kluane

we decided not to ride the Cottonwood trail yesterday which was probably a smart idea but it was still a tough one. it just means that we'll have to come back. cottonwood is a 12+ hour truly remote adventure in a zone with the highest concentrations of grizzlies in the world...in a gorgeous national park, kluane. our crew is a little punched from the many days of riding so we thought that it'd be best to not attempt this big ride. instead we rode another great and much shorter route and ended up tipping back our first martini around 430pm in a cool cabin with no electricity and in the middle of nowhere. ah...how nice it is to be up here...and the riding rocks!

larger than life

cruising on a sunny afternoon along the Yukon river. very beautiful.


Paul and the horns of a sheep that he took down on a local mountain, and carried out himself. Kona is licking his lips...

big. wide open. the Yukon. day 3 here and i feel like it's been a few weeks. i was told that the riding was good, but i did not expect this. the singletrack is unreal - from man-made mountain bike specific singletrack that makes you howl outloud to high alpine remote action with staggering views of remote northern Canadian landscape. internet is sporadic here so i won't go into too much detail. one thing for sure, if your looking for a great xc trip next summer (august 2010) on barely-ridden trails then keep in touch. more to come soon...

Riding bikes and UFO's in Yukon Territory...

So we're heading up to the Great White North in a few days to explore some new trails in the Yukon Territory and get our Yukon Gold trip finally up and running for 2010. As journalist Dave Smith writes on Twitter, "Whitehorse weather report calls for a 30% chance of rain and 40% chance of grizzly bear mauling." The grizzlies are one thing, but how about the UFOs? Turns out that we'll be riding Montana Mountain which just happens to be where a solid UFO sighting occurred from a geologist in 1988. Here is a spine tingling excerpt from his diary on that fateful night...get the full scoop on the UFO BC website.. Check back here for updates on this adventure...

EXCERPT FROM DIARY OF DES CLARK:

Tuesday 15 March, 1988

"Cabin very hot from cooking stew and wood stove – went for walk @ 2430 hrs. Had experience of a lifetime! Coming back and almost to cabin, aircraft came over south ridge very slowly lost altitude and hovered around sta’s 26-1 à 26-2. Craft was so called UFO – blueish aura on periphery of inverted bowl – very low pulsing hum; no wind so everything quiet except for barely discernable humming noise. Cannot describe blue/grey light – didn’t seem to have any specific source – just all over edge and upper overt. Craft was below the ridge to the west of cabin so distance easy to determine due to our survey grid lines – large diameter – noticed blueish light or glow on my hands and clothing – dog and I are being observed I’m sure of it as the craft sideslipped to within 150-200 meters horizontal and possibly 30 meters above us – damn! Could almost touch the bloody thing – when craft slipped in, dog started barking and ran behind the wood pile at the cabin – first impulse was run to cabin and get shotgun – stupid – just stayed there – not frightened somehow – cannot determine if any control surfaces – seemed omni-directional – no port, starboard, nose or tail – movements were smooth and I sense very deliberate. Christ! I’ve been at this cabin 3 weeks and even as I write I know some will think I’ve gone crackers. I’m bloody sure we (dog and I) were being observed but so overwhelmed did not notice ports, windows or such. Seemed like forever that craft in the valley. The machine left in a tight 180 degree turn to the NE quadrant; through east and up through the south – gained altitude with tremendous acceleration although no propulsion noise except humming and no sound of air displacement -- the latter I found strange as it defies physical law! Will not call this UFO because it isn’t – it’s a bloody flying machine – true and simple. Although not frightened when all was happening; went into cabin and it took me 4 matches to light the propane stove – noticed that dog wasn’t around – went back outside to call him – no dog – back into cabin – had to hold my cup of tea with both hands to keep from slopping it all over. The time is 0222 hrs of the 16th March and it has taken me and hour and a half to stop shaking enough to put this to paper – dog isn’t outside – he just crawled out from beneath the bunk – he has been hiding under the bed all this time! As I write this the impact of the experience is coming home – I know I’ll never be the same again and why wasn’t there someone else here to witness it also – if only dogs could talk!"

