In previous issues we touched on the economic sustainability of trails and how these factors impact on the trail planning process. In the 3rd article on trail development, Meurant Botha wants to move closer to mountain and focus on the design considerations of the planning process.
Environmental impact
Any earthworks in a natural environment creates an impact and as a trailbuilder it is imperative that you acknowledge this. South African environmental regulations are guided by the National Environmental Management Act (NEMA). Depending on the scale and location of your activity, you may ‘trigger’ certain legislative processes of which an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is probably the one that you would want to avoid most, as these have to be conducted by independent experts and can cost R150 000 and beyond.
Typically you would trigger an EIA as soon as you operate within nature reserves, wetlands and any similar habitats. Generally, trail building is not a ‘listed activity’, meaning that most trails fall outside the ambit of an EIA. It is very important to note that each province has different environmental rule-sets and it is best to consult with a local expert before putting a spade in the ground.
In Gauteng, for example, all ridges are deemed sensitive and you might require an environmental scan (a low level EIA) before moving any soil. It is therefore pretty clear that environmental considerations can have a serious impact on your design process. A good rule is to avoid waterways, wetlands and other sensitive habitats when designing your route.
Social impact
Whenever I design a route I try to eliminate the ‘nuisance factor’ from the start. Avoid building trails close to homesteads, farm yards or places where the trail activity can lead to a negative experience for the local residents or business operations. Your trail user will also benefit from this approach, as you’re less likely to encounter rabid dogs on your ride. The risk of an accident is also greater when trail users need to negotiate tractors or delivery vehicles.
Aesthetics
An often ignored design consideration is the aesthetic impact of the trail. A trail must always enhance the environment and certainly not be an eyesore. Many 4×4 trail builders simply took bulldozers up mountain slopes, leaving scars on the mountainsides that are visible from miles away.
On the contrary, a well-designed pass hugging the slopes of a mountain can be considered a work of art (a very biased trailbuilder’s opinion!) and certainly enhances the user experience.
It can also be very possible that the meandering flow of your trail design could prove to be aesthetically pleasing, but more importantly offer an enjoyable to ride for your MTB visitors.
Target Market
Before you hit the slopes with your GPS, you need to have a clear plan and idea of who your target market is going to be. If you are building trails for general tourism you need to ensure that your design focuses on green and blue grade trails in order to appeal to the majority of the riding market. This means that you need gentle grades and a core network of green/easy trails to form the base of your trail network. Erratic flow will not appeal to this target market. Despite what we believe the riders want, all statistics point towards the basic fact that the bulk of mountain bikers in SA are not technically proficient.
AmaRider’s latest project has focused the first six months of construction on building easy access trails, to ensure that the bulk of the market can reach the higher elevations without unnecessary effort and traverse on smooth, groomed surfaces. Now that the base network is constructed, the focus can shift to the more technical trail options. It is also important to provide progression opportunities for novice riders as most riders aspire to improve their skills and we’d love to see more riders riding the technical stuff.
Also ensure that you offer sufficient trail miles to offer a rewarding experience without creating a maze of parallel tracks purely for the sake of adding distance.
Cost
In a previous article we discussed the general economics of trails in detail. Of course, your design can have a huge impact on the project budget. Beautiful swing bridges and canopy trails will send your budget through the roof so make sure your design stays in sync with your budget. Steep, technical trails are generally more expensive to maintain so it is important to keep maintenance costs in mind.
Location
How will visitors get to your trail, where will they park, pee and pay?
You could have the greatest trail system but if access is compromised by bad roads, gates and problem landowners you could have some real sustainability issues on your hands. Also most trail systems derive revenue from hosting events so facilities such as parking are critical.
