Characteristics
This tour through the Puez-Geisler nature park is one of the most impressive mountain bike ventures in the Gardena valley. The panoramic path from the Raschötz mountain cabin as far as the Holy Cross Chapel alone would be worth the almost 1,000m in altitude difference from St. Ulrich. But there is still better to come. In the second half of the tour you pass through inspired trails straight to the foot of the steeply towering Geisler mountain range. There the distinctive Pieralongia rock formation is waiting with scenery for the perfect souvenir photo. A long descent leads back into the Gardena valley, where the fantastic mountain path from Insom via St. Jakob's church as far as the Anna valley completes an unforgettable mountain bike adventure.
There is not a lot of time for warming-up for shortly after the start of the tour at the tourism association in St. Ulrich you will have to start changing down as you will be going uphill only. First of all to the valley station of the Seceda cable car, after this initially on a tarmac road and later on the woodland track with switchbacks that time and again cross the line of the new Raschötz funicular railway. At the last switchback go straight on until you reach the mountain path further up at 150m altitude difference that leads from the mountain station of the Raschötz funicular railway to the Holy Cross Chapel. This finishes the ascent and so you can happily enjoy the fantastic panorama this mountain path offers. Directly opposite the green meadows of the Seiser Alm spread out. Behind them the pointed peaks of the Langkofel tower steeply up into the sky. Further on on the left the well-known Sella mountain range rises up. When the weather is fine you can make out the Marmolada precisely between the white glacier surfaces in the structure of the peak.
The mountain path only rises gently as far as the idyllically located Holy Cross Chapel to the crossing into the neighbouring Villnöß valley. Here you turn round to enjoy again to the full the view on the trip back to the Raschötz mountain cabin and roll along back on the route known from your ascent to the woodland path that you follow uphill for the last few metres as far as the mountain station of the Raschötz funicular railway. A little later you arrive at the Saltner mountain cabin from where you will have a similarly beautiful view to the one you had earlier on the mountain path.
The steep descent on the ski piste in the direction of the intermediate station Seceda begins immediately behind the mountain cabin. The cable car takes the bikers and bikes in a short time to the highest point of the tour at 2,450m above sea level. Now the Geisler mountain range seems to be close enough to touch and together with the Mont de Stevia, the Sella mountain range, the Langkofel and Plattkofel forms a real amphitheatre of rocks.
There now comes the best part of the tour for riding technique experts.
You descend a further 800m of altitude difference past the Sangon hut until almost to the valley station of Col Raiser. You continue via the remote hamlet of Insom in the direction of Sankt Jakob, still somewhat above and away from the hustle and bustle of the valley. The path becomes ever narrower and provides a lot of fun before reaching the oldest church of the Gardena valley.
The small church of Sankt Jakob with its distinctive tower, contemplative cemetery and frescoes well worth seeing, has a box seat view of the valley. Bikers enjoy this on the spacious sunbathing lawn near to the church with its sweeping view as far as the Plattkofel, Langkofel and Sella mountain range.
There follows three kilometres of sheer riding fun on the narrow woodland path leading to the Anna valley. Still in the forest the narrow trails alternate with wide woodland paths, switchbacks and small wooden bridges that make you wish that it could go on for ever.
Unfortunately, the trails end at the Pauli mountain cabin. It is only a few metres still to the well-tended Annatal mountain cabin, the last stop for refreshments on this tour. Tables in the shade or sun loungers in the sun invite you to take a good, long rest. Or you can cool off your hot feet in the stream behind the sunbathing lawn. After refreshments you can roll along, almost only downhill, past the valley station of the Seceda cable car back to the centre of St. Ulrich.

Variations 1. Ascent with the Raschötz funicular railway: this tour is decidedly shorter and easier if you use the recently built (2010) Raschötz funicular railway. To this end do not go straight on at waymarker 4 at the valley station of Seceda, turn left instead. Follow the signposts to Raschötz and take the train/cable car. Below the mountain station join the tour described here again at waymarker 24 and continue directly on to the Saltner mountain cabin, omitting the mountain path to the Holy Cross church. You save about 1,000m in altitude difference and a bit less than 10km. 2. Leaving out Raschötz mountain cabin and the Holy Cross church: The tour will be somewhat shorter if you take a sharp right turn at waymarker 17 and go in the direction of the mountain station Raschötz (-185m altitude difference, -3.3km). 3. Extension via La Poza and Langental: Whoever would like to extend the tour a bit should not take a sharp right turn into the underground passage at the junction shortly before the valley station of Col Raiser (waymarker 57), but bear left further downhill. Via La Poza in the direction of Wolkenstein and further on into the Langental, you can ride along the cross-country ski run as far as you want (at a maximum to the start of the mountain pasture Pra da Ri). Back again on the cross-country run bear left at the car park and via the valley station of Dantercepies to Wolkenstein. From there still on the left side of rio Gardena back to St. Ulrich (corresponds exactly to the first part of the Gardena valley tour). 4. Leaving out the Anna valley mountain cabin: Whoever at the end of the tour does not want to stop for more refreshments should not turn sharp right into the Annatal at the junction (waymarker 83), but carry straight on in the direction of valley station Seceda (-33m altitude difference, -0.7km).

