SKILLS/FITNESS
RATING
We want to make sure you are booked onto the trip that will suit you best and where you will have the experience of a lifetime.
With a long experience as certified mountain bike guides and ITRS Certified Trail Raters, we are able to point you to the right tour by asking you a few questions about your technical and physical abilities.
We rely on the ITRS International Trail Rating System, more infos down below
PLEASE READ THESE GUIDELINES CAREFULLY
BEGINNER
Level 1
1
FITNESS
up to 25 km (typically around 10 km)
up to 350 meters climbing
up to 1’000 meters descending
sporty entry-level
you are an active person
you exercise regularly low intensity at least twice a week.
1
DIFFICULTY
no special skills are required other than being able to safely ride a bicycle
you can ride on easy rolling singletrack and double jeep tracks.
you can manage your speed
you can manage your balance
INTERMEDIATE
Level 2
2
FITNESS
up to 50 km (typically around 25 km)
up to 800 meters climbing
up to 2’400 meters descending
you can push or carry your bike uphill or downhill on short sections (few meters)
good general fitness necessary
ou're going on day tours often
you are able to cycle 4-5 hours per day.
you like to challenge yourself
2
DIFFICULTY
correct body position and actively adapting it to the trail is required, as well as braking techniques on unpaved surfaces
basic cornering skills, good line choice and visual focus (knowing where to focus when looking ahead) are helpful
basic jumping skills will increase the fun
you can manage your balance uphill and downhill on loose gravels, rocks and roots.
you feel confident in riding singletrack with few roots and rocks, on dry terrain
you can ride with a little exposure at times and would like to improve your skills.
ADVANCED
Level 3
3
FITNESS
up to 100 km (typically around 50 km)
up to 1’500 meters climbing
up to 5000 meters descending
good condition and regular training is required
atough and long full-day tour or a whole day in the bike park does not scare you.
you are comfortable with cycling more than 5 hours at steady pace per day.
you are able to climb 1 hour non stop.
you do not mind riding in rain if it occurs
3
DIFFICULTY
automated ability to constantly adapt your body position and confident brake control in steeper terrain and on varying trail surfaces is required
corners can become so narrow that accurate line choice and visual focus is needed
advanced and confident jumping and dropping skills are required
lifting the front and/or rear wheel will be helpful to overcome obstacles
you can go down a drop above 30 centimeters
you rarely walk uphill or downhill
you like the technical challenge and you would like to improve your skills
you are confident in riding with little exposure
EXPERT
Level 4
4
FITNESS
often around 80 km
up to 3’400 meters climbing
up to 10’000 meters descending
frequent and structured endurance training is necessary
exhausting and very long day tours, bike marathons, or records in downhill descend meters per day are your thing
you may have raced, got prepared and trained for mtb events
you do not mind riding in rain if it occurs
you can push or carry your bike on long sections
uphill in technical trails (more than 20 minutes)
4
DIFFICULTY
fully automated, precise and instinctively fast adapting of body position and brake power are mandatory
excellent balance is a prerequisite
corners may be so tight that pivoting on the front wheel becomes necessary
jumps and drops can be much bigger and higher so expert skills and a very high level of confidence are required
obstacles may be so high that confident bunny hop and drop skills are helpful
you like the challenge and enjoy riding narrow technical singletracks
you are able to climb technical trails with roots, steps, rocks
you are confident in any condition, terrain and exposure
EXTREME
Level 5
5
FITNESS
typically > 100 km
typically > 3’400 meters climbing
> 10’000 meters descending
professional training for racing is required
you love racing, especially extreme bike marathons or any other form of extremely exhausting races
you are a machine
you cycle uphill faster than a motorbike and have bear thighs
please pass your way, you are going to make our guides look bad (just joking! we have a good plan for you!)
5
DIFFICULTY
professional downhill, freeride, slope style and/or bike trial skills are absolutely necessary
you come from another planet
you fly downhill over rocks and drop off doing 55 tricks still unnamed in one single jump.
we are just humans but we know where you can have fun!
ITRS TRAIL RATING
The ITRS is an objective way to assess trails and routes from a biker’s perspective. The ITRS informs the bikers about the requirements to safely master the various challenges of a trail or an entire route. For this purpose, four aspects are evaluated in the ITRS, which in their interaction reflect the fascination and complexity of mountain biking: Technical Difficulty, Endurance, Exposure and Wilderness.
BIKER'S GUIDE TO ITRS:
