The summer of 2026 has been a difficult one for many, as wildfires rage across Europe and record heatwaves plague huge swaths of the continent.
The effects of climate change are hardly news to European mountain bikers, but perhaps never has the impact of an ailing planet been more directly felt on our sport than during this past summer, as extreme weather events have made riding unbearable in many places, and storms have rendered trails unrideable under fallen trees and through washed-out singletrack.
The consequences of unmitigated climate change are clear, and they directly affect our precious outdoor spaces and the activities we love to do in them. The question is: How can we, outdoor recreation enthusiasts and mountain bikers, ensure that the natural places where we enjoy our sports continue to provide recreational opportunity and natural beauty in the decades ahead?
Those are the questions Protect Our Winters (POW) seeks to answer, and which were discussed at the Protect Our Winters Sweden Summit 2026. POW members, ambassadors, climate activists and others gathered just outside of Stockholm on August 22 to discuss how our roles as sports enthusiasts can contribute to protecting a fragile planet. Through storytelling, workshop activities, and teambuilding events, we together strengthened our commitment to ensuring that outdoor sports don’t add to the ongoing destruction of our planet through climate change, but rather join the fight to combat it.
Because it is clear: the actions of individuals are insufficient to address the gravity of the problem of climate change. We all need to change our consumption patterns, yes, and every effort we make matters, no matter how small or seemingly inconsequential. By all means, choose destinations you can reach sustainably, buy sustainably produced goods, and ensure that old gear can be repurposed through circular means. And encourage those around you to do likewise.
