Mountain press text - Mayrhofen Cable Cars

Enjoyment and adrenaline are at the top of the list at Penken, and the Action Mountain does full justice to its name at the Fun Sport Station at the reservoir. Regardless of whether you roll over water in the air-filled Funballz, explore the mountain on the mountain scooters "Skyver" and "Gams", reach for the heavens climbing at the via ferrata or savor a genuine go-kart feeling with the brand new mountain carts in the summer, Mayrhofen offers action-packed and exciting mountain adventures for the whole family. The new family ticket provides double the fun.

More than 800 kilometers of developed bike paths, more than 20 signposted mountain bike tours from easy to slightly difficult leisure tours on easy-going panorama paths all the way to demanding trails: the vacation region Mayrhofen-Hippach attracts easy-going, leisurely riders as well as sporty, ambitious "altitude killers" and freeriders hungry for action. An infrastructure tailored perfectly to biker needs with numerous rental and service stations, special bike hotels and exciting bike events make the rear Zillertal into a real El Dorado for bicycle enthusiasts.

Unforgettable vacation experiences for the whole family – Mayrhofen provides that in unlimited quantities: Leisure Mountain Ahorn is especially well suited for relaxing. Following a sunrise breakfast against the backdrop of the fantastic Zillertal, leisurely circular path, Café-Bistro Freiraum and the Eagle's Stage are among the many attractions. Hikers, climbers and bikers especially find their personal mountain high on Action Mountain Penken. Children marvel at the paragliders or roll over the water in Funballz. Have fun discovering the mountain scooter routes with the new mountain carts. The best: Both mountain peak adventures can be combined on two days with the new family ticket.

Taking your children to an exhibition is not always particularly fun. Often, you are banned from touching anything and have to keep a reasonable distance from the exhibits. The Sinnesspiele in the Freiraum building on the Ahorn plateau offers precisely the opposite: here, touching, testing and exploring are not just allowed... they are encouraged. Children learn about the alpine and animal world of Mayrhofen through play. They can use all their senses to discover how different record-holders from nature perceive and master their environments. A quiz guides visitors through the individual sensory stations of the nature experience centre. And at the end, a prize is even available. By combining this highlight with Jazz Brunch or other delicacies offered by the Freiraum café-bistro, even mums and dads are in their element.

A spectacular stage at a height of 2,000 metres, daring aerial acrobatics by eagles and hawks and, if that were not enough, the dream-like panorama of the Zillertal Alps. It is without a doubt that the Adlerbühne is a highlight of the recreational facilities offered by the Ahorn Leisure Mountain in Mayrhofen. This summer, two new and impressive actors, the red kites Adam and Eva, will also take to the stage, which is built from 100 percent natural materials.

The funsport station on the Penken Action Mountain offers hours of fun for young and old visitors alike. The funballz in which visitors roll across the water on the reservoir have been a popular attraction for the last two years. This summer, families with a love for the outdoors have an additional choice: balls or scooters? The new, full-suspension scooters known as ‘skyver’ and ‘gams’ make heading downhill more fun than ever.

A top destination with a great deal to offer: in addition to services in special bike hotels, the Max Hürzeler bike station with CUBE bike rental and offers of multiple guided tours, Mayrhofen in Zillertal now also offers an impressive 20 mountain bike routes and attractive events. These include the CUBE Bike Days from 21 to 24 June and the CUBE Women’s Bike Camp from 16 to 19 August. Both single trails and pleasure circuits offer bike enthusiasts great joy in this biking territory.

The larger the family, the greater the expectations. Which is why it is so great that Mayrhofen awaits visitors with two experience mountains. While mum and dad lose themselves in their thoughts during a sunrise breakfast on the Ahorn, the sons move hand over hand from one grip to the next on the steep face of the Knorren on the Penken Mountain. The grandparents enjoy a relaxed bike tour and the daughter is about to take her first paraglider flight. A walk along the Ahorn plateau with a visit to the Adlerbühne falconry stage, the high alpine nature park and the Freiraum café-bistro is a truly enjoyable highlight for people of all ages. Those looking for action are drawn to the new funsport station on the Penken Mountain, where they will find funballz, mountain scooters and via ferratas. The range of services available is as diverse as people’s interests, even in terms of the ascent options: these include the world’s first Kombibahn, the hiker’s gondola and the Ahornbahn café. There are many opportunities to be discovered.

A gentle breeze caresses the mountainside. Suddenly, eagles, buzzards and eagle owls swoop down, just above the ground, making the hair on the back of the neck stand up. It’s moments like this that captivate entire audiences on the Adlerbühne (Eagle Stage) observation deck. Just like the spectacular aerial displays of these graceful and grandiose creatures. The displays, which take place at 2pm, Saturdays to Thursdays, attract up to 800 visitors at a time. The falconer and brains behind the Adlerbühne, Didi Wechselberger, coordinates the birds with his son Thomas and English-speaking falconer colleague Roy Butterfield. Despite the size of the audience, guests quickly become an integral part of the flying displays. Moments like this are unforgettable – when birds of prey are that close.

Sometimes it’s the little things and those special moments that make life that bit more enjoyable and turn a break in the mountains into a memory to be cherished forever. Children simply can’t get enough of the Funballz on Penken reservoir. Hop into the huge inflated plastic ball and frolic with abandon over the surface of the reservoir. Adults never forget the beaming smiles and laughter of their children. Then they all take to their bikes and follow the stunning new Penken trails, easy even for occasional cyclists. Things are a tad more strenuous on the two narrow trails, or “singletracks”, the Almdudler Stairway to Heaven and the Almdudler Highway to Hell. What better way for mountain bikers to pant and pedal while the kids enjoy a scenic walk through the countryside or watch the paragliders take to the skies. Nature can be just as relaxing on Mount Ahorn, the leisure mountain. It all starts with a breakfast at dawn, against the breathtaking backdrop of the Zillertal Alps. Next, the Leisure Trail, Ahornsee lake and the highlight of the day: the Adlerbühne birds of prey display up on Ahorn, where the kings of the air swoop enticingly close. And if there’s a sudden change in the weather, the Ahornbahn cable car transforms into a hovering café – an attraction in itself.

