Magazine summer 2022

LIMITLESS
Erich and Beni Kälin achieved something extraordinary
two years ago: from Visp, they rode their
commercially available e-mountain bikes via the
Britannia Hut to the 4,190-metre-high Strahlhorn.
Text: Patrick Gasser
Images: Mario Heller
Dawn. Summit cross. A father and son
embrace. Photo. A snapshot of the kind
that can be found on almost any mountain
peak in the Alps on a July day. And yet the
undertaking of Erich (63) and Beni (33)
Kälin in the summer of 2020 made waves
far beyond the alpinist scene: not far from
the summit cross of the 4,190-metre-high
Strahlhorn are two bicycles on which the
Bernese Oberland paraglider pilot and
speed-flying pioneer covered the entire
distance together with his father Erich. It’s
over 3,500 metres in altitude from Visp to
the Strahlhorn at the very back of the Saas
Valley.
Made it: Beni (left) and Erich Kälin on the summit of the
Strahlhorn.
The most important component of the bikes is hidden in the
frame: ‘We used bikes with one of the most powerful electric
motors on the market’, says Beni Kälin. ‘With non-motorised
bikes, we would have had far too little power for the steep and
snow-covered slopes and would have had to push or carry
them over long distances.’
The project clearly demonstrates what is feasible today.
Even though small modifications to the saddle and steering
fork were necessary and special wheels provided more grip
on the snow: the Kälins rode the Strahlhorn with commercially
available e-mountain bikes.
Rapid development
In the near future, battery performance is set to increase
by another 30 to 40 per cent for the same weight,
industry magazines predict. ‘I think in ten years’ time, we’ll be
laughing about the fact that we used to have to lug around
heavy spare batteries’, adds Beni Kälin.
A motorised mountain bike is still around 10 kilograms
heavier than a non-motorised one. This makes the e-mountain
bikes a little more sluggish to steer downhill. But these
e-bikes are also catching up in terms of downhill performance,
making even the most puritanical bikers succumb
to temptation. In the Saas Valley, the trend is being noticed:
numerous routes – such as the tour to the Gletscherseewini
above Saas-Balen – have plenty of impressive experiences
in store.
Incline of up to 23 degrees
Back to the Strahlhorn: for climbers, the summit is one of the
easier four-thousand-metre peaks in the Alps. But the long
path demands quite a bit of fitness when climbing to the
4,190-metre peak. For Beni and Erich Kälin, the tour already
began in Visp. There, they rode their e-mountain bikes up the
cantonal road to Saas-Fee. Here, they changed tyres to have
better grip later on when riding on the snow that covers the
glaciers.
They covered another 1,200 metres in altitude to the
Britannia Hut via the ski slopes, which have been eroded.
Shortly before the intermediate destination at 3,030 metres
above sea level, the two reached their limits with their bikes
for the first time. The steep, snow-covered slope at Egginerjoch
with an incline of 23 degrees – a red-marked ski slope in
winter – meant that Beni and Erich Kälin had to push the bikes
for the first time. With a tare weight of 24 kilograms (without
additional battery), the motor also provided support thanks to
the corresponding push-assist function.
Pit stop at the Britannia Hut
At the Britannia Hut, both father and son charged their own
batteries for the summit day. They were not the first guests
on two wheels that Dario Andenmatten has hosted: ‘The first
mountain biker was on our terrace about 25 years ago’, says
Dario Andenmatten, host at one of the Swiss Alpine Club’s
most frequented huts.
Even a four-thousand-metre peak has been reached
here by mountain bike: about 15 years ago – people in the
Saas Valley don’t remember exactly – a group ventured down
the Allalinhorn (4,027 metres above sea level). Together with
the Zermatt Breithorn (4,164 metres above sea level), the summit
is considered the easiest four-thousand-metre peak in the
Alps. This is not least because of the accessibility by mountain
railways up to around 500 metres in altitude below the
mountain peak.
Together, Beni and Erich Kälin rode the Strahlhorn on an e-mountain bike in the
summer of 2020.
On a rope over the glacier
For Beni and Erich Kälin, the journey continued at 1.00 a.m. in
the direction of the Strahlhorn. Roped up, they travelled over
the glacier towards the Adler Pass. The snow cover was not
always frozen enough. Time and again, the two had to push
their bikes a few metres. Beni Kälin: ‘The Strahlhorn may be
a flat 4,000-metre peak for classic high-altitude tours. For the
e-bike, however, the various sections with more than 20 degrees
of incline are still extremely steep.’
Traversing like when on a ski tour is not possible.
‘The pedals always get stuck in the snow on the
slope.’ Small holes eaten into the snow by the July sun
make it difficult for the duo to find their balance on the uneven
surface. Nevertheless, they reached the summit and then
rode back to Saas-Fee.
Beni and Erich Kälin’s venture has shown what is possible
with technology today. But the e-mountain bikes, which
start at around 5,000 Swiss francs, are no guarantee of successfully
reaching the summit. Beni Kälin: ‘It’s wrong to think
that you can just make your way up there.’ That’s because:
Without experienced riding technique, good fitness, the right
e-bikes with the right components and, above all, the right
conditions, you will quickly reach your limits in the high mountains
(see below).
Approach slowly
Even if technical development offers support: not
everyone makes it through with the e-mountain bike
off-road. It is, therefore, important to approach the tour
slowly and adapt it to your personal abilities. By the
way, the same also applies to mountain bikes without
a motor. It is also worth taking riding courses with
trained MTB instructors. This is because the right riding
technique is far more important than battery range.
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