Reflections on Cloudraker.

Just back from a very successful Cloudraker all-mountain trip in Switzerland. What a trip. Eventhough we've been running versions of this trip for nearly a decade, it is still a true once-and-a-lifetime adventure. Seriously, no Cloudraker trip is like the other one. We had the usual mixed bag of high-Alps weather, some mechanical challenges (too many flats on one particular day!), a few scrapes and bruises, some unexpected landslides that we had to walk around...and amazing hospitality at the Pellissier family hotel in Lourtier, a beautiful dinner in Aosta Italy after an unreal ride, tons and tons of drool-inducing singletrack, views to die for, great friends and camaraderie, a few too many coffees, some very challenging climbs and a whole bunch of laughs. Thank you to those who joined us!! What a trip!!

Guide Pete Gaston on the brakes on a steep & rooty descent.

Big Mountain Bike Adventures!

Raking clouds high in the Alps.

This lunch stop was perfect.

Waiting for a flat to be changed...take your time.

Border crossing.

There are just a few place in the world where you can mountain bike up and over a pass on singletrack and into another country. A few days ago we did just this. The approach to this border into Italy from Switzerland is unique: shuttle where we unload on a dam (coinsidentely Europe's biggest curved dam), ride starts with a climb that's inside a long tunnel then a traverse above a teal-green lake some more climbing on switchbacks and then a 45 min. hike a bike to 2750 m. We brought our passports but there was no one to check them. Then it was a very long downhill to a bustling town, beer, fine wine and a great dinner.

Tate, Euan and guide Pete Gaston nearing the border of Italy.

Big mountain chillin'.

Mandatory walk!

A well-deserved pasta dinner. Supported by beautiful Amarone.

Zee mountain schuss.

We just wrapped up Day 2 of our Cloudraker mountain bike trip in the Valais region of Switzerland. Yesterday we met the group in Geneva and along the spectacular lake shore, up the Rhone Valley and into the Alps. After checking into our hotel in Lourtier we built our bikes and went for a sweet warm-up ride on the mountain in the backyard. When i opened the shutters of my room this morning i was shaking my head at the driving rain and cold temperatures. I was not stoked. But, the day turned out perfectly as the rain stopped just after breakfast and we ended up punching through the clouds into fresh snow and sunshine. Killer day. Tomorrow's another big one as we head up the valley to a big climb up and over a pass and into Italy for a nice pasta dinner and some fine wine. Stay tuned!

Classic Switzerland riding on grassy singletrack.

Shredding freshies in late July, only in the Alps.

Riding an ancient bisse or waterway to bring water to villages.

Quintessential Cabane de Mont Fort. Coffee time.

Scoping big lines for Anthill.

Yesterday I set out with La Vallee hotel owner Jean-Marc Pellissier in his backyard for a six-hour hike to a high-alpine cabin perched on a moraine. The weather was looking iffy and just as it is in the high mountains of Switzerland in the summertime we encountered rain, a snow squall, glorious sunshine and generally cool temps. What a day. The cabin was more like a modern dwelling that sleeps nearly 100 and cost three million Swiss Francs to build. Leave it to the Swiss. Why were we hiking you ask? We were looking for epic singletrack to be included in Anthill Films' next movie called Strength in Numbers which comes out in April 2012. Discovering what we did yesterday, I can tell you that the Swiss segment is going to be pretty amazing...

Just before the July 20 snow squall.

Big mountains.

Trek unveils 2012. Raising the bar even further.

Trek Unveils 2012 Line of Full Suspension Bikes
World’s lightest DH bike, new all-mountain Slash, DRCV Forks highlight 2012 offerings

A beauty for sure.

  (Mayrhofen, Austria) – The world leader in mountain bike technology, Trek Bicycle, has unveiled its 2012 collection of trail-ripping full suspension bikes to the global media at its Ride Camp in Mayrhofen, Austria. Included in this year’s line are two completely new models; the DH-world changing OCLV Mountain Carbon Session 9.9 and a bike that’s fitting of an entirely new category called “Technical Trail”, the new Trek Slash. New technologies abound as Trek’s Fuel EX, Remedy, and Rumblefish bikes will now be equipped with DRCV Fox Forks, a new fork breakthrough spawned from Trek’s Southern California-based suspension lab’s development work with Fox Racing Shox.