Tour information % of distance Total distance 32,56 km 100 % Height variation uphill 1316 Hm Height variation downhill 2043 Hm Maximum altitude 2453 m Tarmac 0,00 km 0,0 % Tarmac cycle path 8,04km 24,7 % Gravel 12,83 km 39,4 % Hiking trail 4,67 km 14,4 % Single track 5,04 km 15,5 % Carrying / pushing 0,00 km 0,0 % Cable car / transfer 1,96 km 6,0 %   Altitude profile...>>	Riding times Riding time without pauses Riding time at 10 km/h 3 hrs 15 min Riding time at 12 km/h 2 hrs 43 min Riding time at 14 km/h 2 hrs 20 min Riding time at 16 km/h 2 hrs 02 min Riding time at 18 km/h 1 hr 49 min Riding time at 20 km/h 1 hr 38 min
Physical condition Overall condition 3,6 Total height variation 4,0 Total distance 3,0 Maximum altitude 4,0	Riding technique Overall riding technique 4,2 Surface 3,8 Average climb gradient Ø 5,0 Average descent gradient Ø 4,0
Tour evaluation Overall difficulty 4,0 Climb difficulty 3,9 Descent difficulty 4,3	Emotional experience Panorama 5,0 Riding fun 4,0

Getting there Take Brenner motorway A22, coming from the north via Innsbruck-Brenner, or from the south via Verona-Bozen. The best motorway exit is Klausen/Gröden. From there in about 20 minutes you can reach St Ulrich and a few kilometres further on St. Christina and Wolkenstein on a clearly signposted mountain road. Starting point This tour begins at the tourism association in St. Ulrich. Parking is available at the valley station of the Seceda cable car.

