Off the beaten track

«For me, biking and mountains go hand in hand.» At the age of 15, Marek discovered his passion for mountain biking. Ever since coming to the Engadin, he has also been passionate about trail riding. «Nature restores my energy, particularly after a hard day's work.»

First wind it up, then wind it down

During the day, Marek serves customers at the sports shop La Fainera; in the evening, however, he is mostly out on his trail bike: «This is when we have free rein. Our «home run» takes us into the Fex valley. First, we take the road to the Fex Hotel, then follow the hiking trail on the right-hand side of the valley to the God Laret. Afterwards, it's downhill to the boathouse and back to the village. It's a 50-minute ride at full tilt. To wind down afterwards, we sometimes go for pizza.»

Something for everyone

According to Marek, Sils is an excellent starting point for mountain biking. «The surrounding area offers mountain bikers a wide range of options: relaxing flow trails on the Corviglia, pumptrack riding in Silvaplana, St. Moritz and Pontresina, and access to the Alpine Bike Route 1, which leads from Surlej to Maloja and over the Septimer Pass to Bivio. If an e-bike is more your style, there are excellent trails, for instance, into the Fex valley, or along Lake Silvaplana towards Surlej and on to Champfèr all the way to St. Moritz.»

True pleasure

Marek's secret discovery is the Fedoz Valley, the wild, uninhabited valley that runs parallel to the Fex Valley. «It's a totally different place there. You rarely see anyone for miles. It's like being in the Hindu Kush or somewhere like that. Originally, I'm from Třebíč in the Czech Republic, which lies at 405 metres above sea level. Here, I ride up to altitudes that are easily above 2,700 metres. There's no greater pleasure.»

His favourite route into the Fedoz Valley leads from the Furtschellas valley station over Via Cartinellas to Fex Platta and from there, over Kamm into the Fedoz Valley to Petpreir and Ca d`Starnam as far as Maloja.

Marek Fiala`s tips

• The last ride
  «Take the last Corvatsch cable car to the Murtèl middle station. Then ride down via Rabgiusa to Furtschellas and through the forest to Sils Maria.» Information on bike transport Corvatsch
• Tricky but spectacular
   «Take the cable car up to Corviglia, then continue to Val Suvretta from there you ride the Fopettas trail to St. Moritz Bad.»
• Relax on Chastè with a barbecue
  «You don't always need to be on the go. Sometimes it's good to stop and unwind with a barbecue on Chastè and take a refreshing dip in Lake Sils at sunset.»

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