As I've become a more accomplished practitioner of sliding down hills on planks with a dramatic flourish on stopping at the bar, I've found that one week a year may not be enough. The problem is that with Skiing being such a social activity it can be difficult to get the time together or organise a group. So I had the idea of travelling alone after all I'd done with it my bike could I do the same with my skis.

Throughout winter Innsbruck hosts active travellers seeking the thrill of the snow-clad slopes but come spring and summer the Capital of the Alps, and its surrounding villages and valleys, gets its wheels in motion to turn into a biker’s paradise.

The slopes surrounding the city open up for mountain bikers, with forest tracks and the cable car network taking enthusiasts to a wide-variety of stunning routes.

Opportunities also abound for road cycle enthusiasts, with the chance to get some serious miles under the saddle - and even follow the route of 2018’s UCI Road World Championships, including the infamous Höttinger Höll - a hill climb with a grade of up to 28 per cent.

In total, Innsbruck and its surrounding villages and valleys offers 350 km of bicycle paths as well as 115 km of mountain bike trails.