Winterberg bikepark and trailpark

The bikepark in Winterberg is quite unique because there are so many different types of mountainbike trails in a small area. The trailpark has made this location very interesting for xc riders as well.

Mountainbike routes

There are a lot of different types of riding in Winterberg. From the aptly named Pinball that is a succession of 34 big berms where you roll down at high-speed like a pinball. To the Blackline which is a natural, steep singletrail for expert riders. Scroll down for a more in-depth review of the different trails.

The trail crew is very active, so you will always find the trails in perfect condition even in wet conditions. I guess they don’t have a choice, which brings us to the only downside of bikepark Winterberg, during the weekends and German (and Dutch) school holidays it will be very busy. With longer waiting times for the main lift.     

You can have a lot of fun on the easier trails with your xc bike (with some knee and elbow pads), but if you don’t like the bikepark or the lift lines are a bit long then there is also a trailpark. These trails start at the free parking area on the opposite side of the main road.

Mountain biking in Winterberg

Pro’s

• A lot of different trails in a small area
• fast lift
• excellent trail maintenance 
• trail park 
• plenty to do for the rest of the family

Cons

• busy during the weekends
• the trails have a slight bias towards fast and flowy, it would be nice if there were more technical trails like the Blackline singletrail. 

The village

The centre of Winterberg is 5 minutes away by car from the lift. As the name suggests Winterberg is a popular destination in the winter. So you will find everything you need after a day of riding like ice cream shops and XXL Schnitzel restaurants.

The rest of the family will not be bored, the area around the lift is a bit of an amusement park, with a summer rodelbahn, midget golf and the panorama bridge that you can see from the lift. Due to the good layout you don’t notice any of this going on while your riding your bike.

There is a wellness spa with swimming pool in Winterberg, this is also where the tourist info is located.
And there is an open-air swimming pool about 15 minutes away.

Hotels and apartments

Booking.com

Campings

There is a camping near the lift, mostly filled with private chalets, the camper van and tent spots quickly fill up during the busy weekends, it’s best to make a reservation. There are also a couple of caravans you can rent. The showers are nice and warm, but coin operated (1EUR/5Min.).
Wifi is free and when your phone has a good antenna you will have signal in the tent area.
There is a dirt jump area close to the campground, so if you’re not tired yet you can do a quick after dinner session.

Mountainbike trails

in order of difficulty:
beginner & kids parcours (blue 1) A couple of table jumps in different sizes and some small northshores and drops. Nice for a warm up or an after dinner session if you’re staying on the campground.
The flow country trail (blue 11) is basically a never-ending pump track, experienced riders will ride this like a fast rollercoaster, beginners can learn to ride their bike at speed, but don’t get overconfident, because there will be consequences.
Conti track (blue/red 2) experienced bikers will get some air, beginners can roll down and try some jumps when they want to.
Four Cross (blue/red 5) beginners can roll this track, but to ride it with speed takes some skill and effort, it’s wide enough for four racers, so you can race your friends.
Woodpecker (red 4) this is a good track when you want to improve your jumping skills. The wooden structures will get slippery when wet, that’s why it will be closed during and after rain showers.
Pinball (red 6) If you throw a ball down this course it will roll down the track by itself, but to ride your bike down is hard work. There a 34 BIG berms with a bunch of tablejumps thrown in. There is no technical difficulty so beginners can try this track, but move to the side when you hear faster bikers behind you.
Freeride (red 8) This trail is mostly flow, but there are a couple of sections that require more technical skills, so it’s not suitable for beginners.
Fast, steep, some roots, some rocks and various jumps.
Northshore (red 7) If you can build it from wood this trail has it, narrow or high of the ground, gap jumps, this trail definitely requires skills and focus.
The wood becomes slippery when wet, so don’t ride it in the rain.
IXS Downhill (black 9) This is the race track, it’s mostly a natural track, some fast berms, roots, rocks and jumps. There are a lot of chickenways, so maybe you can ride down, but riding it fast is another game!
BlackLine (black 10) This is a “natural” singletrail, steep, a lot of roots and tight turns. Just keep practicing until you can ride all of it. When it’s wet it becomes very slippery and a lot of fun!
Slopestyle (red 3) It’s marked red on the map, but there are a lot of big jumps and I’ve seen more than enough crashes here. So only try these jumps if you know what you’re doing.

