Zermatt rocks

Zermatt's got the horn there's no doubt. One night after a fine fine day of blue skies and great wall of China sized descents we ended up on a street in downtown Zermatt with a bunch of beers in front of us and the pole position on this mad performer who played four keyboards and sang in this strange bone chilling teenage female voice with a hint of Janice Joplin in there for good measure. People gathered around, some clapped, babies cried, dogs paced nervously and others just didn't know what to think. We drank beer and watched while the Matterhorn just did it's thing. More riding tomorrow....

Bike Magazine Photo Annual

We're pumped...Big Mountain's Swiss trips featured in the most sought after mountain bike issue of the year. Check it out!

Epic into Italy

On the Cloudraker trip we do this big ride (6-7+ hours!!!) from near our hotel, up and over a pass at 2800 meters to the Italian border than way way down to the city of Aosta for pasta and gelato. It's a beauty. Here's a photo of client Dave Bouck from Whistler BC as he makes the last bid to the border. In the background are peaks that are part of the famous winter ski traverse, the Haute Route.



This photo is on the other side. John Ruth from San Fransisco sunning himself while Ian Buxton chills out and guide Al Pittar gets serious in the fetal position! As John said, "lying in the dirt's never felt so good..."

Cloudraker

I'm sitting at our hotel in the small town of Lourtier in the Val de Bagnes region of French-speaking Switzerland. We're taking a morning off from riding to relax, stretch and work on some bikes. This afternoon we're heading out for a few local shuttles. Tomorrow is a big day as we pedal up and over a pass out of our backyard to Aosta Italy for dinner and a gelato. The fun continues!





More about the Cloudraker mountain biking trip in Switzerland.

New trail

This afternoon i went for a ride with local XC lung Laurent for a super fun alpine ride. First we drove up a mountain in the backyard to 1700 m and traversed and climbed to 2350 m. There were a few hike-a-bike sections in there that nearly killed me. Must have been a combo of jetlag, altitude and fitness, i think. I did feel better about an hour in to the ride. The views were staggering with big-ass peaks all around and the clouds came in a out providing peek-a-boo views. After crossing the base of a glacier we started down for 1000 m (3000 or so feet). It was a nice descent and very technical at times. I will do this trail again, I'd love to ride it in blue skies and views.

In Switzerland: snow and yodelling

Rolled in this week for another summer of Alpenrippppping to fresh pow on the hills. I left BC's 30c blue bird days for snow...what's up? I guess it happens in the big mountains. The good news is that it's sunny now and 25c, the mountains look killer with a fresh blanket of white.



Have i told you how much i LOVE my new Trek Remedy 9? Talk about the perfect all-mountain bike! And my new Crank Bros Joplin seat post is a dream come true and my Rock Shox Lyrics eat up the track like a hungry teenager lapping up a Slurpee on a sticky summer day. I'm not saying this because im biased. It's true!



Check the upcoming Switzerland mountain biking holidays.

Mr. Tinker

Wondering what Tinker Juarez is up to these days? Me too. Check out his website for some interesting tid bits on one of mountain biking's most enduring competitors and colourful characters.

Here's a photo of Tinker with Big Mountain friends Michael Costigan and Andrea Kraft while on the BC Bike Race. Nice goat Costigan, love it!

BC Bike Race - a success!

Big Mountain guide Ryan Sullivan and myself were kindly invited by Dean Payne of the BC Bike Race to participate in the final day of his 7-day stage race from Victoria BC to Whistler. I lived in Whistler for 12 years so i was pretty pumped to come up from Vancouver for a day of punishment. And that's what i got...punished. 47 km later with lots of climbing and technical singletrack later i rolled through the finish line pretty wiped. I was in good shape going in, but just good shape. Hats off to all the 400 competitors who where on their 6th day when we rolled in for our first. You are animals. Read more about the race here.



Big Mountain guide Ryan Sullivan: big smiles before the pain began!



The start of Day 7 in Whistler's Creekside. Ready, Set, Go!