Lermoos is a small town in the federal state of Tyrol in Austria. Even it is a very small town it encloses one of the best trail in the Zugspitze area. The trail gets its name from the Blindsee -lake which offers a spectacular setting for the trail. But the lake is not the only reason why this trail is a gem. Even the trail itself is a real gem and it would be so even without the Blindsee. It is a hidden gem though because people who are living around know it well. If you are in the area this trail is one you should ride.
The trail’s highest point reaches 2.022m and this point locates at the place where the route begins. Not only because of heights but also location, the route is not ridable throughout the year. In normal winter this region has lot of snow. Normally the season begins around May and last till September. Of course the season varies depending on the snow situation. Beginning of the trail might be muddy after the rain, but otherwise it should be possible to ride it after the rain without any problems.
The trail is not very popular by hikers, but even more so by bikers. Bikers are very different levels so be aware where you park your bike while some bikers might ride very fast. Also you should not only expect to face other biker from the front, but also behind. You don’t need to own a long travel Enduro bike, but it will help you. If you are skilled biker you can even ride the trail with a hardtail.
The route runs partly in forest and partly in open terrain. You can expect soil to be everything from rock gardens, root gardens and walking trails to paved roads.
The trail starts from the same place where it ends. You have the opportunity to adapt the trail, but this opportunity is only after the second stage. Since the second stage is most demanding, you should make the decision before enter into the second stage if you are not sure about your skills. Otherwise you have a long stage ahead even though length is like few kilometers. The trail is suitable to be the only trail of the day although it is not so demanding that a fit rider could not ride another trail at same day.
You have possibility to go up by a lift or bike. Actually you have to use two lifts to go up. If you are not a hardcore uphill rider, but you still want to do some sport, you can buy a ticket to the first station. This will ease the way up a bit but still it is not a Sunday ride. Be sure to buy a ticket for the whole journey if you planning to use the lift up to the top.
The trail is divided into five stages and they are defined on the basis of their character. Although many stages, they can be divided in two category, single trail and transition. The second and third are best stages because they are really single trails and demanding enough. The first stage is also nice but not as nice as the second and third because it is running on the easier terrain. Complete second stage and some sections in the third stages are challenging but still not more than S3.
The first stage from the cable car station to 2.5 km is running first 0.7 km on the maintenance road, but then it moves onto the single trail. The stage is not very challenging, but it can be slipper after the rain because the soil type is clay. It is slippery even when it is dry because grass doesn’t provide too much grip. Especially if you are using low profile tyres. The stage is mainly downhill except a short ascent just before the second stage starts. The first stage is not more than S2 even there are some very short sections which are a bit more difficult than that. But they are that short that they don’t increase the rating of this stage.
The second stage till 5.6 km is a true single trail and also the best part of the trail. It is also most demand part of the trail even some sections in the third stage are challenging as well but these sections are much shorter. The soil is rock or stone, and here you find some nice rock gardens. If you are not familiar how to ride rock gardens this is the right place to practice. Here you find rock gardens which are different type and level. There are many sections which are S3 and those define the rating of the second stage.
The third stage till 7.7 km is also a true single trail even it is not as demanding as the second but in this stage you experience best views. You are riding along the Blindsee which set the beautiful scene for this stage. You can adjust the route and it is up to you which side you want to go around the Blindsee. After the Blindsee you have short ascent which you have to carry. If you are able to cycle this part up you get my all respect. Some sections are quite same difficulty as in the second stage, and these sections you find from the beginning and after at the end. The soil in this stage is everything from rock gardens, root gardens to walking trail. There is one place where you might get lost if your are following Garmin maps and that is around 8.5km where you have to follow the maintenance road for short distance before you turn to the left. At least in my maps (TransAlpin V4 PRO) this trail is not visible. But if you follow the track in this article you should not have any problems. There are sections which are S3 and they define the level of this stage.
The fourth stage till 12 km is running on the maintenance road. It is a very flat stage and running mostly in the forest. Only exception is when you are crossing the A32. Views are not exceptional and therefore this stage is a bit boring after so much fun in the second and third stages. It is definitely S1 or maybe even S0 because it is flat and do not create any challenges.
The fifth stage from 12 km till the finish is running mostly on the walking trail but last 1-2 km you are going to use paved roads. It is a very flat stage and running mostly on the open terrain. Although views are quite nice, this stage is not very exiting. It is definitely S1 or maybe even S0 mainly because of same reason as the fourth stage. I would definitely skip this stage if there would be a better way to get back to the car. Only advantage of this stage is that you ride through Lermoos so if you want to eat something you find lot of restaurants here.
The Blindsee Trail gets three thumbs for experience only because the second and third stages are so short. If these stages would be longer the rating would be definitely four thumbs for experience. Another thing which reduce the rating is that after the first and second stages there are no steep sections anymore. The trails gets three thumbs for technique only because of second and third stages.
Description
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Parking
You can park your car at the cable car station Grubigstein. The parking lot is big and include covered parking. Parking is free and safe, but of course you have to bike back to the same place where you start. Another option is to park somewhere in Lermoos.
Lifts
Eat & Drink
At the starting point, Grubighütte (hütte)
1,7 km, Grubigalm (restaurant)
11,6 km, Otto’s Pistentreff (hütte)
I cannot recommend any of these because I didn’t visit any. Lermoos you have a plenty of choice to choose from. But I am sure you will find something to eat in these three places. So it is up to you if you want to eat along the way or after.
GPX
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