How keen are the eyes of an eagle? How well can owls and foxes hear? How fast do deer and rabbits run? Absorbing such information through the senses hasn’t been part of the human experience – until now. Starting 11 June 2011, everyone can take part in “sensory games” at the new Nature Experience Centre at Freiraum (“free space”) in Mayrhofen. Amateur researchers both young and young at heart can embark on entertaining journeys of discovery, learn about all kinds of flora and fauna feats, and explore all kinds of plant and animal kingdoms that call the Ahorn plateau home. In fact, there is no better location for this nature exhibition than Freiraum. Opened in 2010 as a convention and event location with state-of-the-art facilities, Freiraum inspires visitors to explore their creativity. It’s perfecting for (re)discovering the world through the five senses. What’s more, the cosy Freiraum café is the ideal setting to relax and take in the impressive panorama.

Eagles. Buzzards. Eagle owls. The stars of the skies, ready to enrapture all visitors to Ahorn, the leisure mountain near Mayrhofen. Every summer, these graceful birds of prey entertain up to 800 visitors a day with a breathtaking display of Alpine aerobatics. The centre also offers one-day workshops – a wonderful opportunity to join the falconer, Didi Wechselberger, come close to the birds and marvel at the beauty of these sky-borne hunters. It’s a truly unique experience – for all ages.

Ahorn, the leisure mountain, and Penken, the action mountain – one quiet and laid-back, the other wild and bursting with energy. On Ahorn, Mother Nature rules supreme. With the idyllic Lake Ahornsee and the new circular leisure trail, the leisure mountain is a paradise for families, nature-lovers, and anyone looking for a bit of peace and quiet. Not at all like Penken – where action, speed and adrenaline rule the day. Brand new single trails for mountain bikers, two climbing zones, launch platforms for paragliders, and countless hiking routes – all easily reached via lifts and cable cars with plenty of room for sports equipment. Ahorn and Penken – two very different mountains that spell a unique holiday in Mayrhofen.

Two new freeriding routes open this summer in Mayrhofen – ‘Almdudler Himmelfahrt’ and ‘Almdudler Höllenritt’. Names which reflect the opposite natures of the two mountain bike tracks, and the different levels of skill required to traverse them. Created in partnership with CUBE, they’re just the latest addition to the fantastic network of cross-country mountain bike routes on Penken, the action mountain. Lifts and cable cars ensure days get off to a smooth start, bringing bikers and their bikes to heights of over 2000 metres.

When the winter snows descend on Mayrhofen, it’s all about high speed thrills on the steepest slope in Austria. Plus plenty of creative boarding in Vans Penken Park. But if you’re expecting a quieter time in Penken in the summer, think again. Apart from offering mile upon mile of hiking trails with some of the most aweinspiring panoramas in the Alps, the Action Mountain transforms once again this summer into an alpine adventure playground. Challenging ascents for mountain bikers, hair-raising rides down the mountain, climbing on overhanging rocks, even paragliding through the dizzying peaks.

Ahorn mountain is booked up for the entire 2008 summer season. For the indulgent among us. For nature lovers. For the romantic at heart. Stress? Up here, on the doorstep of Mayrhofen? Never heard of it. Wend your away along mile after mile of hiking trails, ascend to original Tyrolean alpine huts and you’ll see straight away: in these parts, the ‘stress’ is placed on relaxation. As springs moves to summer, even the cable car unwinds you – as it weaves its way up high. The Ahornbahn, Austria’s biggest gondola car, not only offers plenty of space to walk around, if the sun should temporarily stop shining it quickly transforms into a cosy alpine café. What a welcome change, with speciality coffees and freshly baked cakes.

The Ahorn has to be the mountain for nature and luxury lovers. Add attractions such as Austria’s biggest gondola lift to the mix and Mayrhofen’s ‘home mountain’ is simply bursting with appeal.

Come winter and Penken is pulling in visitors to the best fun park in the Alps and the steepest ski slope in the whole of Austria. Come summer and there are just as many thrills and spills: challenging tracks for energetic mountain bikers, breathtaking panoramas for paragliding pilots, seemingly insurmountable rock faces for the climbers – is there any challenge Mount Penken has not thought of?

For mountain bikers, it’s the stuff that dreams are made of. Shady biking trails through tranquil mountain glens, sleepy villages peppered with traditional farmyards. Romantic alpine huts couched in open meadows. Brisk walks over and beyond the tree line. High above, the snow-clad 3000m peaks of the Zillertal Alps positively glow to the sound of mountain bikers battling every metre up the mountain – to the pass, where they dismount, hoist up their bikes and sweat it out on foot. By now the thigh muscles are steaming hot. And the pulse is doing 180. But it’s worth it – for the feeling of elation when you reach the Pfitscher Joch, 2252m above sea level, and hurtle back down the mountain, a bike ride of more then 60 kilometres. On this, the 10th staging of the legendary Jeantex Bike Transalp – one of the most famous and demanding mountain bike races in the world – the stretch from Mayrhofen to Bressanone on the south Tyrolean side of the Alps is the ultimate in mountain biking. To bikers, the crossover point on the roof of the Alps at Pfitscher Joch is already a legend in itself.