Bikepark trailmap

 

The trailpark – What is a trailpark?

A trailpark is like a bikepark, with purpose build trails, but there is no uplift. So you have to pedal yourself. The difficulty of the trails is aimed more at XC riders than full on DH. But there is a variety of trails with different difficulties and characters, from easy flow trails, to technical roots sections or rock gardens. In the UK this is called a trail centre.

The trailpark in Winterberg has 40 km’s of trail in total, about 20 km’s is singletrail.
All the trails are in a relatively small area, so you can choose your own route depending on which difficulty you want to ride. When you find a trail you  like or want to practice a couple of times it’s usually very easy to pedal back up again. 
Most of the surface is natural forest floor, so it will be wet and muddy after rain. This is also why the trailpark is closed during winter.

The blue trails can be ridden by anyone, the red ones can be a bit steeper or a couple of roots, but should not be a problem for most riders.
The black trails are steep are trickier and involve roots, rocks or steep sections and are not for beginners.

Because there are so many trails and signs close together it’s sometimes difficult to navigate, so bring the map or gps tracks. You can download gpx files for all the individual trail from the website or use the beautiful spaghetti track that has all the trails in one.
Trailpark Winterberg spaghetti gpx
Winterberg Trailpark map karte kaart (pdf)  

XC routes Winterberg

The bike arena website shows cross-country routes in the Sauerland.
The routes around Winterberg are mostly on forest roads, the routes around Willingen do contain some singletrail. Not all of the routes are signposted, make sure to read the description on the site.

Bike shops/ guiding/ Mountainbike rental

The Bikestation is located near the beginner & kids parcours (blue 1) on the map above. They sell lift tickets, rent bikes, repair bikes and organize lessons and training camps. Make sure you make a reservation for your rental bike, even on weekdays.
The bikestation only rents out downhill and enduro bikes.

SkiXbike rents out all sorts of mountainbikes, incl. high end Santa Cruz bikes (Nomad and V10).

Pro biker and Poppenberg rent out cross-country bikes.

 

Tips and tricks

The bikepark is a bit upside down, you park at the top and then ride down. Buy your lift ticket first at the top in the bikeshop! At the end of the day wash your bike at the bottom and then take the lift up, there is no bikewash at the top. 
Near the lifts the parking is expensive, but on the other side of the main road there is a large free parking area. From there pedal your bike for less than a minute and turn left towards the four cross and slopestyle area. Or turn right towards panoramabahn (if it’s running).
Adres Bikepark and Trailpark Winterberg:

Großraumparkplatz am Bremberg P3,P4
Am Waltenberg 115
59955 Winterberg

If it’s possible for you go during the week. If the lift lines get really out of hand do some laps in the trail park and come back to the bikepark later in the afternoon, when it usually quiets down.

Gravity card This season ticket gives you access to 20 bikeparks, including Winterberg (and Willingen)

Other useful links

Although the bikepark is not at a high altitude, it takes some time for the snow to clear, so the season opening is usually mid or end of April.
Keep an eye on their website to know when they open.

Nearby

Willingen This bikepark is about 30 minutes away, not on the same level as Winterberg, but still a lot of fun.
Brilon This trailpark is also half an hour away, according to some it’s better than the trailpark near Winterberg. 
Warstein Fun little bikepark, only open during the weekend. 

Similar

Les Deux Alpes Although 2alps is a lot bigger Winterberg is on a similar level because the variety of trails and the maintenance of the tracks.
Lac Blanc Also a lot of different types of trails.
Hahnenklee Also a lot of different types of trails.