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Trail descriptions for lift assisted biking

This page is based on SLAO's Lilla Gröna and describes the difficulty levels for lift-accessed biking in SkiStar Bike Park at SkiStar's Swedish destinations.

The grading applies to lift assisted biking in SkiStar Bike Park and is not comparable to trail riding in SkiStar Trail Park. Here you can read what green, blue, red, black and purple biking trails mean.

Choose difficulty level

Green trail – easy

What to expect from the trail

Green trails are suitable for beginners in lift-accessed biking. These trails are aimed at beginners, but still require bikers to be in good physical condition and have biking experience. The trails generally have an even surface and are relatively wide. Sections may include uneven surfaces and obstacles such as roots, rocks, small steps, holes and simpler wooden structures. The gradient on green trails is not too steep, so they can be managed by most trained people, young and old.

Skill level/difficulty

Basic skill level. You should be able to bike and control a bike safely on terrain, sometimes on narrow and loose sections.

Bike

A well-maintained and modern mountain bike with disc brakes at the front and rear, as well as a suspension fork, is suitable.

Surface

The trails are flowing and wide, with a soil or gravel surface. The surfaces may be loose, uneven and sometimes muddy with holes, although green trails are generally relatively smooth.

Gradient and features

Easy-to-ride trails with moderate descents. Simpler obstacles such as bermed corners, rollers, wooden structures and small steps.

Blue trail – intermediate

What to expect from the trail

Blue trails are for bikers with intermediate experience. These trails offer plenty of challenges and excitement for the biker. Blue trails are generally flowing in nature and include slightly more challenging biking with steep slopes, fast sections and many different trail features.

Skill level/difficulty

An intermediate level of skill is required. The biker must be able to brake in a controlled way on steep descents over uneven terrain, take corners and bike on short, steep descents.

Bike

A well-maintained full-suspension mountain bike of good quality with hydraulic disc brakes. Medium to long travel: 130 mm to 200 mm is recommended.

Surface

The trail surface can vary from fairly smooth soil/gravel to more challenging natural surfaces with obstacles such as roots and rocks.

Gradient and features

Most gradients are moderate but may include some unavoidable steep sections. The trails may include technical elements of intermediate difficulty, such as roots, rocks, bermed corners, rollers, rollable jumps and wooden structures.

Red trail – advanced

What to expect from the trail

Red trails are for advanced mountain bikers. These trails require a high level of bike handling, as they involve difficult biking on all kinds of surfaces. Advanced trails may have fast, machine-built sections or be more naturally technical in their design. The trails sometimes combine these styles and consist of a combination of long, steep descents, loose and varied trail surfaces and many natural and man-made obstacles, including wooden structures.

Skill level/difficulty

Advanced biking skills are required. Bikers must be able to handle larger drops, jumps and steep slopes safely, and be able to control the bike over very uneven and often slippery surfaces.

Bike

A well-maintained full-suspension mountain bike of good quality with hydraulic disc brakes. Medium to long travel: 150 mm to 200 mm is recommended.

Surface

Steep and tough terrain with a consistently technical character. Noticeably rougher surfaces than blue trails. Expect highly varied surfaces and a high frequency of natural and man-made obstacles.

Gradient and features

You can expect steep descents of a challenging character, technical terrain with natural rock sections, many exposed roots, as well as constructed trails with large corners, wooden structures and large advanced gaps, jumps, drops and steep features.

Black trail – expert

What to expect from the trail

Black trails are only for mountain bikers with very good downhill biking ability. The trails offer very difficult biking. Some of the challenges you will encounter are large man-made and natural jumps, drops, gaps and highly technical terrain, wooden structures and steep gradients. Mountain bikers with expert skills should be the only bikers using these trails.

Skill level/difficulty

For experts only. Suitable only for bikers with very high technical biking skills who can safely handle steep drop-offs, gaps, jumps, drops and difficult technical terrain.

Bike

A well-maintained full-suspension mountain bike of good quality with hydraulic disc brakes. Medium to long travel: 150 mm to 200 mm+ is recommended.

Surface

Very challenging trails. Black trails are highly technically demanding. They may include all types of natural and man-made surfaces.

Gradient and features

Expect large, demanding and unavoidable technical sections with both constructed and natural surfaces. The trails may include large gaps, jumps and drops at expert level, drop-offs and difficult terrain on the steepest slopes.

Purple trail – pro trail

What to expect from the trail

Extremely difficult level. Pro trails are trails suitable for bikers who have developed and refined their extreme downhill biking skills to an exceptionally high level. Pro trails include mandatory gaps, jumps and drops.

Skill level/difficulty

For professional and elite riders only, bikers in top physical condition with extensive experience of biking in highly challenging terrain as well as large gaps, jumps and drops.

Bike

A well-maintained full-suspension mountain bike of good quality with hydraulic disc brakes. Long travel: 160 mm to 200 mm+ is recommended.

Surface

Constructed trails and/or natural material. The entire trail will have a highly challenging and varied surface. Includes extreme risk levels. Excellent jumping ability is mandatory.

Gradient and features

These trails include the most technical tracks in the facilities, including wooden structures, unavoidable drop-offs and mandatory gaps, jumps and drops, with no limit to the trail gradient.