Peru in Pedal Magazine

Check out the June issue of Canada's Pedal Magazine for a great article on our Peru all-mountain trip, Unforgettable Andes, from journalist Jason Sumner. This trip is absolutely unreal. Trust us. We'll have our 2010 dates posted in the coming weeks.


Big Mountain guide and mountain biker extraordinaire...Andreas Hestler!

crankworx slopestyle finals slow-mo footie

Watch this video and you'll really appreciate what the riders were pulling off in the slopestyle finals....very very impressive.

2009 Crankworx Slopestyle Finals - More Mountain Bike Videos

zermatt last week from the eyes of joe schwartz...

Swiss Bliss! from Joe Schwartz on Vimeo.

two girls and a fixie...

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!

more crankworx...sat ride!

Ahhhhhhhh....Khyber. So we were graciously given some free day passes to the Whistler Bike Park which we put to very good use. After several coffees and a crack-of-noon meeting in the village we boarded the gondola for the 20 min cruise up Whistler Mountain. A few scenic viewings and token pointing to distant vista, we boarded our steeds for the 30 min climb to the peak and down to the Khyber into Babylon and into Tunnel Vision, a head-shakingly sweet and technical singletrack descent that ends near Creekside. Highlights...taking turns following Gray Rodier and Paddy Kaye on Khyber - railing tech root sections that can be taken at speed with uphill slopes that can be coasted up...Babylon and it's video game of overgrown saplings a la two wheel drift and finally Tunnel Vision which has been worked on and has some killer wood ramps and new berms. What a ride! Rolled home for a quick shower and a few beers and straight to the Crankworx Slopestyle event...


PK negotiating some roots and rocks and trees...


Gray with his wheels in the air, again.

crankworx..friday ride

my Crankworx Whistler week-end was all about riding epic all-mountain singletrack with Pemberton + Whistler + Squamish friends...what a blast! On Friday our good friends at Chromag Bikes hosted a fantastic ride-bbq-beers event. We left the Chromag headquarters in Function Junction and headed up Flank trail on the westside of the valley and rode Cheap Thrills and a quiver of other trails that i can't remember and 4 hours or so later we were enjoying cold beers and smokies. Thanks to Ian Ritz and Kevin Phelps and Chromag for the great times. That night turned into a shaker...drinks are the Blake Jorgenson Gallery and then more drinks and carousing at the Fireside and the 10th anniversary of New World Disorder. Congrats on the milestone and thanks for the great movies.


Ryan Sullivan, Paddy Kaye, Ian Ritz and Paulo Valle...and 19 other rippers about to start off.


Jonny I from Pemby Bike Co and his dog.

performance

Peru with journalist Jason Sumner

Why don't you come to Peru with us in 2010? It's quite possibly the best mountain bike destination on the planet!! Read journalist Jason Sumner's words here and start planning...

Brandon Semenuk's Crankworks Colorado practice runs...

Brandon Semenuk POV Camera Crankworx Colorado... - More Mountain Bike Videos

PK's summer

Our friend Paddy Kaye's helmet cam footage...Park City Utah, Nelson BC, Gray Rodier on Windy Pass near Whistler and some from our Swiss Cloudraker trip from a few weeks ago. Looks like a great summer...

09 rides from paddy kaye on Vimeo.

Paulo, Wade and El Diablo...

Satindar, Paulo and Wade after a tough climb on the Shore's Cypress Mountain earlier today. Want to ride with Paulo and Wade in Costa Rica this February? I do! Check out the roster of Costa Rica DH trips here...

top of the Brazillian...

hard to tell that our group was stoked...they were! Maybe a little blown from the climb. this is at the top of the now famous Brazilian trail in Switzerland's Valais region. Thanks for a great trip everyone!!



Want to view some more images from our recent Swiss Clouraker all-mountain trip? More here.

back from the alps

just back from a great trip in Switzerland and our Cloudraker trips. Unreal times...thanks to the crew for joining us on this epic adventure.
A slideshow from our man Jeremy. Click here.
PK's version here.
Zack and Robbie's take...here.


