European Trail Building Schools

IMBA Europe’s work includes the sharing of sustainable trail building knowledge that IMBA has developed over the last several decades. Trail Solutions’ Shane Wilson recently spent a week with the trail building crew in Davos, home to one of Switzerland’s largest ski resorts. The Davos trail crew is funded by the tourism department and is tasked with maintaining and improving a dozen of the most-popular mountain biking trails in the area. The group started with a classroom session focused on the elements of sustainable trail building and maintenance. This was followed by three and a half days of practical instruction in the field. All of the work was performed on a trail in the Sertig Valley, southwest of Davos. Some of the projects the crew completed as part of the course included:• Improved drainage by installing rolling grade dips• Increased rider safety by removing hazards• Widened a narrow rock ledge that was eroding and becoming unsafe• Constructing an armored stream crossingAllegra Tourismus, Trail Solutions’ partner in Switzerland, was instrumental in securing the project through their relationship with the ski resort operators and tourism organizations. Allegra continues to promote the development of mountain bike facilities in the Swiss Alps as a mechanism for enhancing summertime visitation and allowing mountain communities to provide year-round offerings. More trail building schools, trail design and master planning project will follow this summer and fall in a variety of  European countries. For more information, check our website regularly and continue to receive or newsletter.