Session 9.9
A pioneering force in the development of carbon fiber technology for 20 years, 2012 represents a giant leap in Trek’s OCLV genealogy with the introduction of the Session 9.9; our first carbon downhill bike. With Trek’s off-road specific OCLV Mountain carbon, the 9.9 breaks new ground in lightweight DH race bikes, while carrying on Session’s reputation as the most agile and precise race frame available. The choice of World Cup superstar Aaron Gwin, the redesigned frame features new geometry and an increase in suspension travel to 210mm. Trek’s move to carbon on the Session 9.9 allows for internal cable routing, or if run externally, virtually indestructible patent-pending MicroTruss that eliminates riveted cable housing guides. The Session 9.9 also represents the first time that downhill riding has birthed a material usage innovation at Trek with the application of InTension, a material that is lighter than carbon composite and leverages Trek’s Honeycomb patent. “The objective was to make the Session dramatically lighter without compromising the previous bike’s incredible performance,” said Trek Senior Composite Manufacturing Engineer James Colegrove. ”The 2 years of R&D we invested allowed our Advanced Concepts Group to create significant new technologies, like the use of a new material called InTension that acts like the center section of an i-beam;  transferring shear loads between the two faces of carbon. The R&D time also produced a patent-pending cable tie system called MicroTruss that eliminates the need for riveted cable guides. Our development team is very pleased that the Session 9.9 will introduce such significant new carbon technology to the world.”

Slash
For 2012 Trek is launching the Slash, an all-new 160mm travel bike designed for the growing endurance downhill market. Developed in partnership with Trek riders Rene Wildhaber and Ross Schnell, the Slash has the perfect suspension, geometry, and parts spec to dominate the endurance downhill scene. Taking advantage of Trek’s Full Floater and EVO link suspension designs, the Slash is paired with a DRCV shock and Active Breaking Pivot rear end to allow for maximum pedaling efficiency no matter the conditions. “Slash is defined by a lot more than just its travel — it’s the whole package of commanding steering, superior suspension, and a parts spec that rivals some DH bikes in durability and performance,” said Trek Mountain Bike Product Manager John Riley. “If you’re riding events like Megavalanche or Downieville, this is your bike.”

DRCV Fork
Trek’s singletrack and technical trail platforms get a huge suspension technology boost with the addition of Fox DRCV forks (Dual Rate Control Valve). The Dual Rate Control Valve rear shock that has been so well received on the Remedy, Fuel EX, and Rumblefish platforms is now being paired with a fork that incorporates the same technology and matches its performance. When the fork is compressed far enough into the stroke of the primary air chamber, a plunger opens a second air chamber, increasing the volume of the shock for larger impacts. The result is small bump compliance, with big-hit performance. This technology, developed by Trek’s Southern California-based suspension laboratory and Fox Racing Shox, sets a new standard for suspension performance unseen anywhere else in the bike industry. “After we made so much progress in increasing rider control with the DRCV shock, it’s great to be able to bring that versatility and improved handling to the front suspension,” said Trek Suspension Lab Director Jose Gonzales. “It further isolates the rider from the bumps of the trail and keeps the wheel on the ground longer, meaning better traction and greater stability.” With the new fork design, Trek has also slackened the headtube angles on the EX and Remedy by one degree, increasing the bikes’ stability at higher speeds, and improving handling in steeper sections of trail. To top off the new look of the EX and Remedy lines, Trek moved cable and brake hose routing internally, which not only creates a cleaner bike, but also makes for a quieter ride.

Expanded 29er Collection
From the godfather of 29” wheels, Gary Fisher, comes an expansion to the world’s broadest, and best-selling, collection of 29ers. 2012 welcomes aluminum versions of the insanely popular, 100mm-travel, Superfly line that will be offered alongside their established carbon brethren. The singletrack trail slayer Rumblefish gets a new mainframe with a higher bottom bracket and a full 120mm of rear wheel travel. Rumblefish will also be getting a huge fork upgrade with the addition of the new DRCV fork, making it one of the most capable 29ers when the trail gets rough.

Suspension Calculator
For 2012, we’ve addressed the rider and their experience as much as the product by making a perfectly tuned ride possible anywhere Wi-Fi is available with the launch of an online calculator that provides the perfect suspension settings throughout the full suspension line given a rider’s bike, model year, and weight. Optimized for mobile, tablet, and desktop devices and accessible now at trekbikes.com/suspension <http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/resources/suspension_setup> , the suspension calculator features an intuitive interface that will provide the perfect suspension settings throughout Trek’s full suspension mountain bike collection. The calculator will be updated with new models throughout the year as 2012 bikes arrive at Trek retailers.

