IMBA SUMMIT 2025
From September 16 to Sepember 18, in Boltaña
"Connected by trails”
How mountain biking can support rural development through a systemic approach.
This is the theme under which this year’s IMBA Europe Summit — to be held in Boltaña, in the MTB Kingdoms territory, from September 16th to 18th — will focus on the connections that mountain biking fosters between people, nature, and the development of rural communities.
Mountain biking advocates, trail builders, land managers, policymakers, and industry leaders from across Europe will gather in the Aragonese Pyrenees to highlight the importance and sustainability of mountain biking in the development of rural areas.
Keynotes, roundtable discussions, workshops, and of course, mountain bike rides — all designed to share different perspectives and help shape the future of mountain biking in Europe.
Daily Schedule
7:00 – 9:00 Morning guided enduro ride | Morning walk tour Boltaña & Castle
8:00 – 9:15 Accreditation
9:30 – 10:30 Welcome & opening
10:30 Keynote presentation: Adrián Muelas Gil, Deputy Director General- Anti-Depopulation Policies, Government of Spain – Pathways to Rural Resilience, Mountain Biking as a Tool Against Rural Depopulation
11:00 Keynote Presentation: Julie Cornelius, Executive Director, World Ride
Empowering Women in Rural Communities Through Mountain Biking
11:30 – 12:00 Coffee Break
12:15 – 12:45 Keynote presentation: Dr. Tom Campbell, Lecturer, Edinburgh Napier
Seeing the Wood AND the Trees: What Connects Mountain Bikers to Nature?
12:45 – 13:00 Afternoon briefing
13:00 – 14:15 Lunch
14:15 BREAK OUT SESSIONS 1
- A1- Intrinsic value of off -road biking for rural communities (Lecture)
- Dave Evans, SRAM UK Trails Project, Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland
- Nico Graaff, Mountain Bike Forum Germany
- B1- E-Bikes and Trail Diversity – Opportunities, Barriers, and the Path Forward (roundtable)
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Lesley Ingram-Sills, Universidad Napier de Edimburgo / Mountain Bike Centre of Scotland
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- C1 – The Real Cost of a Trail: CO₂ and Sports Facility Comparisons (lecture)
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Fredric Piper, Projecr manager at Cykelfrämjandet
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- D1- Why Australia is Investing in Large-Scale MTB Infrastructure in Rural Areas (Lecture)
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Marcelo Cardona, Next Level Mountain Bike
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15:30 – 17:30 BREAK OUT SESSIONS 2
- A2- Return on Adventure: Measuring the Impact of Regional MTB Investments (Workshop)
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Vanessa Gorgal, Project Management Tourism & Mobility, Allegra
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Speaker TBC
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- B2- Changing gears in the mtb marketing and media sector: New insights and a framework for gender-progressive action (workshop)
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Dra. Fiona Spotswood Associate Professor in Marketing and Consumption University of Bristol
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- C2. Mountain biking & nature conservation – from perception to education (lecture)
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Thorsten Unseld, Digitize the Planet
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Jane Evans, Scotland’s Rural College
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- D2- The future of Mountain biking in Spain – Challenges & Opportunities (Roundtable discussion)
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Key stakeholders from the Spanish community
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Moderated by Julio Vicioso (former president IMBA Espana & chief editor BikeMag Spain)
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17:15 Optional Activities
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Morillo de Sampietro Visit – Explore a restored village and learn about handmade cheese, small-scale farming and meadow conservation. @siricueta
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Circular Economy Bike Tour – Ride to rural projects of circular economy: organic farms, vulture feeding stations, and more.
