The ride of your life — the Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda

Mountain Biking Collection by Holger S.

Tours

43:27 h

260 mi

43,625 ft

You’re enraptured by the sublime beauty of the Alps and embrace the rough sides of this fascinating mountain world. Your life ticks along to the rhythm of mountain biking and you love adventures. Sound like you? Then here's some great inspiration for your next biking holiday.

Firstly, this alpine crossing requires some experience. Ideally, you’ve already been mountain biking across the Alps, have experience with challenging weather and navigation, and are aware of the possible risks that come with the alpine region. If you have a mechanical, you can fix it yourself. If you get injured, you know what to do. If you need to cut it short, you have a plan B. Solid endurance and good riding skills are essential to minimise risk. Don't be put off by hike-a-bike sections either, after all, you're on the road to adventure, not a coffee ride. Do you feel ready? Then read about the daring plan here.

This route leads in seven stages from the Zillertal Valley in Austria to Lake Garda in Italy. On the very first day, you cross the main ridge of the Alps. Through lonely side valleys, you reach the legendary Pfunderer Joch at 2,568 metres (8,425 ft) into the Pustertal Valley. Phenomenal views of the Dolomites and wonderfully located chalets await you on the high plateaus of the Lüsner Alm and Seiser Alm. During the last days, you enter regions that are much less frequented by tourists and discover truly adventurous trails. On the Sentiero della Pace, you get to know the historic paths of the emperor's hunters and immerse yourself in the mountain adventure hub of Trentino.

I work as a mountain bike tour guide and love this route (ulptours.de). Some of the sections are Transalp classics that I’ve ridden countless times with guests, other passages are sections of discovery Tours that are simply stunning. That’s all from me, I wish you lots of fun on your Transalp from Zillertal to Lake Garda.

On The Map

Do it yourself

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Ride of your life – Alpencross vom Zillertal zum Gardasee

261 mi

43,975 ft

45,875 ft

Last updated: February 3, 2023

The Alpine Cross Tours

Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 1: Mayrhofen to Pfitschertal — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
04:59
29.0 mi
5.8 mph
5,525 ft
2,950 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
The first stage of your crossing of the Alps begins with a long ascent to the Pfitscher Joch. So fortify yourself again with a hearty breakfast before you leave cozy Mayrhofen and head out into the wonderful, rugged mountains.

The elevation profile of the first stage is easy to remember: it goes uphill…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 2: Pfitschertal to Pustertal — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
04:45
29.3 mi
6.2 mph
4,550 ft
6,550 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
After breakfast, depending on which part of the Pfitsch community you stayed in, you have about five kilometers on the Dorfstrasse to warm up and prepare yourself mentally for the upcoming challenge.

In eight and a half kilometers you will conquer almost 1,200 meters in altitude. There is nothing nice…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 3: Pustertal to Würzjoch — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
05:03
20.1 mi
4.0 mph
6,050 ft
2,225 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
From the Pustertal, the route continues into the Dolomites. From Ehrenburg, it goes straight to the point: the first eleven kilometers lead you on an asphalt mountain road and gravel farm roads, some steeply uphill to the Einhäuserer Alm between Astjoch and Ellener Kreuz at an altitude of almost 2,200…
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Stage 4: Würzjoch to the Alpe di Siusi — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
06:21
32.3 mi
5.1 mph
7,350 ft
6,675 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
The fourth stage takes you right into the heart of the incredibly impressive natural scenery of the Dolomites, between gentle alpine meadows and rugged rock giants. The numerous huts along your route seem to want to outdo each other in terms of their picturesque location, the culinary offer and the warmth…
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Stage 5: the Alpe di Siusi to Jochgrimm — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
06:15
38.3 mi
6.1 mph
5,600 ft
6,200 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary.
Today you are leaving South Tyrol. The route takes you into Trentino - slowly but surely, the goal of Lake Garda is within reach. But until then there is still a lot to experience. Today that means in numbers: 61 kilometers and almost 1,700 meters in altitude, which are relatively evenly distributed…
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Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
Stage 6: Jochgrimm to Levico Terme — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
08:07
53.7 mi
6.6 mph
7,475 ft
12,550 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
Instead of high alpine seclusion, today's stage is characterized by many cultural highlights and some beautiful villages with an Italian flair. Nevertheless, there are plenty of vertical meters and the route is no less adventurous than the past few days. Precisely because the area is not so strongly…
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Stage 7: Levico Terme to Torbole — Zillertal Valley to Lake Garda
07:57
57.6 mi
7.2 mph
7,075 ft
8,575 ft
Expert
Expert mountain bike ride. Very good fitness required. Advanced riding skills necessary. Some portions of the Tour may require you to push your bike.
The last stage of a big tour is always something special. It's a strange mix of emotions. On the one hand, you are proud that you made it. On the other hand, you're relieved because it was really exhausting. Nevertheless, there is a little melancholy, because an incredibly intense adventure will soon…
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