###

About Trek Bicycle:
Trek Bicycle is a global leader in the design and manufacture of bicycles and related products. Trek believes the bicycle can be a simple solution to many of the world’s most complex problems, and is committed to breaking down the barriers that prevent people from using bicycles more often for transportation, recreation, and inspiration. For more information about Trek, visit www.trekbikes.com <http://www.trekbikes.com> .

A Nice Place To Be.

This is going to sound somewhat contradictory to what we preach here at Big Mountain Adventures, the leader in mountain bike travel...but oh well, here it goes. I'm spending the week on an island off the coast of BC, not far from home, that features long stretches of white sandy beaches littered with driftwood, dead quiet roads, eagles perched in trees, beauty mixed forest on a carpet of ferns and electro-green moss...and a tightly knit network of fast and flowy carvable singletrack. Man the riding is good. My point, you see, is that I'm a mere few hours from my own garage. No planes, no trains to get here. It's nice to find such a sweet little gem just around the corner. Adventure, is all perspective. It can be in the trails in the park at the end of your big city street where you ride with your five year-old daughter, or the loop that you do every week-end with your buds or the pump track that you hit every summer evening that you can at your neighbours. Summer is here and it's prime time to ride mountain bikes. So get out and find some adventure on your bike, be it across the street or across the world. Enjoy.

Smile.

Nice view from here.

What's in a name?

Trail builders are often quirky characters who'll hunker down deep in a forest for weeks and months at a time as they craft their masterpiece to share with riders. The last stroke of their brush is usually the trail name. Some names suit the location and feel of the landscape and stick like velcro while others seem to slide off one's memory. Some names make us laugh and some are just wacked. Names like Gravitron, Rolling Orgy, Your Mama, Medieval Flow, the Brazilian, Sex Boy, Joyride and Oasis are just a few trail names that we ride and love. What about where you ride? Any particularly interesting trail names?

Come this way...

Seb Kemp.

Working with us this summer is none other than legendary rider, coach, trail builder and journalist Seb Kemp. You might have read his exploits in Bike Magazine or NSMB.COM or DIRT or NZ's Spoke, or maybe you've never heard of him? Either way, we're pumped to have Seb at the helm of a private British Columbia all-mountain trip that hits Vancouver, the Sunshine Coast, Squamish, Whistler, Pemberton and the Chilcotins, and on a private Swiss DH trip with guide Stephen Matthews. There's no one better to show you around and show you a great time.

When asked about his mountain bike background, Mr. Kemp speaks:

"I am a nomad following the warmer months of the globe, and a gypsy with no caravan. Bikes, in all their forms, have consumed my life since I was very young. I am just as happy doing all day xc epics in the backcountry as I am pounding laps in a bike park or floating through a freshly slapped line of jumps. I choose not to blinker myself to thinking that mountain biking is anything in particular. Mountain biking is many things to many people. In the end it's all just playing with toys and it is all fun.
I am fortunate enough to be allowed a voice through numerous magazines and websites (NSMB.com and Vitalmtb.com, as well as my own page, 2flat.wordpress.com).  Some wise ass once said those that can't do, teach. Well, what I have found is that those that can, can't necessarily teach, and everyone, whether they can or can't, could do with some coaching. I have worked as a coach in the Whistler Bike Park for three summers as well as guiding in the Sea to Sky Corridor of BC and in New Zealand for several years. Coaching and guiding feels like the most honest way of helping people enjoy their mountain bike experience to the fullest. I am also a hired gun and build trails all over the world. Putting tools into the earth and creating shapes for riding upon is the ultimate form of expression and payback for any mountain biker. It also gives you mean callouses and keeps the hairs on your chest taut and curly. Important things to have if you want to lure a lady figure back to your cave."

Deeper thoughts, enjoying a cool bevie with friends post ride.

 

We're back.

