One scenic pic-nic and 100 goats.

Joe Schwartz and I were guiding a road cycling trip for our sister company Cycleventures in Tuscany, Italy in mid-September a few years ago. That's right, scenic rolling hills of golden earth, cypress lined roads, quintessential hilltop towns and perfect roads for road cycling - bella Toscana. And, yes, the same Joe Schwartz from Rampage and NWD films and all-round mtb shredding. Joe's not afraid. One day we decided to treat our group to an epic Italian lunch in a random field along a remote road south of Pienza. Sounded like a good idea we thought. That morning at map session, we gave them a rough idea of the location of said spread, and sent them on their way down the hill behind town. Next stop was the local mercato to pick up the ingredients: fresh tomatoes, bocconcini cheese, bresaola dried beef, balsamic reduction, fresh basil, a few melons, some prosciutto, some fruit, bread, other cheeses, and drinks. Done. We headed out and found a seemingly perfect grassy field just off the road in the middle of nowhere and began to chop and prepare the feast before the first cyclists arrived. Then we heard a strange whistling and some random calls in the distance. What the? Next thing we knew a heard of sheep emerged to our little sanctuary and they began taking over our perfect plan...

Joe and the impressive spread.

Some crazy sheeps where running, seemingly oblivious of the bounty ahead.

Schwartzy, casually guarding the bocconcini.

Catastrophe averted.

Good living.

A Cow's Demise: riding the Alps with Joe

“Ding, ding, ding”, the omnipresent sound of cowbells waft through the Swiss air. If there is one thing I relate directly to my travels in Switzerland, it is the sound of these large bells, attached to even larger bovines. Seriously, these cows make our North American hormone-infused versions look pretty puny...
Read more about Joe Schwartz' Alpen exploits on NSMB.com.

Big Mountain's shuttle rig in Switzerland.

 

 

Want to ride with Joe Schwartz in the Alps this summer? He's working out his schedule now but stay tuned... In the meantime, check out out our Alpenrock DH trips and all-mountain Cloudraker trips.

Joe Schwartz: Perspectives on Adventure

Anyone who's ridden with mountain biker Joe Schwartz can appreciate quality. As a guide, he's in a class of his own melding his heli-ski guiding background, language skills, travel experience and safety skills into a seamless day or a seamless week. As a coach, he's calm and collective and rich with all the things to do on a bike. Oh, you wouldn't know it if you met him, but he competed in several Red Bull Rampage events and was a force in the pro freeride scene not long ago. Now you can enjoy all things Joe Schwartz, from skiing exploits to mountain bike trips with Big Mountain, on his newly launched blog "Perspectives on Adventure."

He has been known to ride with a briefcase. It's true.

don't be mistaken, Joe Schwartz is not a doctor.

Joe update

Wondering what Joe's up to these days? This just in...

Hello,
I hope everyone's summer is off to a great start! I have been super pinned since I finished school off for the year. My Bike mag feature trip to Burns Lake was really fun, look for the story 
in a future Bike. I've been working with a couple photographers this season so far, and produced some sweet shots with Jordan Manley on the Shore, and Colin Meagher near Mt St Helens. I just wrapped up my sold-out Joe Schwartz Bike Camp in Calgary, where I rode with a bunch of stoked kids for the week. I am up in Whistler for the next three weeks, coaching Summer Gravity 
Camps. I also have a couple planned photo shoots while I am up there. After Whistler I head straight to Switzerland to run two downhill trips for Big Mountain Bike Adventures. I have a few spaces on my first trip (Aug 5-13) if anyone knows someone who has a little extra time and money on 
their hands! I have been posting a bunch of Regular Joe travel stories, photos and 
videos on my Regular Joe blog, so check that out! I have been shooting a lot with my GoPro cam this season, it has been fun to cut some videos. Expect to see a lot more as the summer shifts into an 
even higher gear! Have fun out there!  Joe

Joe lights it up for the Olympics

Rider and guide extraordinaire Joe Schwartz was invited to ride with the Olympic torch in his hometown of Nelson BC last week for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics. Congratulations Joe!!

Want to ride with Joe in 2010? how about DH'ing in the Alps? Alpenrock.

happy birthday joe

hmmmm...where to start? it was just another ride, or seemingly so. we met up, unloaded our bikes and got dressed and then started climbing up the mountain. it wasn't raining. it was Sunday. we climbed high this time, to an unknown fresh trail that few knew, a trail that you had to hike in off the road and where the loam roosted like a jet boat in the Florida Keys. everything felt really good and the bikes were running exceptionally well, or was it the riders? at times, we'd drop into a short downhill transition with a berm at the bottom and both wheels would drift and then traction would return, almost on demand. drift, carve. bikes where thrown around and echoes of glee resonated in the forest. falltime. great friends. Sunday. mellow vibes. thanks Joe and happy birthday buddy.

Joe, Wade and Arthur's dog, mid-ride.

Dave Norona, birthday boy, Chimonez and me.

wanna ride with Joe and Wade too? Wade's guiding our Costa Rica Pura Vida DH trips, February 19 - 27 and February 27 - March 7 2010 and Joe is guiding our Swiss Alpenrock DH trips next summer, Aug. 13 - 21 2010 and Aug. 21 - 29 2010.

Joe rides iceland

On assignment for Bike Magazine, Kona rider and Big Mountain guide on our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip, Joe Schwartz drops in off of Blue Mountain in the remote southern mountains of Iceland...

Icelandic Mountain Biking from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

Photos: Mitchell Scott

riding with Joe in the Alps

Our annual Swiss Alpenrock DH trips are happening as we speak. Want to ride with Joe next year in Switzerland? Keep your eyes peeled here...we're working on 2010 dates and details now and will have them posted very soon. Enjoy the rest of summer!!
Read Joe's Kona Cog blog here.
Thanks to Scott Hagarty for these fine photos.


Schwartzy hitting a little wall ride at the Crans-Montana bike park.


The group of Alpenrock I on top of Gornergrat, high above Zermatt. Looks like a great day!

Joe in Bolivia

Big Mountain guide Joe Schwartz is in Bolivia going downhill, fast. "We are back in La Paz, for a night of connection with the outside world before we continue on with our exploration of this amazing country. The last three days have been spent in the mountains west of the city, in a zone I will not soon forget." Read more...

Want to ride with Joe yourself? Join him in Switzerland this summer on either of our two amazing Alpenrock DH trips - August 14 to 22 or August 22 to 30, 2009.

Help Joe raise money for cancer

Big Mountain guide Joe Schwartz needs your help to raise money for cancer. Click here and donate today!

Schwartzy: the Euro interview

Click here - Read the French version at the top, English at the bottom. Join Joe and his DH bike in Switzerland next summer.