PK and the Colonel atop the Rothorn in Zermatt on our last day. the skies parted and gave us a full view of the horn...

tour de france in verbier

Wow, what an experience. We left the hotel early, just after 830am, and rolled down to Le Chable and the gondola up to Verbier. From there we rode a series of trails and lifts all over the Verbier network of lifts - 12,500 feet of descending over the day. The highlight was arriving 2 switchbacks from the finish of the Verbier stage of the Tour. We had an hour before the riders came through...time for a beer or two...the spectacle of sponsors and support cars was insane and then the helicopter arrived below us on the mountain and we knew that the riders were coming...Contador had pulled away and was in the lead, followed by a very worked Lance. Killer day of mountain biking with a big ol cherry on top.


Colorful spectators...


Lance, visibly blown and realizing that Contador is a serious threat.

zee alpen...

Writing this while sitting in our little hotel in the hamlet of Lourtier...tucked up a tight valley with big peaks all around. We've just started our Cloudraker trip with the Tour coming through the valley in a few days. The anticipation is growing!! Can't believe that we'll be watching the Tour in a few days from our mountain bikes! So pumped.


PK and Daughrty starting a 7 hour descent...


This lift got us high. Really high.

Ripping with Bush

Big Mountain guide Tyler Moore speaks, "Rode with Bush again yesterday. Pretty cool. They've been workin on the trails up there a whole lot and have some sweet stuff. I also got to ride around a bit on Mountain Bike One, a Trek Fuel EX all carbon with badass everything. They've got some cool undulations on an off camber hill I was able to double up for a few little trail airs. Other than that its mostly XC twisty turney stuff but fun."

Off to Europe this morning

Ahhh...it's always the same each year when the departure for Europe looms. "Oh, no problem, i've got everything dialed," I think. Next thing I know i'm putting in 15 hr days staring at my computer for a week straight. Trips have been planned months ago, it's that list of stuff that needs to get done. Anyway, bags are packed, bike is in his box, everyone's happy. Watching the Tour this morning is especially sweet knowing that i'll be hanging with our Swiss Cloudraker crew on the sidelines watching Lance go by in the next few weeks. How sweet is that?
Hope your summer's going well and riding's been great were you are!

Mountain bikers represent at the Tour de France

Victoria BC based former mountain biker Ryder Hesjedal is racing in the Tour this year on the Garmin-Slipstream team. Read about him on VeloNews. Of course Australia's Cadel Evans is a former mountain biker and a true contender this year!

For great online coverage, watch our friend Jason Sumner (who joined us in Peru in April on our Unforgettable Andes trip) on Velonews.tv.

Bostich+Fussible "Tijuana Sound Machine"

Still Blissed out...Part Deux

OK, OK, that's enough. Or is it? Check out part two of Blake photo essay and Dave's words about our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip. Convinced? It rocks. Period. Now let's go, we've still got a few spots...

Bombing Bolivia vid with Schwartzy

Hmmm...should we launch a new DH trip in Bolivia? Looks pretty unreal! Want to go? Email us and we'll make it happen...

Blissed out in Switzerland with Big Mountain

Wow, a super photo essay on our Swiss Alpenrock DH trip with Wade and Joe. Check it out here.

Wanna come? We have a few spots left for this summer...

Mini doc on Mike Hopkins at Red Bull Rampage last fall

Mike Hopkins Red Bull Rampage 2008 from New Wave Cinema on Vimeo.

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.

This wasen't in the brochure...

BCBR: June 28 to July 4

Our friends at BC Bike Race joined us on our Peru all-mountain trip a few weeks ago and wrote a cool piece on their blog. If you're looking for a great event on some of the sweetest singletrack anywhere...the deadline for 2009 is June 1st. Sign up now!

Help Joe raise money for cancer

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

Austin TX slideshow

In Austin tomorrow? If so swing over to the Bicycle Sports Shop here see some great images, have a few cold ales and meet Tyler Moore from Big Mountain.




Mr. Moore during our Copper Canyon trip in Mexico while unveiling Trek's new Remedy line. He won the mustache contest.

Some more Peru photos on Flickr

A few favs...