It's been seriously played out in recent years but after a multi-year hiatus Big Mountain Adventures has moved it's headquarters back to Whistler BC. Yea, you know the one, home to the world famous Whistler Bike Park and Kokanee Crankworx and the epicenter of all things mountain bike on the planet. Or, more accurately, one of the epicenters or at least a serious leader in all things mountain bike. Despite the hype and the fact that we've all probably heard a little too much about Whistler, the place does buzz mtb something serious. Driving up the super scenic Sea to Sky highway from Vancouver you'll see scores of trucks with gleaming rigs hanging off the tailgates. Then when you roll into town the whole valley seems to be into mountain biking, from packs of Brits pinning it for A-Line on DH bikes to super fit XC girls hitting lakes post-ride to full families on bikes and baby boomer grandads training for next week's Loonie Race. The place is firing on bikes. We're stoked to be back and can't wait to hit the awesome trails, right from the office door.

Supersize berm on the Whistler Bike Park.

100,000.

"100,000." A good read by journalist Dave Smith and photographer Blake Jorgenson from our Swiss Alpenrock trip. Check it out on PINKBIKE.COM.
Oh yea, and if you sign up this year we'll give you a very nice Chromag Lynx DH saddle and Fubar handlebar...just for being you! You might even see the elusive giant beargoat...

Walking the talk of Alpenrock.

Written by guide Stephen Matthews and client Scott Hagarty, check out this great write-up from on our Alpenrock DH trip in Switzerland on DIRT Magazine's website.

Never stop dreaming.

I received this email today from a client who joined us in Switzerland in 2005 on a trip that I'll never forget. I remember that the weather was brutal but the group that came together on this one was all-time and we banded together like old friends and explored the high-Alps with passion. It's so inspiring to read what he's decided to do with his time. One pedal stroke at a time.

Salut Chris,

How are you? Long time no talk. I have seen tons of new super exciting adventures (Nepal!!!) being added to your list of trips. This is great and I am very happy to see Big Mountain getting so successful with you at the helm.

Since I saw you last in May 2008 at your house, things have changed a lot. As you may remember, I tried to book a few trips with you yet my travel plans always changed as my company will change my vacation dates at the last minute. So last October, tired of not getting enough time to travel, I retired from the cruise business and decided to go bike the world. It is a big bold decision for someone with no touring experience whatsoever. I grabbed by carbon fiber hardtail, attahced a bob trailer and headed south (by plane). I first started in Argentina where I biked from Ushuaia to Equador. In the 5 months spent in South America, I went to Antarctica on a cruise, biked southern Patagonia through Chile, hiked to Machu Picchu, visited the Galapagos and did some great mountain biking in Bolivia yet I had to short of a time in Peru to experience the amazing diversity of trails offered. I am currently biking north from Los angeles to Alaska then east to Quebec City. In the late fall, I should be flying to Cape Town to bike accross Africa all the way to Cairo.

As I would be in Vancouver staring from this upcoming Saturday for about a week, I was wondering if you were in town and available for a lunch or a beer. It would be nice to meet up again.

I look forward to hear from you

Best regards

Frantz
"Life is an adventure"

Times have changed.

In the past 24 hours I've had face to face meetings with Mads Mathiasen in his remote "bush block" in New South Wales, Australia to discuss our Nepal Himalaya Heights trip, a meeting with Seb Kemp who was holed up in his dad's attic in Somerset, UK while we chatted about this summer's Alpenrock DH trips, and then with Jean-Marc Pellissier in the little hamlet of Lourtier, tucked in the big Alps of Switzerland. OK, OK, the truth is, I didn't fly around the world in a super fast jet and actually meet face to face with these fine mountain bikers, but we met on Skype. How about Skype? A mere five years ago the notion of talking to someone in real time while seeing them was something from Star Trek or maybe James Bond. When my parents ran their first bike trip in England and Wales 1972 it was before faxes! They communicated with hotels via telex. What the hell is a telex? Now we email, text, cell phone, Skype and Google it all up eagerly.

The Puma telex machine, circa 1980.

Maybe you think that i'm old school and can't wrap my brain around the times. Maybe the times are changing so quick and my head's spinning. What's in store in the next decade? Teleporting? Could be. By the way, my Skype meetings went really well - things are looking good. This photo is of yours truly back in the mid-70's on one of my folk's trips, it looks like i was pissed about a telex or something. Check out those short shorts and white socks in the background and the first generation Bell helmet. If you're interested, check out some old cycling photos from the old days here. Good times. Bring on technology i say.

Where's that telex?

