Grenzsteintrophy 2024

Grenzsteintrophy is a self-supported bikepacking trip along the former inner-German border, which ran from the Baltic Sea to Czechoslovakia. 1,275km along former patrol roads and trails, with plenty of challenges along the way…
The Grenzsteintrophy (GST) is a self-supported bikepacking trip along the former inner-German border. The finish line of GST2024 is on June 17, 2024 at 5:06 p.m. at the former border triangle. The number of drivers is limited (years since the fall of the wall = participants; example: 2024 = 35 drivers).

The route of the GST follows the patrol track (Tankplates) of the NVA, which was built a few hundred meters parallel to the former German-German border on the GDR side. In the north it ends at the Baltic Sea (Priwall / Travemünde); in the south-east it ends at the former border triangle near Mittelhammer in the Vogtland region. We drive according to a self-scouted GPS track, which is improved year by year. The track is about 1,275 km long and has almost 20,000 meters of climbing . The surface splits approximately: 40% historical tank plates, 30% tarmac and 30% forest/forest path. The Kolonnenweg follows the border exactly and does not take any “topographic consideration”. This results in many short and steep climbs with up to 30% climbs and downhills. From the north, there are about 15,000 meters of climbing for the last 750 kilometers. With the exception of the Brocken, no climb is longer than 300m, but there are plenty of it! In the north the route is mostly flat. The nature of the trails varies greatly every year.

The route of the GST is lonelier than one would expect in Central Europe. The many historical buildings, monuments and museums enrich the sporting aspects with a unique historical and cultural experience. Checkout reports like this one from Chris Bennett.