Autumn Bike Adventure in the Dolomites - Trails & Camper Van Trip

Flow master and color chaser Korbinian Engstler needed one more trip. One more chance to surf mountain trails, one more adventure with the crew, one more color fix before winter sets in. Where’s the best place for that? The Dolomites!

Tre Cime, Marmolada, Rosengarten, Geisler, Sella – few alpine sceneries are as spectacular as the Dolomites. Massive rock faces shoot skyward in jagged peaks and towers, while lush alpine meadows roll out below. Pro biker Korbi Engstler has ridden sand dunes in Namibia, biked between the fairy chimneys in Cappadocia, and carved down the flanks of Mount Etna. But he’d never hit the Dolomites on two wheels.

Time for an autumn road trip in the CLIFF 4×4, with his best buddies and a color spectacle that perfectly fits Korbi’s unique Paulaner Spezi helmet.

Summer in Central Europe wasn’t exactly beautiful this year. Lots of rain, temperatures more down than up. We just wanted to get out one more time before winter hit. Soak up those autumn colors. And then October in South Tyrol was absolutely perfect: cool mornings, then warm and pleasant during the day – and the light was just incredible.

Photographer Janik Steiner and filmmaker David Karg traveled with Korbi across three continents in 2024. The result: WHYNOT?! A 32-minute film searching for happiness – and finding it in life’s unpredictability, in moments of freedom, and in true friendships. It was time for the three to hit the road together again.

Watch WHYNOT? here

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10/10

Sure, the Dolomites are a classic, but for me it was completely unknown bike territory. I was totally blown away. Surreally beautiful and not crowded at all. Definitely a 10 out of 10.

Stop 1: Kronplatz

The bike park near Bruneck is one of the Alps’ best-kept secrets. 18 trails in every direction – jump lines, chilled flow tracks, and plenty of tricky technical trails. The icon is the 7.5 km Herrensteig with its countless variations.

Definitely an awesome spot, especially in the off-season. Epic mountain views up top and seriously well-built trails below. It’s incredible how insanely long the Herrensteig is.

Stop 2: Trail Arena Val Gardena

This region is way more than just the Sella Ronda! Nearly 14 km of trails between Selva, Passo Gardena, and Gran Paradiso. From easy family lines to gnarly black freeride trails.

The lines at Passo Gardena were a total surprise for me. Those were almost the best berms I’ve ever ridden. And we ended with the most epic sunset ever.

Stop 3: Tre Cime

If there’s such a thing as an alpine beauty ideal, the Tre Cime come incredibly close. But the massive rocks around Dobbiaco and Sesto are as famous as popular and thus overcrowded in peak time. But not in the off-season! Then, even these mighty, steep walls get quieter.

The area around Tre Cime was my absolute favourite. We were able to park right at the Auronzo Refuge at 2,333 m, but you have to book that online in advance. Camping up there was next level. Especially when the rocks started glowing at sunset. Those colours setting the walls on fire – my brain was struggling to process that.

Yet those three spots are just a mere glimpse into what the Dolomites holds – there are adventures from the Stoneman icon to Fanes or Latemar. The WHYNOT crew will be back for sure!

Join the Ride

As a SUNLIGHT Adventure Crew member, Korbinian Engstler shows what freedom on all wheels, flow, and real moments on the road look like. Check it out and join him on his epic rides.

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