Sölden / Biking & Cycling | Bike Republic / Our Philosophy / Sustainability at BRS

Sustainability at BRS

Ecological role model

Eco-friendly trail building is firmly rooted in our constitution: since BRS was founded in 2015, we have made it our mission to take only what is absolutely necessary from nature and to minimize our impact on the area. Therefore, we primarily work with small excavators and rely heavily on manual construction. It is not surprising that we are considered a best-practice example for countless other bike destinations. Here you can find out more about the measures we take.

Ecological construction supervision

Every single of our trail and infrastructure projects is supervised by an ecological construction supervisor. We have developed our own guidelines that go far beyond the minimum official standards and have documented them precisely - essentially as a constitutional amendment - in a document of 40 pages. These guidelines obligate us, among other things, to minimize the use of machinery.

No artificial drainage

By cleverly changing the slope gradient within the riding surface, we achieve (mostly) natural and efficient drainage. We build culverts using locally sourced stones and slabs in an authentical and resource-efficient way. The drainage material? We extract it directly on site using sieve buckets.

Quick Facts

7.700

trees planted

19

different tree species

3.500

kg of seeds

11

different seed mixtures

(The figures refer to the period 2018–2025)

Focus on renaturation

We rely exclusively on site-adapted, regionally propagated seeds - perfectly suited to our local natural habitats. The removed vegetation sods are stored for a maximum of 48 hours and then taken to their new but similar and correct positions.

Local construction instead of importing

We don't source any materials from elsewhere: the trail surface is created directly on site from screened excavated soil. Depending on their size, we use the remaining stones for building dry stone walls, drainage systems or stone fields. We reinforce steep slopes with natural stone walls and partially protect flatter embankments from erosion with coconut fiber netting. This allows vegetation to quickly regenerate.

Compensatory measures at "Dirt District" Grünwald

🐛 200 m of natural stone ridges & rubble stone walls (habitat for reptiles & insects)
🌻 810 m² of fenced-in hay meadows (mowed once a year)
💧 60 m² of rainwater ponds for the 1,100 m² adjacent meadow
🐮720 m² of area without grazing cattle (permanently fenced wetland)
🪾 420 m² of tree and shrub planting

We bypass wetlands!

Our planning guidelines always bypass sensitive wetlands. If a detour is not possible at all, we cover all the affected areas with permeable wooden walkways - ensuring that enough light and water can still pass through easily.

Sustainable planning

Closed forest areas? They stay closed! We plan our trails and lines along already existing infrastructure, exclude high-quality areas and develop everything in collaboration with all stakeholders. Sustainability begins for us right in the early planning stage.