It’s been said before, by people far wiser than us, but trail building really is an art form. To execute it well, one needs vision by the bucketloads, a willingness to see an effort-sapping project through to fruition, and, of course, the skills to get you through all of the above. Like the stagehands who operate behind the scenes at the arena-filling rock concerts that can cost punters £60 a pop minimum, trail builders are often the unsung heroes of recreational activities in the mountains.

With that in mind, it’s cool to see Mountain Biking BC give some credit where it’s due with this series of short films by Ryan Flett. This great little collection, which you can watch below, shines a nice big, fully-justified, spotlight on the trail builders of the Kootenay region of British Columbia. The films all highlight the passion the trail builders bring to their efforts. They also give you the sense that the trail builders featured really do find it incredibly rewarding to give back to their communities and, in doing so, make the places they call home better places to live. It’s heartwarming stuff and will, we’re fairly certain, make you want to fly out to the west side of Canada and try these trails for yourself.

You already, no doubt, are well aware that British Columbia is one of the world’s best mountain biking destinations. What this excellent collection of ‘mini-docs’ does though is pick up a big red permanent marker and underline that statement multiple times; right up until the point where the pen goes right through the paper, and you realise you’re now scribbling back and forth on your desk. Anyway, find some time to watch all of these films. They’re top stuff.