Between Minarets & Monoliths

A look back to 2008 and Bike Magazine's "Ultimate Adventures" issue. Cover shot of Hans Rey and another rider off the Gornergrat cog railway in Zermatt and two-page spread of Big Mountain Adventure's owner Chris Winter in the shadow of the iconic Matterhorn. Hmmm, dreamy mountain biking.

Steep, and deep.

Bufffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffffff!

Summer DH'ing the Alps. Are you coming?

Contour & Big Mountain Adventures.

CONTOUR AND BIG MOUNTAIN ADVENTURES TEAM UP

TO CAPTURE THE PLANET ON MOUNTAIN BIKES.

VANCOUVER, BC, JUNE 13, 2011, - Contour, the leader in hands-free video cameras and adventure storytelling tools and Big Mountain Adventures, the award-winning mountain bike travel company have announced a partnership that’ll create groundbreaking mountain bike stories from dreamy locations around the globe.

Starting immediately, participants on any Big Mountain holiday will have the opportunity to use the acclaimed Contour+ which features the largest lens of any PoV camera and captures beautiful 1080p full HD video with a 170° wide-angle rotating lens that delivers the truest high quality image with minimal distortion and fish-eye. That’s right mountain bikers, ride with Big Mountain Adventures and capture with Contour+.

“We are thrilled to be working with Big Mountain Adventures because they provide the perfect complement to our products. We want to encourage people to share their most amazing life adventures, and Big Mountain provides the perfect setting for our cameras and end-users to experience the trip of a lifetime. It’s truly a match made in heaven,” says Lacy Kemp, Contour’s Director of Social media.

Big Mountain Adventures owner Chris Winter: “There are so many times on our trips that you find yourself in the most unreal places – from a pic-nic lunch on mountain ridge high in the Swiss Alps, to flying past Annapurna in Nepal in a small plane full of mountain bikes and new friends, to bombing a day-long bermed downhill in Peru – and you wish that you could easily capture the moment with a quick flick of a switch. Well, now you can. We are totally stoked about running Contour+ on our trips.”

Contour, formerly known as VholdR, is the market leader in hands-free video cameras and adventure storytelling tools that enable modern day explorers to tell their stories of action, adventure and travel through video. http://contour.com/

Possibly the Best Ride in the World.

Have you seen the latest Bike Magazine? Cover shot is of the super amazing Olleros trail with the statement: "Peru - Possibly the best ride in the world." Do you remember these exact words on this blog not long ago? It's true folks, Peru is mountain biking nirvana. If you want to ride these nuggets yourself we've got a 10-day Peru mountain bike trip coming up September 30 called Unforgettable Andes. Check out the Bike story, it's an inspiring read by our friend photographer Dan Barham.

Ride this trail on our Unforgettable Andes trip!

Follow Stephen Matthews.

A recent video of BM guide Stephen Matthews at the Whistler Mountain Bike Park. You too can follow Mr. Matthews this summer on our groundbreaking 9-day Alpenrock DH trips. Don't be intimidated by this video, he'll keep the brakes on a little more in Switzerland and give you some riding tips along the way. Enjoy.

Whistler Report S2E2 - A-Line POV from nsmb.com on Vimeo.

Fresh video from Peru...last week.

Hmmm, mountain biking in Peru. The riding is that good. Thanks to Stephane Heroux from New Brunswick for this video! Cheers!

the weather

Sun sun sun sun sun sun sun sun!

One of the many things that i like about riding mountain bikes is having to know the weather. I like weather forecasts. I like storms. I like heat. I like cool days. I like it all. I guess mountain bikers generally like the elements. To really enjoy a ride you need to at least look out a window, glance up at the sky and see what's going on, or have some sort of idea of what mother nature has in store for you and what you'll need to prepare for. Are you heading into the desert mid-day where there's no shade or heading into the high mountains where snow could fall or in the jungle during rainy season? Important things to consider. But don't let the forecast deter you from getting out on your bike. Laguna Beach this week? Lookin' pretty nice i'd say. Jealous. Here in Vancouver BC, if you didn't like a little precip you simply would not be riding. It's been a wet six months here on the Wet Coast! Here's our forecast for the week ahead. Time to suit up and head out for some wet weather riding...

rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain rain!

5 Tips from the Godfather.

Wade LOVES to ride bikes.

