 Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very interesting, thanks.
A few km along the river, there’s a small hand-made pump track used by kids in the nearby villages. It has been there a while, and is tolerated by the Gemeinde, but recently an order has come from higher up (environment agency perhaps) to dismantle it and replace the trees and riverbank. As you might imagine, this has caused a bit of a stink, not least because there isn’t a right lot else for kids to do. I’m not sure what’s currently going on with it, but there have been petitions to save it. I don’t know if they will be successful, but a change in the law should make it easier for such places to exist. The riverbank is long, and the pump track only occupies a small area. There are always loads of (often quite tiny) kids making use of it when I cycle past.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Tirol: best illegal trail network in the world 
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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@Scarlet, that’s SUCH a shame and very short-sighted. Pump tracks are an amazing melting pot of children from different backgrounds. I have done an academic study of the culture of such facilities and far from being a place of lawless youth mayhem, it’s a place where rule-bound culture is created, which emphasises collaboration, respect and achievement. It is a social leveller, where competence is more important than social background. I was at a local pump doing some training with the Grom and some others, and a bunch of leery kids kids came over. One was swearing and aggressive to the others (we later found out he came from a family where arbitrary violence was the norm; he was badly abused) and was asking the Grom about ‘who the old bast…. is’ (me). I overheard and said ‘have you got a bike?’ ‘Nah…’ ‘Would you like to do some runs on mine?…’ (A very obviously expensive Spank jump bike). ‘Really??’. ‘Yes…really’. ‘YEAH!’. He was rubbish. And that was important. He saw the Grom getting air and the others and me ripping the berms. A new respect clearly began to grow. He gave the bike back and was grateful and thoughtful. ‘Cheers Mate’. He stayed for a bit longer and had a few more turns. Every so often he would over when we were at the track and sheepishly ask ‘Can I have a go on your bike?’ And he would respectfully ask how to improve, ask what he should be doing. Suddenly he was in a group which listened to his needs and ideas, and included him in the group without making him feel inadequate. It was very good to see. They shouldn’t tear the pump track down, they should get community and federal funding to get one re-instated and properly built by Velosolutions….
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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@valais2, thanks for sharing. Really interesting.
In the (relatively) short time I’ve lived in Austria, quite a lot of infrastructure work for MTB and cycling in general has been undertaken in our area (Salzkammergut). A lot of cycling specific lanes (adjacent to roads), mountain tracks with signage, efforts to allow hikers and cyclists to coexist on the same single track routes, opening of OBF (forestry commission) routes/tracks, production of MTB and touring biking maps/routes (hard copy and digital), alpine pastures being managed to allow better passage for biking and hiking etc.
Not majorly surprising, given the Salzkammergut’s popularity as a tourist destination, but good to see advances being made, nonetheless. The “explosion” of bike rental and maintenance outlets in the last few years suggests, to me, that investment for the future is fairly well underway in this region, at least. The development of e-bikes in the last few years (since we bought ours) is suggestive of what we already see, in terms of mountain biking activity increases.
Good to see a nationwide, coordinated effort being undertaken. I’m sure it won’t happen overnight. Outdoor hiking activities are practically a national tradition. Peaceful hiking, away from crowds and noise are routinely sought and grievances expressed when the opportunities are denied or interrupted. Not all forestry is owned by the OBF - many farmers have “forestry rights” with ownership of tracts of land - complicating the stakeholder engagement on a wider basis when access is sought. And so on and so on.
Anyway, just sharing some observations/thoughts. Again, thanks for sharing!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Jäger wrote: |
In the (relatively) short time I’ve lived in Austria, quite a lot of infrastructure work for MTB and cycling in general has been undertaken in our area (Salzkammergut). A lot of cycling specific lanes (adjacent to roads), mountain tracks with signage, efforts to allow hikers and cyclists to coexist on the same single track routes, opening of OBF (forestry commission) routes/tracks, production of MTB and touring biking maps/routes (hard copy and digital), alpine pastures being managed to allow better passage for biking and hiking etc.
Not majorly surprising, given the Salzkammergut’s popularity as a tourist destination, but good to see advances being made, nonetheless. The “explosion” of bike rental and maintenance outlets in the last few years suggests, to me, that investment for the future is fairly well underway in this region, at least. |
I might be wrong, but I thought the Salzkammergut only has one legal MTB trail (and that only ~300m vert) at Loser/Altaussee?
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Isn't the main problem the issue of liability? AFAIK a landowner has liability for any accidents that happen on his land, hence doesn't allow bikers. Is this being changed now?
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