About me

Hi, great to have you here

I'm Manuel. I live in Merano and I'm happiest outdoors: on foot, on my road bike or with a fishing rod by a mountain lake. On TrekFitManuel I take you along on hikes across South Tyrol, on family days out and on trips you won't find in any travel brochure.

Manuel smiling at the Hoher Dieb saddle at 2,612 m
2012End of my elite cycling career
2013Started as a personal trainer in South Tyrol
3 + 1boys and our dog Ambra, almost always along
12,700people follow me on YouTube
My story

From road bike to hiking trail

Sport has always been my life. For many years I raced on the road at elite level, with everything that comes with it: early mornings, endless kilometres, races, setbacks. In 2012 it was over, from one day to the next.

Instead of giving up, I passed on what I knew. Since 2013 I've worked as a personal trainer with Personal Coaching Südtirol, helping people get fitter, stronger and happier. Outdoors, on the move, wherever suits my clients.

With my wife and our three boys, the pace changed. The mountains stayed. Summit sprints turned into family hikes to the alpine huts, afternoons by a mountain lake with a fishing rod, and trips where good food matters just as much as the view.

Why YouTube?

At some point I started filming our hikes. First just for us, then for everyone looking for an honest answer to a simple question: is this hike really worth it? Since summer 2025 I've made all my videos in German. Since then the community has grown every month, mostly from Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

In my videos I show the whole route: car park, climb, food stop, view, and also when something goes wrong. Like the day in the Passer Gorge when it was scorching hot and we missed the bus.

Manuel on the Seiser Alm looking out over the Dolomites
Manuel at a viewpoint above Val Gardena
Today

What I do today

I'm a full-time creator and personal trainer. It's the mix that makes it work: during the week, training clients and filming days in the mountains; at the weekend, out on tour with the family.

  • Hikes and hut-to-hut tours all over South Tyrol
  • Family days out with kids and dog
  • Travel: Sicily, Sardinia, Lake Garda, Marrakech, Tenerife
  • Fishing at mountain lakes and ponds
  • My cycling comeback on ComebackWatt
Manuel on a mountain path under dramatic clouds
Take a look

My best videos

Let's stay in touch

Follow me on Instagram, or drop me a line if you have an idea for working together.

Warm greetings from Merano, Manuel and family