Wade is know as one of the most natural trail riders anywhere. Follow him down a trail and he skips over technical sections as smoothly as butter, manuals and gaps stuff that most of creep down carefully and pretty much styles a trail out big time. He's got talent. We caught up with Simmons in Europe a few weeks ago as he prepared for this summer's Big Mountain Camps in Verbier, Switzerland and asked him a few key things to consider for mountain bikers...

1. Bike set-up is probably the most important thing a rider can do to affect their comfort and confidence. So many times I see people riding too long of a stem or have the handlebars rolled too forward or back. People need to have the bike properly adjusted to the type of riding they are doing. Proper suspension set-up is very important too, especially when we teach drops and airs. Its like getting into a rental car and not adjusting the seat or rear view mirror. Once all is adjusted its time to shred!

 2. Body position is crucial. When you buy a bike, nobody tells you how to ride it. Its assumed one will know how, because everybody can ride a bike, right? Wrong. The number one thing I see beginners and intermediates do wrong is lean too far back. Riders need to get over the front wheel and lead the bike. If you think of any sport that involves action, the body leads into the action: Skiing, you lean into the front, Football, you lean into the ball before kicking, Tennis, you lead with the shoulder before smashing the ball......everything is like this. Even when you ride down a rock face, you should be leaning forward, and not until the transition at the bottom should you weight back. It sounds counter-intuitive but its the way to ride.

3. Brake control and modulation. People cannot become great riders if they cannot operate brakes properly. Braking is a big part of mountain biking, and its very complicated. I am amazed at the number of people I see that do not know how to skid the rear tire. Sometimes on mountain bike website forums I read about people hating on skidding. Skidding is a skill one must master to become a expert rider. Anybody who complains about skidding being bad, does not know how use the skid properly. It is a way to steer the rear wheel, and once riders realize this, doors open on the trail. To master the combination of front and rear brake modulation takes time and practise, but once set on the right track, people will be better riders.

4. The Manual is another fundamental skill riders will need to master to allow progression. Its a skill that opens doors on the trail. The manual is used in many trail applications such as rolling off drops, smoothing out rough terrain and pumping through rolls. It can also be used to bring the front-end quickly around corners. A manual is a big crowd pleaser when you are riding down the road and pull a sic long manual. It can also be joined with other moves like a bunny-hop to manual for instance. The manual is relatively easy, but there are a couple of key points riders need to learn or you fall on your ass a lot!

5. Drops. Who doesn't love a drop? There are many types of drops with different characteristics that all require a little different approach. Some are straight drops, some have a gap factor to the landing, some have uphill take-offs, some downhill take-offs....many types, but all fun! Drops can also be very dangerous but when supplied with the right skills and knowledge there is only one

One of Wade's biggest drops ever. Mucho grande.

 Photo by John Gibson.

BM guide Paulo Valle cuts against the Costa Rican grain.

We're elated. Paulo "Chico Dore" Valle, our good friend and the architect behind our legendary Pura Vida DH trips in Costa Rica has just been featured in the latest Bike Magazine's My Trail column. Here's what was written:

The Rider: Paulo Valle has been riding bikes as long as he can remember. Hailing from San Jose, Costa Rica, he started as a youngster, cruising his neighbourhoud and building jumps with his friends. His early appreciation for speed and air made BMX racing a perfect fit for the young ripper. The competitive spirit that Valle honed while racing BMX translated seamlessly to mountain bikes when he first rode one in 1990. He quickly rose through the ranks of Costa Rica's professional race circuit, ultimately winning national championships in both DH and XC. These days, Valle has long since stepped out of the race scene, instead pouring his energy into trail building - and sharing his trails with other riders as the main Costa Rica guide for Vancouver-based tour company Big Mountain Bike Adventures.
The Scene: In today's Costa Rican mountain bike scene, Valle is a rare breed of rider. While road and cross-country dominate the riding community, Valle is one of a handful of riders with a healthy appetite for challenging technical terrain that pushes the limits of both rider and bike. Whether it's a blessing or a curse, he is a lone soldier, building and riding on his own terms.
The Trail: Valle's network runs throughout the Talamanca Mountains near San Jose, where he has been building trails for about nice years. Topping out at just over 12,000 feet, the range offers long, technical descents from high alpine areas to jungle terrain, with many trails ending in the coffee plantations that are scattered across many of the region's valleys. When approaching trail building, Valle looks for his routes to form organically by letting the terrain dictate how the trail will flow. By taking advantage of natural obstacles, his trails have a raw, natural feel that can challenge even the most seasoned veteran. His ultimate goal is to have a network of unapologetically technical singletrack that connects the Pacific and Atlantic sides of his country. Anthony Smith.

