Massana Council Bans Secret Mountain Bike Trails with €3,000 Fines
Andorran commune approves ordinance to curb unauthorized biker routes damaging habitats and slopes, imposing heavy fines and bike confiscations amid.
Key Points
- Unofficial trails by bikers cause habitat damage, erosion, and slope instability in pristine areas.
- New rules classify creation/use as serious offence: up to €3,000 fines, bike/tool seizures.
- Tree felling triggers criminal charges; agents block routes but face reopenings.
- Targets areas like Xixerella, Escàs, Massana forest; prioritizes environment over cycling.
The Massana communal council has approved a new ordinance regulating access to the natural environment, aimed at curbing the proliferation of unauthorised "secret routes" created by mountain bikers. These unofficial trails, often carved into pristine areas, have damaged habitats, increased erosion risks, and in some cases destabilised slopes.
Local environmental agents have long struggled to control the routes, which bikers deliberately keep hidden while seeking fresh challenges beyond the extensive official tracks at the Pal-Arinsal bike park. Despite the park's vast network under the ski domain, enthusiasts have pushed further, with reports of illegal tree felling to open new paths. The council views this as excessive, given the strain on the parish's natural sites.
Under the new rules, creating or using such trails counts as a very serious offence, punishable by fines up to €3,000. Agents could also confiscate bicycles and tools used to build them, such as those for clearing paths or placing logs as jumps. If tree cutting is involved, authorities may pursue criminal charges as an environmental offence.
Detections have focused on areas including the Xixerella backcountry, natural spaces in Escàs, the Massana forest, Anyós pastures, and spots near the Pal station. Agents often block routes with branches or trunks, only to find them reopened or new ones appearing nearby.
The ordinance sets a precedent for other Andorran communes, providing a legal tool to protect the parish's mountains from unauthorised alterations. Council sources emphasise that while cycling boosts local activity, environmental preservation must take priority.
Original Sources
This article was aggregated from the following Catalan-language sources: