The trail scout is designing the route throughout the whole year which is why even snow can’t stop him from working.

The Swiss Epic is known for iconic vistas, unique routes and flowing trails in the postcard-perfect Swiss Alps. But a route that delivers both a true challenge as well as a sense of wonder by its awe-inspiring surroundings doesn’t happen by chance, it happens by design. Creating such a captivating route for a MTB stage race like the Swiss Epic requires thousands of hours of hard work, dedication and painstaking attention to detail, so that riders can enjoy pure mountain biking heaven in the Graubünden region of Switzerland. But who is the master architect behind the trails?

His name is Stefan Wolfisberg – and he’s the official Trail Scout of the Swiss Epic. Stefan has been with the Swiss Epic from the very beginning in 2012 and has been instrumental in developing the distinctive mountain bike stage race ever since. His passion for mountain biking, however, began much earlier. It was in 1987 at the age of 14 when Stefan made his first attempts on the bike using the city bike which he borrowed from his uncle. Naturally, this meant that he took on his first trails in Switzerland without a suspension fork. Despite a fall, he couldn’t let go of the idea of riding every trail with his bike instead of hiking it. This somewhat unfortunate coincidence made him grow to like the sport but even as a child, he always preferred mountain biking to hiking.

Stefan has never truly been actively involved in mountain biking at a competitive level, apart from his participation in the Absa Cape Epic in 2009 and as part of several endurance disciplines at Gigathlon competitions. In his years of MTB experience, he never focused on speed, but rather on the desire to ride a trail the way it was built – or as Stefan himself says: “No short cuts. I’m always looking out for the perfect trail. To me it’s a challenge as to how I can devise a route on the map which has the highest possible ratio of trails and at the same time is rideable. When this comes together, the route guarantees maximum fun.”

Every dedicated mountain biker has probably dreamed of turning their hobby into their job, but how do you become a Trail Scout for one of the most popular mountain bike stage races in the world? In Stefan’s case, it was by a fortunate coincidence.
“Six and a half years ago, the former [Swiss Epic] co-founder Dany Gehrig was on the road with a group on the Moosalp (Switzerland), and as though by chance, I was on the road with customers at the same time. At the onset of winter, we got into conversation as we had previously met at the Absa Cape Epic. We talked about the possibility of riding trails in chilly conditions and two months later we met again. As it turned out, he thought I knew a thing or two about maps and planning! He then asked me if I would like to be involved in a multi-day stage race in Switzerland.”

What are the tasks of a Trail Scout?
“Planning all routes and defining the aid stations as well as the service stations. This means that I have to ride and test the route as early as possible and to “put it on paper” by recording it online.”

Where and how do you start planning the route?
“At the start, if it’s already defined! Firstly, I consider which trails I would like to have featured in the route. In order to guarantee a safe and fully enjoyable race, there are some mandatory items that need to be in place, so that traffic jams can be avoided at the start. This requires overcoming between 200 and 300 meters of altitude at the beginning of the stage to lengthen the field. It’s also necessary to ensure that riders do not turn directly onto a single trail from a wide road within the first 3-5 kilometres. The next step is to place the service stations in the most useful sections on the stage profile. If necessary, I ride crisscross all day long in lesser known areas to get to know the area better by using the map and to get an idea of the terrain.”

What can riders expect on the 2019 Swiss Epic route?
“Riders can expect three long transition stages and two beautiful as well as exciting loop courses. Overall, it will be technically somewhat less demanding than the years before, as the trails – especially around the three host cities Davos, St. Moritz and Lenzerheide – are maintained by trail crews. The route is packed full of highlights; some world-famous trails, the entire Engadine with its larch forests or the Lenzerheide as a World Cup destination. Each location has its own unique appeal.”

The 2019 Swiss Epic is already sold out. If you want to receive a reminder when registration for 2020 opens, you can sign up here.