The main church in Cuzco with some threatening clouds brewing above.


I couldn't resist. I've heard that South American men like booty but check that out! That's one happy Mr. Artichoke. Eso es un asno loco!

Back at home

The planet is getting smaller and smaller. 24 hours ago I was interacting with people who've lived the same way for generations, surviving along with the cycles of the earth, and a blue pill later (sleeping pill, don't worry) and a few quick flights...and i'm sitting back in Vancouver deciding if i should wear my tan shoes with the blue slacks or the brown ones as i make plans for the week-end via my iPhone and email. Who's better off one wonders? One thing i know for sure, it sure was nice to have a hot shower, brush my teeth with sink water, not have diarrhea, have a burger on the Q, oh and the games on tonight...


Funny photo of some band members and a dancer chilling before a parade. I feel like the guy with the trumpet right now.



I'm not sure the significance of these fancy balaclava-tuques but talk about spooky eh?

Local Peruvians...

This little boy was SO happy it was contagious. Stoked! We drove up to a town at nearly 3500 meters and as soon as we stepped out of the van the whole town came out to greet us. We then climbed up past 4 g's - what a grind. Wow, talk about a fitness test. At the top though it was more than worth it...


This is yours truly with a 110 year-old woman who is 2 generations from the Incas. It was an honour to meet her and then ride the trails that her and her ancestors have been using for hundreds of years.

Cuzco

Wow. Since the last post a lot has happened. We hopped on a plane out of Lima for a 1-hour flight to the high altitude city of Cuzco, sitting comfortably at 3400 meters. What a place! Parts of it reminded me of Seville with grand squares and earth-coloured churches, narrow cobbled streets and lively bars. Our hotel was right on the main square which was fantastic. Upon arrival in Cuzco we got a little excited and tipped back a host of Pisco Sours, a fiesty Peruvian cocktail that lights a fire under your butt pretty quick...we gots a little tipsy. We headed into the big mountains for several days and visited UNESCO world heritage site Machu Picchu which was a sight to see. A few from our group opted instead for a day of dirt biking and hot springs...decisions, decisions...


Andreas Hestler after a few too many Pisco Sours at 3400 meters...


Our group at the highest point of the trip, 4500 meters. Very, very good times...

equestrian shuttle with a little help from the locs...

Maybe it was the altitude? Whatever it was, this place was magical. Here we are relaxing in the sun, local Inca descendants and mountain bikers, mountain people from different worlds.


The ascent: fiesty horses, hot sun, altitude and jaw-dropping views.

very big days

I could not muster up the energy to post anything yesterday. Up at 5am and back to the hotel at 8pm, shower, dinner, KO'd. What a day. After leaving Lima we drove up and up into the arid Andes for hours on a crazy road to around 12, 700 feet. This is as high as i've been. Fortunately we were heading downhill from there for 56 km. The trail was absolutely ridiculous - with several sections that were best evers in terms of pure riding pleasure, and each section distinctly different and the final pedal strokes to the crashing waves of the Pacific Ocean. I will ride that trail again one day for sure.
Today we were up again at 5am and again we drove up and up on another head shaking road through some of the biggest mountains that I've ever seen to a town at 10,000 feet perched up on a dramatic mountain knoll. It was hot and sunny. From there we boarded small mountain horses while local boys pushed our bikes up (i know, i know...but they were making some money for their efforts) to a pre-Inca ruin and Moab-esque rocky plateau at 13,500 feet. My horse was fiesty and wanted to pin it up the mountain path which i did not like at all. But the rest of the group was in stiches as i went barreling past them. The descent today was much different than yesterday; the landscape was lush and the aspect that we descended was steep and extra large. The trail was also much more technical than yesterday, I was so happy to be on my 6-inch Trek Remedy 9 and Rock Shox Lyric fork - they saved my butt a few times. Today's ride and the whole day was truly epic. EPIC.
Tomorrow...up at 5am again and were off to the airport for the 1 hour flight to Cuzco which i'm really looking forward to. We're heading further into the big mountains...talk to you tomorrow if we have internet.


4000 feet in the can, 8000 feet to go...


curious kids...

