Klaus – a mountainbiker with passion
How biking in the middle of paradise in the Dolomites is part of his life
Klaus Pichler manages the Ganischgerhof and can be found every day on the Gardoné. He appreciates the fact that he lives here in paradise in the middle of the Dolomites – and is therefore out and about on his mountainbike or e-mountain bike almost every day. He likes to share with his guests how much he enjoys it. At least once a week, when the trained bike guide leads a tour himself.
If Klaus Pichler’s day had 48 hours, it would probably still be too short. The passionate hotel manager loves the mountains and his home in the Dolomites – and you can see it in every single moment. Klaus, who makes sure his guests at the Hotel and on the Gardoné can feast properly every day, also wants to enjoy every moment as well. “I really appreciate the fact that we live here in paradise, every day,” he says with satisfaction.
When Klaus says paradise, he (mostly) thinks of the endless possibilities that can be explored here on studded tyres. “I’ve been mountainbiking for over 20 years,” he says, thinking back to the time when he rode a fully off the rack every other day from the Ganischgerhof to the Laab Alm and back through the forest. His fully rode “like a swing” and at some point, it broke down. Frame breakage. Clicked into the pedals, Klaus fell over as clumsily as a Playmobil figure.
That was a good reason to invest in new equipment, which has improved dramatically over the years. More riding fun, more safety, more opportunities for biking in the Dolomites – and a mountain bike scene that has virtually exploded. Ten years ago, the Ganischgerhof became a member of the exclusive circle of the BikeHotels Südtirol. But instead of hiring a bike guide, Klaus decided to get trained as one himself.
“Since then, my way of biking has changed significantly,” he says looking back. And thus also the possibilities that the area around the Ganischgerhof offers him. He still regularly rides the tour to the Laab Alm, but now also includes the rooty trails downhill. Or the tour around the Latemar, Klaus’ absolute favourite. “Of course you can do it without any technical difficulty,” he says with a grin, “but the trail version is just a lot more fun.”
Nevertheless, Klaus counts himself among the pleasure bikers and not among the adrenaline-soaked freeride and downhill fraction. And that has manifested itself since the introduction of E-bikes. “The tours that used to take me a day off I now do in three hours,” Klaus explains. And for someone like him, who spends a lot of time in his businesses and with his guests, it is also important that he does not exhaust himself too much on the tours. “After all, I’m already 50 now,” he says with a wink.
Guests at the Ganischgerhof can experience how relaxing and yet impressive a mountain biking tour in the Dolomites with Klaus can be – at least once a week, when the hotel chef himself leads a tour. Where the tour goes depends on what the guests want. But Klaus advises every guest at the Ganischgerhof to try out E-mountain biking at least once. “We have a trail network of over 800 kilometres here,” he says. “There is really an option for everyone.” Above all, there is enough time to stop biking and admire the landscape of the Dolomites – a paradise. “Even though I’ve already taken 1,000 photos,” he says, beaming, “I always have to get off the bike and grab the camera again.”
The Ganis World
at your feet
Discover the Ganis World at a glance
both in winter and summer – with our interactive Ganis map
