Overtourism with trails: "Those who build trails always build for others," says Jasper Jauch

Text: Jasper Jauch

Trails, work and the principle of "give and take". It's a principle that is familiar in many areas of life: some people give their all, putting their time, money and heart and soul into a project - and others simply benefit from it without giving anything back. It's no wonder that this leaves the creators with an unpleasant feeling.

The situation is often similar for mountain bike trails. Some regions legalise trails for young people, but only allow them on the condition that they are not advertised to tourists. The aim is not to attract out-of-town bikers, but to channel local bikers and prevent illegal trail building. External bikers are therefore not automatically welcome. This is particularly relevant in areas where "overtourism" plays a role - for example in Upper Bavaria or the Allgäu.

We as a magazine also hear this time and again: "Don't bring anything about us." The concern behind this is understandable: Too many urban bikers could destroy the trails and then disappear again.

Bike pro and YouTuber Jasper Jauch knows these challenges first-hand. He recently founded an association to take over an old dirt park and get it back in shape. Many hours of work, paperwork, coordination - the effort was enormous. Today, the park is finished - and as is so often the case, not only the few who revitalised it are riding, but also many others.

Jasper Jauch: That's my opinion!

"Who owns the trail? I'm standing at the dirt park, the phone rings and you ask me about a topic that's on my mind anyway. Who is actually allowed to ride here?

We put hours into this. Days. Weekends. Shovel in hand, soil in our faces. And in the end there are 100, maybe 150 people who use the park regularly. In the club? 30.

So: fence around it? Access for members only?

Honestly, it can't be that.

I'm not building a dirt park to put my name on it. I'm not doing it to claim ownership. I'm doing it for the kids - for those who are like I used to be. No money, but a desire to ride. Having a place where you can ride instead of messing up somewhere.

And that's exactly why this way of thinking doesn't work for me: build trails, but please don't talk about them and keep them as secret as possible. Be public and legal, but remain as invisible as possible.

Sure, the point is justified: If too many people come, the trail suffers. If nobody helps, the work is left to a few. That's annoying - and rightly so.

But the answer to this is not compartmentalisation. The answer is participation.

My advice: Set up a donation box. Talk to people. Make it clear how much work is involved. Organise events, get support in the region. Give people the chance to be part of it - instead of excluding them directly.

I've experienced for myself how absurd the whole thing can be. In a trail park in central Germany. I was riding there, completely relaxed, without posting anything. No story, no content, nothing to attract the crowds. Nevertheless, I was later accused of having "pushed" the spot and thus ensured that everyone would now come and ride everything to ruin.

And that's where something goes wrong. This reflex of immediately pointing the finger instead of taking a differentiated view of the situation. If a trail is public and signposted, then it is public. It's as simple as that.

And perhaps we should also realise this: More bikers do not automatically mean more problems. They also mean more potential. More people who lend a hand. More voices when it comes to getting new areas. More scene.

Yes, there are those who only drive and give nothing back. There always have been. But there are also others - those who stay, help, build.

The only question is: do you let them at all?

In the end, it's simple: if you build trails, you always build for others.

And that's actually the best thing about it."

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