7:00 – 9:00 Guided morning enduro ride | Abandoned village hike near Boltaña
8:30 – 9:00 Accreditation
9:15 – 9:40 – Summary day one / introduction day two
Mark Torsius, IMBA Europe General Manager
9:40 – 10:00 – Guest talk from filmmaker Markus Weinberg
- Preview to the documentary the “European Connection – the longest trail on the planet”
10:00 – 10:15 PANEL DISCUSSION – Connected by Trails – How mountain biking can support rural development through a systemic approach
Esther Walker, Lead Researcher, Outride
Marta Múgica, EUROPARC Vice- President (TBC)
Pinar Pinzuti – Bikenomist
Jorge Ruiz de Eguilaz – MTB Kingdoms
11:30 Coffee time
12:15 BREAK OUT SESSIONS 3
- 3A: More Than Trails: Building the Culture and Infrastructure of MTB-Friendly Regions (Workshop)
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Hans Stoops, Advocacy Officer, IMBA Europe
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Mary Monroe, Senior Vice-President, IMBA US
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- 3B: The positive intersection between neuro-diversity and mountain biking (Lecture)
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Esther Walker, Esther Walker, Research Lead – Outride
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Scotty Cornish, Perform Unbound
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- 3C: Financing the Future of Trails: Sustainable Models for MTB Infrastructure (Lecture)
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Alex Arpaci, Project Manager, Bike Plan
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Heiko Mittelstädt, Advocacy Officer, Deutsche Initiative Mountainbike e.V.
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- 3D: Leading by Example: Effective MTB Project Strategies from Spain (Lecture in Spanish)
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Xavier Guillaumes – Bikeabadesses
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Emilio Tamayo – Pura Esencia
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13:00 – 14:30 Lunch time + Poster presentations
- Eric Méndez Carazo, La Vera – Trail restoration model
- Lesley Ingram Sills, Napier University – Strava Metro data from Glentress
- Jorge Juan Blazquez Sanchez, One Ride Pyrenees, Trails of Freedom
- Xavier Guillaumes, Bikeabadesses – Portable cattle grid system
- Eitan Hevrony, Samson Riders Club – Ein Rafa Singletrack
- Results of erosion research- MTB Kingdoms
14:30 outdoor activities
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Trail building session with MTB Kingdoms
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Giving voice to soil: Life-Centered Trail Design
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Geoparque: Geopark insights- Trails through time and stone
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TBC
8:00 – Full-Day Enduro Ride | Ordesa National Park Ride
- 8:00 – 14:00 Ruta MTB – Challenging ride through iconic trails, abandoned villages, EWS stages, and historic sites as Morcat, Santa María de Buil & Partara. Picnic/lunch included
- 8:00 – 15:00 Hiking Route Ordesa and Monte Perdido National Park – Guided trek through Parque Nacional de Ordesa y Monte Perdido, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Stunning views, geology, and wildlife. Picnic/lunch included
10:30 DIRTT dissemination
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Welcome & Intro
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Plennnary presentations: DIRTT 2.0 projetc results by Lars Wraae Jensen, Fagskolen Viken
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Round Table
11:30 – Coffee Break
12:30 – BREAK OUT SESSIONS 4
- 4A – Destination off road but not off limits; adaptive mountain biking
- 4B – IMBA Ride Center Program & ITRS
- 4C – TBC
- 4D – Implementing trail builder certification at national / regional level
13:15 – Lunch
15:00 – Optional activities
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15:00–18:30 – Geological Trail Ride
Lots of singletracks and geological interpretation of their soils. Plus many fossils and great downhills -
15:00–18:30 – Ainsa Historic Visit
Guided tour of one of Spain’s most beautiful medieval towns
19:00 – Farewell party
- Closing speeches
- Outdoor dinner
- Live music
Register here
Registration for the IMBA 2025 Summit includes access to all morning keynotes, talks, and roundtable sessions; participation in selected afternoon workshops and activities; lunch on September 16 and 17; and the farewell party on the evening of the 18th.
Accommodation is not included in the registration fee, but further down you’ll find recommended places to stay in the area.
Registration types and fees
There are two types of registration:
- Tuesday to Thursday: IMBA Europe members €150 / Non-members €190
- Tuesday and Wednesday only (keynote and session days): IMBA Europe members €120 / Non-members €150
Shuttle service from Barcelona - El Prat to Boltaña
The organization provides attendees with a direct shuttle service from Barcelona-El Prat Airport to Boltaña.
Simply check the “Shuttle” box on the registration form and we’ll send you a link to book your seat (not included in the registration fee).
The shuttles will depart on Monday at 13:00 and 18:00 from Barcelona Airport to Boltaña. Return shuttles from Boltaña to Barcelona Airport will leave at 08:00 on Thursday and Friday morning.
How to get to Boltaña
By road
Boltaña, located in the heart of the Aragonese Pyrenees, is well connected by road to major cities:
- From Zaragoza (2h 15min, 180 km)
- Take the A-23 to Huesca, then the N-240 to Barbastro. From there, follow the A-138 towards Aínsa and then the A-1604 to Boltaña.