No	km	Next	Hm	Sym	Location	Direction	Route	Time 22 km/h	Time 10 km/h
1	0,00	0,08	1231		Tourist information office in St. Ulrich/Ortisei	Right to St. Jakob/San Giacomo	R 3%	00:00	00:00
2	0,08	0,07	1235		Church in Ortisei	Straight ahead Sacun	R 7%	00:00	00:00
3	0,15	0,18	1243		Junction (stone)	Bear left Annatal 9	S 3%	00:00	00:00
4	0,33	0,52	1251		Bottom of Seceda lift	Straight ahead uphill Annatal	R 9%	00:00	00:01
5	0,85	0,05	1298		Playground	left	S -9%	00:02	00:05
6	0,90	0,19	1294		Bridge over brook	Straight ahead	S 6%	00:02	00:05
7	1,10	0,08	1305		Junction	Straight ahead uphill	R 11%	00:02	00:06
8	1,18	0,11	1314		Kehre, Fountain	Straight ahead Annatal	R 13%	00:03	00:07
9	1,28	0,74	1328		Junction Str. Sobosch	Sharp right to Raschötz/ Rasciesa 7	R 16%	00:03	00:07
10	2,02	0,31	1438		Junction Streda Costes	Straight ahead uphill	R 12%	00:05	00:12
11	2,33	0,07	1475		Junction	Sharp left uphill Raschötz 9	R 13%	00:06	00:13
12	2,40	1,06	1484		Fountain	Straight ahead uphill	R 11%	00:06	00:14
13	3,46	0,68	1613		Junction to Furnes	Straight ahead Raschötz	R 11%	00:09	00:20
14	4,13	0,37	1689		Under cable car	Straight ahead	S 11%	00:11	00:24
15	4,50	0,19	1730		Junction to Troi Paian 8	Sharp right Raschötz	S 9%	00:12	00:27
16	4,69	1,75	1746		Junction to Furnes 8	Straight ahead uphill	S 15%	00:12	00:28
17	6,44	0,94	2012		Junction at hairpin bend	Bear left UTIA Resciesa (CAI-Hütte)	S 17%	00:17	00:38
18	7,37	0,06	2164		Intersection kurz vor Hütte	Bear left zur Hütte, Heilig-Kreuz-Chapel	W 5%	00:20	00:44
19	7,43	0,65	2167		Raschötzhütte	Bear left Heilig-Kreuz-Chapel	P 5%	00:20	00:44
20	8,08	0,65	2197		Heilig-Kreuz-Chapel	Turn back	P -5%	00:22	00:48
21	8,73	0,06	2167		Raschötzhütte	Bear right Bergstation, Brogles	W -5%	00:23	00:52
22	8,80	0,94	2164		Junction kurz nach Raschötzhütte	Bear right downhill St. Ulrich	S -17%	00:23	00:52
23	9,73	0,51	2012		Intersection in bend	Bear left uphill Chairlift, Restaurant	S 15%	00:26	00:58
24	10,24	0,14	2088		Junction below top of lift	Straight ahead uphill	S 16%	00:27	01:01
25	10,38	0,05	2109		Junction towards top station	Straight ahead uphill	S 6%	00:28	01:02
26	10,43	0,07	2112		Junction hiking trail bei Saltnerhütte	Straight ahead uphill Brogles Hütte	S 9%	00:28	01:02
27	10,50	0,23	2118		Junction hinter Saltnerhütte	Bear right Furnes, St. Ulrich (über den Zaun zu großem Fountain, dann Skipiste folgen)	W -13%	00:28	01:02
28	10,73	0,34	2088		Junction to Col Ciarnacei, Furnes, St. Ulrich 9	Right Furnes (Skipiste folgen)	W-21%	00:29	01:04
29	11,07	0,09	2014		Junction hiking trail 9	Straight ahead Furnes	W-33%	00:30	01:06
30	11,16	0,14	1986		Junction to Col Ciarnacei, Furnes, St. Ulrich 9	Straight ahead Furnes	W-27%	00:30	01:06
31	11,30	0,68	1947		Crossroad	Straight ahead Furnes	W-20%	00:30	01:07
32	11,98	0,39	1809		Crossroad Forststraße	Bear right St. Ulrich	S -4%	00:32	01:11
33	12,36	0,27	1792		Crossroad nach St. Ulrich und Raschötz (Schild Naturpark)	Sharp left Furnes 8	S -14%	00:33	01:14
34	12,63	0,14	1754		Jagdhütte	Straight ahead	S -17%	00:34	01:15
35	12,77	0,13	1730		Junction zur Hütte	Sharp left Seilbahn Seceda, Furnes 8 (über lange Bridge over brook)	S -3%	00:34	01:16
36	12,91	0,35	1726		Crossroads gravel road	Straight ahead Furnes (kurze Schiebepassage)	S 0%	00:35	01:17
37	13,25	1,97	1726		Middle station Seceda	Take gondola lift	X 30%	00:36	01:19
38	15,22	0,32	2453		Bergastation Seceda	Bear left Sangon Hut	P -4%	00:41	01:31
51	21,81	0,29	1864		Lech de Ciaulonch (kleiner See)	Right Sangon Hütte, St. Christina 1	S -12%	00:59	02:10
52	22,10	0,05	1825		Junction to Wolkenstein, Bridge over brook	Bear right St. Christina 1	S -4%	01:00	02:12
53	22,15	0,16	1823		Junction zur Sangonhütte (80m)	Bear left downhill	S -9%	01:00	02:12
54	22,31	0,38	1808		Junction zur Aschgleralm	Bear left downhill	S -21%	01:00	02:13
55	22,68	0,26	1734		Junction zur Baiten Hütte 1	Bear left downhill	S -20%	01:01	02:16
56	22,94	0,53	1684		Junction, Bach mit Staustufen	Bear right	R -16%	01:02	02:17
57	23,47	0,08	1605		Subway	Sharp right Str. Insom (durch Subway)	R 0%	01:04	02:20
58	23,55	0,02	1605		Crossroad (zur Pramulin-Hütte)	Straight ahead over bridge	R 6%	01:04	02:21
