone: ride as much as humanly (and technologically) possible. There is still so much more to explore in the area, and we have our sights set on the north side of the valley where we have yet to roam with our E-MTBs.

How to get there

A four-hour drive from Munich, Latsch can be reached over the Reschen Pass or from Merano.

The best trails

Manmade or natural, Latsch has every sort of trail. Fans of flow sections will love the Holy Hansen and the Propain Trail, and if you’re after a big loop then you shouldn’t miss the ride from the Stilfser Joch along the Goldsee Trail. (There’s a chunk of around eighty vertical metres where you’ll have to hike the bike.) On the sunny side of the valley there are year-round dusty trails, and the Sunny Benny trail is one of the most popular.

What to eat

Latsch has some great restaurants, and if you’re into your grilled meats then head to Bierkeller. Decent, good value pizza can be found in Pizzeria Aqua Forum at the pool. There are also loads more places worth visiting, including the Gasthaus Sonneck in Laas, the Pizzeria St. Sisinius in Laas, the Gasthaus Zur goldenen Rose in Schlanders and the Pizzastube Sonne in Tschars.

Where to sleep

A hit with the tourists, Latsch and the surrounding area have a ton of hotels, holiday apartments, B&Bs, and campsites for all budgets. Check out the Bikehotels website to discover where the best spots are to stay with your bike.

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