Walkers lose out to cyclists
Council adapts walking trails to mountain biking
CALPE council plans to adapt a network of walking trails to encourage mountain biking. The initiative that is part of a plan to promote sports tourism and encourage out-of-season tourism in the area.
The project will consist of the installation of signage for cycling tracks, whilst adapting some current hiking routes, which were restored in 2009 for that purpose. Mountain biking, along with road cycling, has experienced a boom in recent years. In fact, the town is chosen by numerous professional cycling teams as a preferred destination, to prepare for the great sporting events which lie ahead of them during the year.
Forty kilometres of trails will be adapted, and will affect eight of the nine routes which are currently designated as hiking paths: Route 1 includes the Camí del Cocó to Oltà, route 2 from Casa del Cocó passing through Cosentari and Terrasala to Parque de la Cometa, route 4 from the Camí del Cocó, Casanova and Cometa, route 5 from the Camí de l'Ermita de Sant Joan to La Rosina, route 6 from the Camí de l'Ermita de Sant Joan to La Creu, route 7, from the Camí del Cocó to the coll of Faixuc and Cepellar, route 8 consisting of the Camí to the Castellet del Mascarat and route 9, Camí d'Oltà.
The works will focus on the sections which are more deteriorated and present a danger to mountain bikers and will consist of overhanging bush clearance, the rebuilding of stone walls and, where necessary, relaying of paths.
This project aims to expand existing bicycle touring routes in the town, and thus be able to commit to the BTT (mountain biking) network of the Valen- cian community. A brochure will be designed to specify the new routes.
In addition, this initiative aims to recover part of the heritage of the town, as it will allow those who explore the routes to access historic areas such as Casa dels Corralets, the Casa del Pla de Feliu or les Cases de Torrat, which are agricultural buildings with architectural elements of rural character.
The council has asked the Valencian regional tourism department for a grant to carry out this project, which has a cost of €33,906.