- From Barcelona (3h 30min, 290 km)
- Follow the AP-2 to Lleida, then take the N-240 to Barbastro. From there, continue on the A-138 towards Aínsa and then the A-1604 to Boltaña.
- From San Sebastián/Bilbao (4h 30min, 300-350 km)
- Take the A-15 to Pamplona, then continue on the A-21 and N-240 towards Jaca, and follow the N-260 to Boltaña.
- From Francia
- Via the Bielsa-Aragnouet tunnel, just 60 km from Boltaña, accessible from the French side via the D173 and D118.
By plane
The international airport with the highest volume of flights is Barcelona-El Prat Airport, located 3h 30min from Boltaña. It is our recommended option, as the IMBA 2025 Summit organizers will offer participants the possibility to book a transfer from the airport to Boltaña.
Toulouse Airport, located 3 hours from Boltaña, is a good alternative. However, in this case, you will need to rent a car to reach Boltaña, as there is no direct public transport connection and no transfer service will be available.
Finally, Zaragoza’s small airport, located 2h 15min from Boltaña, offers direct flights to several European capitals, but travelers will also need to arrange their own transport to Boltaña.
Share your ride
On IMBA Europe’s Facebook page, you’ll find a dedicated group for summit attendees where you can coordinate ride-sharing and travel expenses. You can access it via this link.
Where to stay
In the village of Boltaña and its surroundings, you’ll find a variety of accommodation options for the days of the summit — most of them with a distinct Pyrenean character.
Below is a list of partner accommodations for the IMBA 2025 Summit, offering special rates for attendees. These establishments guarantee friendly service, a good night’s rest, and secure bike storage.
There are several local businesses in the area offering MTB and E-MTB rentals:
In addition, thanks to ORBEA, the event’s main partner, a test bike service will also be available, featuring a wide range of models and sizes of their world-renowned enduro and trail bikes. (More information coming soon)
Boltaña lies in the heart of Zona Zero and offers an extensive network of trails for all types of riders. You can download the tracks and find all the route information at: https://zonazeropirineos.com/
We encourage you to download the free app http://www.ztrails.com/ which provides up-to-date information on trail conditions, potential issues or closures, and more. It’s a pioneering app in Europe that promotes coexistence between mountain bikers, hikers, hunters, farmers, and biodiversity.
Likewise, all the trails in the area are also available on Trailforks https://www.trailforks.com/region/zona-zero-centro/
And if you need more information, feel free to visit the Zona Zero office (Avenida Ordesa, 5
22330 Aínsa) or contact us at info@zonazeropirineos.com
Planning to stay a few extra days before or after the summit?
Explore and enjoy all the “Kingdoms”
Then you shouldn’t miss the chance to visit any of our fellow MTB Kingdoms.
Bordering Zona Zero to the south, lies BGuara, one of the few MTB destinations in Spain located within a Natural Park — the Sierra y Cañones de Guara NP. In addition to its trails, don’t miss the chance to visit its prehistoric rock art sites, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage. BGUARA
To the west, less than an hour’s drive away, you’ll find the Pirineos–Alto Gállego BTT area, offering over 1,000 km of trails, two designated downhill zones in Gavín and Panticosa, and an XCO circuit in Sabiñánigo. ESPACIO BTT PIRINEOS-ALTO GÁLLEGO
Heading east to the Benasque Valley, you’ll find Puro Pirineo — one of Europe’s top spots for alpine mountain biking. It features some of the longest and most enjoyable descents in the Pyrenees, as well as a brand-new dirt jump bike park set to open in the coming weeks. PURO PIRINEO
Our southernmost kingdom is Reino de los Mallos Bike — a truly unique MTB destination with meticulously maintained trails set against the stunning backdrop of the Mallos de Riglos, impressive conglomerate rock formations that create a landscape best discovered on two wheels. REINO DE LOS MALLOS BIKE
Stay connected to your job
From September 10 to 25, the Boltaña Town Hall will provide a co-working space that attendees are welcome to use freely.
Tourist Offices
Both in Boltaña and Aínsa, you’ll find tourist offices where you can get information and recommendations on the local area, as well as insights into the traditions and culture of the Sobrarbe valleys.
If you need any additional information, feel free to email us at info@zonazeropirineos.com
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