Journal
5 Vast Years
On June 3, 2020, in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, we founded our own company in Brig. A few hand tools, a dumper, a pickup truck, our first trail building project on Brig’s local mountain – the Belalp – coupled with a lot of courage and passion; that’s how it all started with “Vast.” Five years later, we have grown into an established trail building company, but our motivation remains the same. We are passionate about our work and, of course, about mountain biking! In this journal article, we would like to look back on the last five years and also give you a little peek behind the scenes.
Author: Philipp Bont
Collage 5 years: Emma Holániová
It always starts with a vision
As passionate mountain bikers, our sport has taken us to many places around the world, where the trails have inspired us time and again and given us food for thought. From the A-Line in Whistler, the Half Nelson in Squamish, the Roller Coaster in Finale Ligure, the Israel Bike Trail, trail centers in Scotland and Czechia, dusty trails in South Africa, or the Whakarewarewa Forest in Rotorua. Despite all this traveling, we also appreciate our home country, Switzerland, which offers ideal conditions for mountain biking thanks to its diverse topography and excellent public transport and mountain railway network. Mountain biking is a very diverse sport, and for us it is above all the trails – combined with different landscapes – that make up this diversity. We saw a lot of potential in the Swiss trail building industry, both in terms of diversity and, above all, the opportunity to improve the quality of the trails. We had a strong desire to make a difference in Switzerland with our own ideas. Our vision: to create overwhelming trail experiences.
The setup is complete
In June 2020, the three of us started our first project, the Häxu Trail, in Belalp. Apart from the company name, the company formation, and the entry in the commercial register, not much else had been finalized. However, during the first construction season, we were able to give a lot of thought to how we wanted to develop further and addressed numerous topics during the first winter break. Strategic questions, inventory, branding, personnel, marketing, but also our more everyday things such as the careful selection of our large and small tools and machines that are ideal for trail building.
Over the years, we have acquired a specific selection of all the tools and equipment that make a trail builder’s heart beat faster and make our life on the mountain easier. Starting with shape shovels and tools, vibratory plates, motorized dumpers, Habegger, hammer drills, rock crackers, various off-road transport vehicles, water tanks with irrigation systems, and even our own first excavator with Steelwrist Rototilt and grid bucket. We also enjoy being creative in other areas and regularly design trail building-related subjects together with our employees or the agency a+o.
Wo/Men Power
Our employees are our most important resource, especially when it comes to trail building. We are proud of our team and invest heavily in professional and personal development, as well as in good team spirit and cohesion. We regularly hold small training and refresher courses, e.g., on dry stone walls, geology, first aid, chainsaw handling, and other special tools. The many bike trips have also inspired us to organize our annual Tour d’Horizon, so that we can share these horizon-broadening experiences with our employees and discover and develop new ideas and trail styles, or simply philosophize about trails.
Everyday trail building
Even after five years, our everyday trail building work remains exciting and varied, and we look forward to being on the construction site or in the office every day. There are many moments that fill us with joy and make us beam with happiness. A spectacular sunrise on the mountain, a day above the sea of fog, a successful jump, a perfectly groomed berm beautifully renatured embankments, an approved building permit, the daily test rides to make sure everything works, a coffee and a tasty snack during the hard work, or an opening with lots of smiling faces.
However, it is easy to romanticize our job. Although we cannot imagine anything better, there are also days when not everything runs smoothly. Sometimes you lose an important screw in the dirt, there are sudden changes in the weather or unexpected snow, damage to metal and machinery, the ground consists only of stones instead of beautiful soil, cows spontaneously exploring our trails, or huge stones and rocks that appear exactly where you should be building the trail.
Looking ahead
We are embarking on the next chapter with the same passion, the same care, and the same determination to learn and grow even more. We want to build trails that not only offer riding enjoyment and entertainment, but also bring nature to life and create lasting experiences. We remain curious, open, and ambitious. We have a strong team that designs trails with enthusiasm and understands our craft. And we look forward to high-quality new trails, new projects, and new challenges.
Let’s keep rolling together—with the same spirit we started with five years ago.
