Not Every Line on the Map Is a Trail: How to Build a Reliable MTB Plan in the Izera Mountains

In Świeradów’s history, 1572 belongs to the waters described by Leonard Thurneysser, not to the founding of the town; when planning an MTB ride, it is just as important to distinguish between what a map shows and what it merely suggests^[1]. In the Izera Mountains, a single coloured line may indicate a proper singletrack, an approach to a loop, a shortcut, a forest road or a section where riders must give way to oncoming traffic.

The problem, then, is not a lack of data. On the contrary: there are town maps, operator maps, apps, GPS tracks and signage in the field. The difficulty begins when we treat all these sources as equally authoritative. A reliable plan emerges only after establishing a hierarchy of information.

Choose the system first, and only then the app

Świeradów-Zdrój, Singltrek pod Smrkem and Singletrack Glacensis are not one system described in a common language. They have different managers, different legends and different ways of presenting the direction of travel. That is why the first step should not be typing “MTB in the Izera Mountains” into an app, but identifying the specific system you want to ride.

For trails in Świeradów, the foundation is the town’s official material and the regulations for the municipal singletracks. The regulations require riders to use the trail map, follow the signage and ride in the designated direction. They also provide for the periodic closure of sections, among other reasons because of forestry operations^[2][3]. This matters more than a random track found on a social-media platform.

In the case of Singltrek pod Smrkem, the primary source is the official operator’s website and the PDF map posted there. The operator identifies the main starting points, including Bikecentrum Libverda, Centrum u Kyselky and Singltrek Centrum in Nové Město pod Smrkem, and also provides information about smaller access points^[4][5]. In practice, this means that being “closest to the trail” does not always mean being at the right starting point for your plan.

Singletrack Glacensis maintains different documentation again: its trail website provides access points, loop descriptions, elevation gain, GPS files, a PDF map, the SnaT app and an interactive map^[6]. This is a good working model, but its markings should not be transferred to Świeradów or to the Czech Singltrek.

• Primary source: the current map and announcements from the operator or municipality.
• Control source: the official GPS file and the description of the access point.
• Field source: information boards, arrows, warning signs and closures visible on site.
• Supporting tool: an app that allows you to store the map and track offline.

If the app shows something different from the operator’s current notice, do not settle the disagreement according to what looks more precise on the screen. Check the source and the date of the data first.

The legend matters more than the colour

A trail colour has no universal meaning. On the Singltrek pod Smrkem map, the legend distinguishes, among other things, between difficulty levels: green, blue, red and black. It uses separate symbols for a shortcut and a forest road^[4]. That alone is enough to reveal the fundamental trap: a line leading in the same direction as the actual trail does not necessarily form part of it.

Before saving a route, copy five pieces of information from the legend: the meaning of the colours, the type of dashed line, the symbol for the starting point, the marking for forest roads and the way the direction of travel is shown. Do not do this from memory. Two systems may use red for entirely different purposes.

Singletrack Glacensis describes its system as consisting of 27 loops and one two-way section. It also states that, on part of the system, the trail colour helps identify the correct direction, while a change of colour may indicate that riders need to turn back^[6]. This is a rule specific to that operator, not a general principle applying to all singletracks in the region.

“Trail”, “connector” and “forest road” are three different things

A loop should bring the rider back to the starting point or to a clearly defined finishing point. A connector is used to move between loops or access points. It may run along asphalt, gravel or a forest road, and does not have to offer the same kind of riding as a singletrack.

The official Glacensis descriptions demonstrate this distinction without leaving room for guesswork: between the Kłodzka and Chwalisław loops there is a two-way asphalt-and-gravel connector; between Orłowiec and the Zdrój loop, riders must take an asphalt connector; and the Dwie Przełęcze section is identified as the only two-way section in that singletrack system^[6]. On a map, everything may look like one continuous network. In your plan, these should be separate elements.

A shortcut is another category altogether. It may shorten a loop, but it may also bypass only part of the system and lead to a specific junction. Do not assume that a shortcut is equivalent to the main trail in terms of surface, direction or elevation gain.

The safest way to write the plan is therefore: “approach to point A — loop B — connector to point C — return via road D”. Simply joining several lines in an app does not yet tell you how those sections function.

GPX shows the route, but does not solve the entire planning problem

A GPX file is best treated as a record of the route’s geometry, not as a complete set of instructions. In operators’ materials, the GPS file appears alongside information about the access point, length, elevation gain, direction and current trail status. This is practical proof that the track itself is only one layer of data^[5][6].