Greetings from Lima

It's Day 2 of the trip, 12 midnight and all's well. Our group arrived safe and sound last night - one from Boulder and 11 from Vancouver. All the bikes arrived and all our bags. From Vancouver we flew to Toronto, 4.5 hours, then onto Lima which was 8.5 hours - all in all a smooth day. We were met by Wayo, our host and Big Mountain guide. Wayo is a very kind person and a great guide - we are so lucky to be shown around Peru with him.
This morning we woke up here in our Lima hotel, built our bikes in the hot sun and headed out for lunch in the city. There was a peaceful protest on the streets and thousands of people walked past the restaurant chanting something. The portions were massive and we all ate way way too much. By mid-afternoon we were driving out of the city to a very very arid and mountainous area and then to an oasis-like valley for the start of our ride. What a great opener to riding in Peru! The trail started in a dry river bed that snaked along the valley floor with a smooth surface and natural hits everwhere. Then we rode up onto the side of the valley for several epic kilometers of super sweet singletrack with stunning views as the sun set. After a few cervezas we got back in the van and drove back to Lima for a superb dinner - an all you can eat buffet with everything from steak to pasta to sushi to pizza and more. It was unreal. OK, time for bed now, we're getting up at 5 AM and driving to 3500 meters of so for a 56 km downhill that ends on the Atlantic. Yea, that's right - the biggest downhill that i've ever ridden by a long stretch. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow...


Last light in a beautiful valley.


Brent Martin from Vancouver, owner of Ryders Eyewear...all smiles.

Packing the bike up and heading to Peru...

New tires? Check. New shoes? Check. Bike tuned up? Check. First aid kit? Check. Check. Check. You know that feeling; the days come and go and your imminent departure for a big trip approaches. For me the months, weeks and days leading up to a trip get me super fired up and somewhat nervous with excitement. I love looking at maps, reading and re-reading the trip itinerary and being a part of group emails that circulate with subject headings like: What altitude drugs are u bringing? or Stands vs tubeless. or What bike should i bring? And the list goes on. So here i sit with 48 hrs or so before boarding a plane to Lima and our Unforgettable Andes trip, sipping coffee in Vancouver going through my mental list. I think im ready. I'm a little concerned about the altitude of some of the rides. The highest that i've been was in 2004 when our group decided to summit Mount Toubkal (4167 meters) at the end of our Moroccan Dirt Merchant trip. I didn't react well to the altitude, but then we didn't really acclimatize at all. In the end, I can suffer with the best of them. One thing for sure, my Trek Remedy 9 is tight and itching for the XL Andes descents...I treated myself to a new Chromag seat, stem and bar set, a Joplin seat post from Crank Brothers and fancy new white shoes too. Oh and Sombrio set me up with some fine fine clothing that i'll be breaking out...
So, come back to our blog in the next 2 weeks as i'll take you on a trip to Peru with Big Mountain...

unreal urban trials riding with Danny MacAskill in Edinburgh

mtb animation

Mountainbike Rotoscope from Building the Scene on Vimeo.

Whistler slideshow

Big Mountain hosted a great slideshow night this past Friday in Whistler as part of the Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival. Talk about getting psyched to ride! Nearly a packed house viewed images from pro photographers Sterling Lorence, Harookz and Blake Jorgenson.
Big thanks to those who helped us out: Whistler Bike Park, Bike Co in Pemberton, Fanatykco and Evolution in Whistler, Tantalus Bike Shop in Squamish, Chromag, NSMB.com and Whistlermountainbike.com





Chiling: Blake Jorgenson and his beautiful girlfriend Holly Fraser who runs the Blake Jorgenson Gallery in Whistler.

Vegas XC Spring Training Camp...

We just wrapped up our first annual Vegas Spring Training Camp with Andreas Hestler...what a blast! Dre kept us riding and learning all that we could about riding skills, training techniques, nutrition, periodization, rest....and more! Did i mention that we rode more sweet trails that we could have imagined? You have to join us next year...unreal riding and you'll come back fit and very happy! Check out this slideshow on Flickr. Or, some more photos by participant Kathy, here.