7 reasons to book a trip with us!

7 reasons why our riders return year after year...according to a recent participant of our BC "Sea to Sky" trip.

1.      The sense of freedom – all I have to worry about is getting to the end of each day in one piece. And that itself is hardly a worry as I had complete faith in our Big Mountain Bike Adventures' guides not pushing as past our abilities. Just getting on that bike in yet another exquisite location and just turning the pedal – what a privilege !

2.      The sense of actually experiencing the country , not just being an observer from a vehicle . Similar I guess to hiking but I think the added adrenalin further connects you to your environment.

3.      The balance between exercise , great food, good sightings , special accommodation  – in fact I think you have got the balance pretty perfect for a bunch of middle-agers trying to stay in touch with our youth !

4.      The riding was wonderfully varied and  always seems to have one testing day, just lovely. Exactly what we need to remind us just to go out and do it.

5.      Then of course the fun of spending time with our friends. Somehow there is a constant cocktail of irreverent mischief that follows this group. And this is where I would most like to compliment your guiding style – you calmly dealt with too much noise , terrible language and generally poor behaviour , without so much as developing a nervous tic. 
 
6.      The local guides all add a special touch to the day – we just know we are going to experience the best the terrain can offer. 
 
7.      I personally thought this trip offered us the best mix of all of the element of the previous trips , including the culture on offer!

Pure riding indulgence.

Food and mountain biking find their heavenly match in Liguria, Italy

 By Vince Shuley.

“Buon giorno!” Antonio greets me heartily as he looks up from watering his plants, smiling. Our host and chef at the agriturismo "A ca Vegia" doesn't speak a word of English — the norm for most people of the older generations in Italy — but I can tell by his gestures towards the green valley bathed in sun that he is admiring another perfect-weather day in Liguria.

Downtown Finale Lirure is beautiful.

 Our hilltop retreat at A ca Vegia overlooks the township of Finale de Ligure, one of the many towns along the Italian Riviera. Finale is the first stop on Big Mountain Bike Adventures' Bella Rivera DH, a week-long downhill mountain bike tour of the Ligurian coast shuttling some of the country's finest trails, and gorging on arguably the best home cooking in the world.

Mountain biking has existed here since the early '90s with many of Italy's cross-country racers using the hills surrounding Finale as a training ground. But after Canadian freeride pioneers Brett Tippie, Wade Simmons and Richie Schley (namesake for Whistler Mountain Bike Park's "Schleyer" trail) visited Finale to film for the Kranked film series in 1999, the local mountain bikers began to put shovels in the dirt to build their own downhill-centric descents.

Guide extraordinaire Louise. There's no one better to show you the trails, and more.

"(The Kranked crew) rode XC trails jumping from one side of the trail to the other, playing around and having so much fun with their bikes," said Allesandro Molini, a born and raised Finale local and guide for Big Mountain Adventures.

"It was an explosion. After that (the locals) started to build trails just for fun."

Finale de Ligure has since become a popular destination for British and European mountain bikers looking for easily accessed trails and reliable, sunny weather. Trails range from berm-filled downhill descents, jumps and stunts to the 2013 Super Enduro course, all with views stretching along the beaches of the Ligurian Sea.

With as many shuttles as our group can handle, for two days we sample trails that finish either in the town or on the beach, the locals barely noticing trains of riders donning full face helmets and body armour. Bikers are welcome here, providing much needed tourism after years of declining mainstream tourist visits to Italy.

Mid-descent. Yes, that's Finale Ligure way way down there on the Med.

A new destination is on the cards tomorrow, requiring a send off from the hospitable folks at A ca Vegia. Glasses of Prosecco clink as another gargantuan four course meal emerges from Antonio's kitchen.

Good thing we don't have to pedal uphill tomorrow.

The Witching Hour

Driving west along the coast and turning up the steep Valle Argentina, we soon arrive at the tiny crow's nest village of Triora. A dark history permeates the alleys and cobblestone streets, testament to the brutal witch trials held by the Holy Inquisition in the late 16th Century. Today the locals celebrate the morbid legacy of putting the witches on trial and burning witches by selling wart-nosed witch dolls and Halloween decorations year round, as well as celebrating several witch-themed festivals throughout the year.

