DIRTT Volunteer Trail Dig Leader Courses - Tweed Valley and Aberdeenshire

DIRTT Volunteer Trail Dig Leader Course

Introduction

There are a growing number of mountain bike Trails Associations which are working as local groups to encourage mountain bikers to be stewards of their local trail networks.

Trails Associations have an important role to liaise with landowners/managers and mountain bikers. As such, it is important that they have an understanding of the wider needs of land management as well as the changing needs of mountain bikers.

Trails, and trail networks, would benefit from competent and skillful volunteers helping to inspect, plan digs, and lead volunteers to maintain them.

Trails Associations, and other local groups, are looking to grow and increase their impact by bringing in more people to help lead digs on trails. TA’s leaders need to be competent and confident to lead sessions which are safe, fun, and improve rider experience on the trails.

What tasks will those who complete the course be able to undertake more competently?

• Liaise with a landowner and secure permission to maintain an existing or build a new trail using hand tools
• Inspect an existing trail and develop a series of maintenance tasks to upgrade the trail
• Organise a work party (size can vary between location) to maintain a new trail using hand tools
• Remove unnecessary dangerous elements on a trail – brashing branches, fall zones, sight lines (especially on trail exits and crossing points)
• Build or improve the maintenance of a trail using techniques such as bench cuts and grade reversals
• Build or improve the drainage of a trail to improve the sustainability of the trail
• Where appropriate, be able to build commonly used technical trail features, such as berms, table tops, rock gardens, rock armour, stone pitching holes, and eroded areas

How long is the course?

The course has 3 elements:

• Pre-course learning online (max 4hrs)
• 2 days of class and on trail learning (15 hrs)
• Post-course learning online (max 8 hrs)

On completion of online modules and attendance at training course learners will be issued a certificate.

The course is a training course which helps attendees to improve their own competence and can help to demonstrate competence to a land manager/owner.

Further information on DIRTT (Developing Inter-European Resources for Trailbuilding Training) can be found here.

DMBinS are pleased be subsidising places on the course for candidates put forward by the local trail associations. If you