Before setting out, carry out four checks on the file.

1. Check its origin. Download the track from the operator’s website, not from a random list of routes. If you are using an app, see who added the route and when it was last updated.
2. Read the start and finish. Check whether the track begins at an official access point, a car park, a bike centre or only at a junction in the forest.
3. Separate the sections. Mark the loop, connector, forest road and any shortcut in different colours. If the file contains everything on a single layer, make your own notes.
4. Compare it with the map. The section names, order of junctions, direction and possibility of returning must match the official description. The fact that the line corresponds with the map background is not enough.

Save the file offline, ideally under a name containing the system, loop and download date. For example: “Singltrek_Nad-Czerniawa_2026-09-18”. This will make it clear after a few days which file was checked and which one comes from an earlier ride.

Do not delete the official PDF map from your phone. A GPX file may guide you through the correct corridor, but the map will show the access point, neighbouring loop, forest road and any possible return option. In the field, a paper copy of the relevant section, with the start and nearest exit from the system marked, is also useful.

Check the start, direction and return separately

The most common planning error is to equate the point where you can intersect a trail with the place where you should begin the ride. Official access points matter not only because you can park there. They define the logic of entering the system: the direction, the order of the loops and the possibility of returning quickly.

Before setting out, answer three questions:

• Where exactly are we leaving the car or beginning the ride?
• Does the proper route, a connector or a forest road lead to the first loop?
• Where can the plan be cut short without retracing the entire track?

The third question is especially important for groups travelling at different speeds. If one person wants to finish the ride earlier, it is not enough to know that “there is an exit somewhere along the way”. You need to identify a specific junction, access point or road leading to a known location. Mark it on the map before setting out and name it exactly as the operator does.

Elevation gain should also be read as comparative rather than absolute information. The operator may give a figure for the entire loop, the app may add the approach, and the bike computer may interpret minor changes in elevation differently. If the difference is substantial, return to the official description and check that you are comparing the same section.

In a group plan, do not record distance alone. Add, in sequence: loop length, elevation gain, approach sections, the meeting point after the group splits up and a shortening option. This kind of record is more useful than a single number displayed on the screen.

Check the map’s currency before setting out and on site

A map may be official without being up to date. Check the publication date in the PDF, the file name, the website’s update date and the operator’s notices. If the document is undated, treat it as supporting material and look for a more recent announcement.

Singltrek pod Smrkem maintains a separate section covering the current trail status. That is where you should look for information about a closed section or a designated diversion, rather than assuming that an older map still describes conditions in the field^[5]. In Świeradów, the regulations for the municipal trails explicitly provide for the periodic closure of sections and require riders to comply with the manager’s restrictions^[3].

Adopt a simple decision hierarchy: first, a physical closure and warning sign; then the operator’s current notice; next, the official map; and only after that, the GPX file and app. This is not a judgement on the accuracy of the devices. It is a safety principle: information closest to the trail’s actual condition takes precedence over a file prepared earlier.

If the track leads somewhere different from the signage, stop the group in a safe place. Check the last point you are certain of, the name of the section and the direction on the map. Do not try to “fix” the situation by turning onto a random road. The Świeradów regulations specifically note that forestry-service vehicles may use sections running along forest roads, and that the verges may be occupied by timber^[3].

How to build a plan that can withstand changing conditions

Before setting out, spend a few minutes preparing a single route card. It can be on paper or saved as an offline note.

1. Name of the system and operator.
2. Official starting point.
3. Name of the main loop.
4. Approach sections and connectors, recorded separately.
5. Direction of travel and places where the route may be mistaken.
6. Elevation gain given by the operator.
7. Possible shortening point and return option.
8. Date on which closure notices were checked.
9. Name of the GPX file saved offline.

If the plan includes Świeradów, the Czech Singltrek pod Smrkem and a further ride on Singletrack Glacensis, prepare three separate cards. Do not combine them into one apparently coherent track. Each system may mark direction, difficulty level, entry point and two-way sections differently. Geographical connection does not mean a shared legend.

For a group travelling at different speeds, also agree on a time or place to meet again, but do not base it on a random road junction. A named access point, map board or junction clearly marked in the official material would be better. If no one can identify such a place before setting out, the plan is not ready yet.

Świeradów’s history reminds us that precision begins with the correct label: 1572 describes a spring, not the founding of the town^[1]. The same principle applies to MTB planning. A line on a screen does not become a trail simply because it looks convincing. It becomes a trail only when its source, meaning in the legend, direction, access point, currency and the possibility of a safe return all match.