4th Trail Building School IMBA Italia
 12/13 May 2018, Garda Trentino (TN), Italy

PRESS RELEASE
4th Trail Building School IMBA Italia
12/13th of May 2018, Garda Trentino (TN), Italy

February 26th, 2018

IMBA Italia announces its 4th consecutive edition of its TBS Trail Building School.

The first edition took place in Porretta Terme in the Reno river valley near Bologna and it was hosted by ASD Happy Trail MTB. The second edition took place in Turin (2016) in collaboration with the Park Authority Ente Parco Collina Po and it started a broader collaboration with the Park in terms of trail advocacy for mountain biking and by making IMBA a member of the panel for the management of the park trail network. IMBA Italia organized the 2017 TBS in the region of Trentino with APT Val di Sole and Val di Sole Bikeland. In this last TBS participants worked on new trails with the goal to train teams of trailbuilders to further develop and manage the local trail system. 

After much anticipation, IMBA is pleased to announce the  2018 edition is the stunning setting of Lake Garda thanks to the partnership with of Garda Trentino S.p.A. and AGBA Alto Garda Bike Arena.

Garda Trentino (Italy) has always being a sought after destination for bikers from all over the world. The variety of trails and itineraries framed by the unique Garda Lake attract all sort of riders in terms of ability and MTB disciplines. 

Garda Trentino is also famed for its many grand events such as the Bike Festival Garda Trentino – with hundred of thousands of international participants – that is the perfect stage for the main MTB brands presenting their products. Worth of mention are of course the Transalp itineraries and the legendary Bike Marathon. Other events for gravity riders include the Welcome Season and the King of Baldo respectively at the beginning and at the end of the season. 

A new event has entered this dense calendar last year: the EMTB ADVENTURE is an Emtb festival running from October 12th through October 14th. 

Garda Trentino clearly welcomes the whole mountain biking community with a great atmosphere, excellent bike friendly hospitality, professional guiding services, and cutting edge shops and bike rents,

Roberta Maraschin, Garda Trentino Director said: “At Garda Trentino we are pleased to host this year’s TBS in partnership with IMBA and with the local Alto Garda Bike Arena that manages the Bike Park Garda Trentino and that works with us at consistently bettering the MTB offer. It is both a challenge and an opportunity to offer our territory to train professional trailbuilders during an IMBA TBS. It will be a great event for all participants and for our community. Garda Trentino is more than ever a Bike Friendly Destination that aims to expand and improve its offer; we look forward to welcoming everyone!”

Carlo Torboli, President of AGBA commented: AltoGardaBikeArena was started in 2004 by a group of bikers from the Northern Garda Lake that worked on some MTB gravity projects such as the Val del Diacol, which in 2013 officially became the BIKE PARK GARDA TRENTINO along with the EXSEICENTOUNO trail. They are demanding trails because of the geology of the mountain itself. Yet, Northern European riders are in love with those trails. AGBA members are 22 people between 18 and 40 years old. We are glad to host IMBA Italia for the trailbuilding course and we will be the first students to participate in order to improve our skills and better our trails.”

4Guimp has once again confirmed its support to IMBA Italia with one of the brands that it imports: EVOC.  Enrico Guala and Andrea Balli, 4Guimp co-owners, are well known in the MTB circuit. However, not everyone knows that 4Guimp was started 12 years ago to develop an early day Bike Resort. Enrico and Andrea have been passionate trails advocates and they stated many times that without trails the sport would not exist and neither would the mountain bike industry, as we know it.

NOV.ITA Srl is the Italian distributor of Buff® and it has confirmed its support for the third year. Buff® and IMBA Italia share the same values: respect for the environment, the preservation of trails and facilities that allow to enjoy the outdoor, no matter the sport. Buff® belongs to EOCA (European Outdoor Conservation Association) and it promotes projects to protect nature and to safeguard life in general. This mission is carried out in the production process, with promotional events, and in any other activities purposely consistent with that “green’ approach.

Their support to IMBA Italia is a tangible way to stress the importance of sustainable trails that are also well managed.

TBS’s are possible thanks to the support of IMBA Europe, and with the logistical help of Happy Trail MTB.

Participants will learn all of the basics of trail maintenance and construction according to IMBA’s curriculum (the international standard for over 30 years). 

The Trail Building School (TBS) course will last one week-end. Instructors will be Mark McClure, professional trail builder, and Edoardo Melchiori, VP at IMBA Italia and IMBA Europe board member. Mark McClure will lecture in English while Edoardo Melchiori will translate into Italian both the theory and the practice.

The format involves 4 hrs of theory to study the fundamentals of trailbuilding, and 12 hrs of practical work on actual trails. Forty will be the participants from Italy and other European countries.

These are some of the things participants will learn:

• Characteristics of a sustainable trail,
• The importance of a good design,
• How and where to use rocks,
• How to design with the right gradient,
• Criteria for multi-use trails,
• Water shading and erosion,
• Tools and safety,
• How to deal with trails that are not sustainable.

Price of the course 170.
Reduced price for IMBA Italia members and supporters
150.

All participants will receive the slides of the course in electronic format (Italian or English). Upon completion, participants will receive a TBS IMBA Certificate.

To register follow this link.

IMBA Italia will communicate hotel stays that will grant TBS rates.

Useful links

Press Reviews: TBS 2017 (Val di Sole)TBS 2015 (Porretta Terme), del TBS 2016 (Torino).

IMBA Europe

IMBA (International Mountain Bicycling Association)