The steep walls of the valley meant most paths were originally built to traverse the hillsides, used by hunters stalking game and peasants harvesting the numerous chestnut plantations. But the trails are not without their challenging sections; rocks and roots protrude out of the soil and the exposure off to the side requires disciplined braking and line choice. Ancient medieval bridges and simple stone shrines honouring the Virgin Mary are just a few of the historic treasures we pass by as we descend towards the valley floor.

Nice spot to be at the end of the day.

We break for lunch in Triora's town square, the iron sculpture of a hooded witch – complete with cauldron and broomstick – overseeing our four courses of bruschetta, meats and cheeses, pasta and tiramisu. I order a double espresso to shake off the afternoon fatigue, but our first ride after lunch turns out to be a spectacular wake up call.

We descend directly from the restaurant in Triora to the satellite village of Molini, bikes buzzing down the vacant stone walkways. Riding through the town's deserted cobble-stoned alleys with cats scattering into the shadows, you can't help but feel that the souls of those "witches" haunt the place several centuries later.

The hills have their share of history as well. During World War II the area was a staging ground for the guerrilla attacks against Italy's fascist rule, the roads that provide such convenience for shuttling mountain bikers were refined by Nazi Germany to move troops and armour faster inland from the Mediterranean. Now the majority of traffic is relatively peaceful with shuttle vans and motorcycle groups.

A SUPER fun trail deep in Europe's largest beach forest.

 The Santo Spirito Hotel is our dinner and bed for the next two nights, and its chefs have been hard at work to give our hungry group of mountain bikers the meals of our lives, which after Antonio's magic will not be easy.

Two more days of riding and eating lay ahead of me. Without a single hill to climb on this mountain bike vacation, I'll be needing an endurance of a different kind.

For more information on this trip and more, head to the Big Mountain BikeAdventures

Click here for Bella Riviera DH trip details, and here for Dolce Vita all-mountain trip details.

Arrivederci Italia: that's a wrap.

 

I love the people that you meet through mountain biking. May I introduce Louise Paulin. Have you met her or heard of her? It's possible, it's a small world. Born in the south of Sweden, lived in Chamonix for years and now lives full-time in the mountains above Finale with her daughter and husband. She's super cool and chill and rrrrr-rips on a bike.

I like this photo. It's not perfect, but then what is? A portrait of 'ol uncle Roost. Have you seen him lately?

 

You can't tell in the photo but it just stopped raining. Still, it's the beach and those are big bikes and that's a palm tree on the left and that there on the right is the Mediterranean. It cleared up and the sun did come out minutes after this was taken. I'm pretty sure that these bikes where stoked to feel sand under their tires and just be chillin' on the beach after a week of blissfull punishment.

 

After ride beers, you know the ones. They really do taste better. Scientific studies have shown that the taste of beer is enhanced post-ride because of a very special chemical is released after you get off your bike and sit down and take that first sip. OK, that's bullshit. This was simply a particularly good post-ride beers sessions. I think Stephen Matthews was recalling a ripping section of trails in this photo.

 

The last ride of our trip ended at an old church overlooking this sweet cove that was truly idyllic. After a swim it was time to pack up the bikes for the flights home tomorrow. Thanks to all who made this an amazing downhill mountain bike holiday. Want to join Big Mountain in Italy this fall or next year? Get in touch.

TOP 10 REASONS TO BOOK WITH US IN 2011!

Top ten reasons to book your next trip with us in 2011.

1.    Our leaders are simply the best available in each region; they’re former Olympians, professional mountain bikers and consummate, passionate professionals…and the kind of people that you’ll want to sit beside at dinner.

2.    We know mountain biking like the back of our hand and we’ll recommend the right trip for you.

3.    What’s the weather like at Machu Picchu? What tires are best for the Dolomites? We know each destination intimately.

4.    We’ll pick you up at the airport and drop you off at the end of your trip and in between you can ride as much, or as little, as you want.

5.    Rest assured, safety is our top priority. Need some riding tips? Our guides will be happy to help.

6.    Our office staff is professional. Book a trip with us and you’ll see, we run a tight ship.

7.    Our pre-trip assistance is comprehensive. We’ll help you book flights, find the best insurance, book extra hotels nights and make sure that you are well prepared for the adventure ahead.

8.    Expect small groups and great results on all of our departures. Looking for a custom trip? Let us know.

9.    We love to ride but also appreciate the culture, great food and sights. Expect to come home enriched.

10. We’ve done the research; we work with the local riders and will take you to the best riding that’s most often not on any map.