59	23,57	0,66	1606		Intersection nach Bridge	left downhill	R -8%	01:04	02:21
60	24,23	0,15	1558		Insom	Straight ahead St. Christina	S -2%	01:06	02:25
61	24,39	0,21	1556		Junction towards the centre of S. Cristina	Straight ahead St. Christina Kirche	R 2%	01:06	02:26
62	24,60	0,13	1561		Hydrant	left downhill	R -8%	01:07	02:27
63	24,73	0,06	1551		Intersection	Straight ahead Prauletta	R 13%	01:07	02:28
64	24,79	0,60	1558		Junction Str. Col da Messa	Straight ahead uphill St. Jakob	R 5%	01:7	02:28
65	25,39	0,31	1591		Junction to Seceda	Straight ahead St. Jakob	R 2%	01:09	02:32
66	25,70	0,46	1591		Junction to Uleta	Bear right St. Jakob	R 10%	01:10	02:34
67	26,16	0,34	1639		Chapel	left St. Jakob Kirche	P -4%	01:11	02:36
68	26,50	0,14	1629		Junction 20m after wayside cross	Straight ahead St. Jakob	W 5%	01:12	02:39
69	26,65	0,17	1635		Crossroad (nach Seceda)	Straight ahead St. Jakob	W -7%	01:12	02:39
70	26,82	0,44	1635		Junction gravel road	Bear left towards St. Jakob/San Giacomo	S -2%	01:13	02:40
71	27,26	0,14	1627		Junction to Siurasas	Straight ahead St. Jakob	S -16%	01:14	02:43
72	27,40	0,21	1604		Junction towards St. Ulrich/ Ortisei	Straight ahead St. Jakob Kirche	W -9%	01:14	02:44
73	27,61	0,22	1590		Junction gravel road	Bear right St. Jakob	S -1%	01:15	02:45
74	27,84	0,47	1589		End of gravel road	Straight ahead	W -4%	01:15	02:47
75	28,30	0,02	1565		Fountain vor Kirche	Straight ahead	S 9%	01:17	03:49
76	28,33	0,03	1567		Kiche St. Jakob	Straight ahead	W -10%	01:17	02:49
77	28,35	0,30	1564		Junction to Sacun	Straight ahead Col de Flam	P -2%	01:17	02:50
78	28,65	0,69	1557		Crossroad	Straight ahead St. Ulrich	P -14%	01:18	02:51
79	29,34	0,66	1463		Junction with track	Sharp right downhill	W-15%	01:20	02:56
80	30,00	0,08	1359		Junction	Sharp right St. Ulrich/Ortisei 6	S -15%	01:21	02:59
81	30,07	0,68	1347		Fountain	Straight ahead zwischen Benchesn hindurch Annatal	P -5%	01:22	03:00
82	30,76	0,01	1317		Pauli-Hütte	left downhill	R -16%	01:23	03:04
83	30,77	0,19	1315		Tree with wayside cross	Sharp right	R 6%	01:23	03:04
84	30,96	0,05	1324		Bridge	Straight ahead	S 15%	01:24	03:05
85	31,01	0,12	1332		Junction	Bear right towards guesthouse	S 11%	01:24	03:06
86	31,13	0,12	1346		Annatal-Hütte	Turn back	S -11%	01:24	03:06
87	31,26	0,05	1332		Junction	Bear left towards bridge	S -15%	01:25	03:07
88	31,31	0,19	1324		Bridge	Straight ahead	R -6%	01:25	04:07
89	31,50	0,21	1315		Tree with wayside cross (zur Pauli-Hütte)	Bear right downhill	R -8%	01:25	03:08
90	31,71	0,52	1298		Playground	Straight ahead downhill	R -9%	01:26	3:10
91	32,23	0,18	1251		Bottom of Seceda lift	Straight ahead downhill	S -3%	01:27	3:13
92	32,41	0,07	1243		Junction tarmac road (Stein)	Bear right downhill towards church	R -3%	01:28	03:14
93	32,48	0,08	1236		Church in Ortisei	Straight ahead zum Tourismusverein	R -6%	01:28	03:14
94	32,56	0,00	1231		Tourist information office in St. Ulrich/Ortisei	End of tour	R 0%	01:28	03:15

                                       

Explanation of evaluation factors • Overall difficulty based on climb difficulty (60%) and descent difficulty (40%) • Climb difficulty based on total distance uphill (30%), overall height variation uphill (30%), surface uphill (10%), average slope   uphill (25%), highest altitude reached (5%). • Descent difficulty consists of total distance downhill (10%), overall height variation downhill (10%), surface downhill (50%),   average slope downhill (30%). • Physical condition based on total distance (40%), with overall height variation (50%) and highest altitude reached (10%). • Riding technique based on surface (50%), with average slope uphill (30%) and average slope downhill (20%). • Writer’s subjective evaluation of panorama and riding fun. Explanation of surface and slope A = Tarmac road steep uphill from + 15% R = Tarmac cycle path uphill up to + 14% S = Gravel level ca. +/- 4% W = Hiking trail downhill up to - 19% P = Path, Single Trail steep downhill from - 20% T = Carrying / pushing X = Cable car / transfer Route: the percentages indicate the average climb (+) or the average descent (-) to the next waymarker.

                       

CHARACTERISTICS ALTITUDE PROFILE MAP