Yea Paulo!!!!!!

This week in the Peruvian Andes...

We just received word from our partner and guide extraordinaire Wayo from high in the mountains near Ollantaytambo who's at the helm of our Unforgettable Andes mountain bike trip in Peru. "Everything is going very well. Today the group went to Machu Picchu and I scouted two amazing trails close to Cusco starting at 14,1000 feet! Two more descents that you should know about!!" The guys are very happy with the trip and saying "best trip of my life." So I think everything is going very well here!" It's always great to hear that another trip is going well - after the months of correspondence with participants there's nothing more satisfying than receiving these words. Thanks for the update Wayo!

The first ride of the trip...just a warm up to what's to come!

In the arid Andes near Lima. A desert landscape on STEROIDS!

An old Inca trail. Amazing culture awaits in Peru.

Check out this mountain bike video from Peru shot a year ago. The riding in Peru is STELLAR!

 

The Yukon. Unplug. Re-set.

We live in a busy, uncertain, and sometimes morally challenging time. Tsunamis. Osama. Economy. Environment. The Stanley Cup. You know what i mean. While we fight to maintain our balance and sanity in this perpetual storm, it's important that we keep our feet on the ground and not loose sight of what's important in life: family, friends, reading books, exercise, fresh air, riding mountain bikes. Which leads me to invite you, my fellow mountain biker, to the Yukon & Alaska this summer. Why you ask? Because it'll help keep you grounded, it'll remind you of what's important and quite simply you'll have a blast. I'm not pointing any fingers here, just saying that we could all do with a little unplug and re-set.

Journalist Dave Smith searches for that elusive word.

The North is a place with fewer complications, where the rhythm is in tune with nature and the friendly locals will do anything to make sure you're having a great experience. Oh, and the riding just happens to be killer - big epics in wide-open landscapes, short loops on technical loamy singletrack and quick and punchy berm-infested railing-a-thon trails on firm, yet forgiving, dirt.

The colours of a palette.

The mountain bike guides on this adventure are the best hosts that you could ask for. Devon McDiarmid talks about his year: "I just returned from the North Pole where i guided two ski groups. This means I skied to both poles in one calendar year and there is a good chance i'll be getting to the South Pole again for the second time in 2011! But my biggest achievement of the year for me is kite skiing Greenland for a Guiness Book of World Record for longest kite ski expedition in the North, covering over 4000 kms" When you meet McDiarmid you'll be greeted by a low-key, humble adventurer with a great passion for guiding and a slew of truly amazing stories. McDiarmid will be joined by Ray Warner who recalls: "I moved to the Yukon after falling in love with Alaska and the North, during a summer of riding and climbing there. I went back to Banff, grabbed the rest of my gear, one backpack worth, walked to the highway and hitched to Whitehorse where I spent 17 years trying to get lost in the bush - riding, paddling, climbing and running sled dogs. The north is like nowhere else on earth, it is still pure and rugged with challenges at every turn." Warner is mad-passionate about all things Northern.
To be guided in the Yukon and Alaska on mountain bikes by McDiarmid and Warner is a great opportunity. Want to unplug and re-set this summer?

One trip only: Midnight Sun, August 21-27, 6 nights/7 days. $1995.00 USD.

The road from Whitehorse to Haines, Alaska. Is that John Denver on the radio?

Ride Whistler with us this summer!

Whistler, heard of it? Ha! The world knows Whistler but do they know what the locals know? Probably not. That's why you should join us on our 8-day Sea to Sky mountain bike trip July 23-30. Expect to ride trails beyond the Whistler Bike Park, from the Sunshine Coast to Squamish, Pemberton and Whistler Valley trails and more. Let's go!
Here's a video of a trail that we'll ride, Khyber's Pass off of Whistler Mountain.

Drivers seat with Evan Schwartz & Stephen Matthews in Italy last week

Big Mountain guide Stephen Matthews speaks about this trail: "Calizzano, Italy has one of the coolest machine built trails outside of the Whistler Bike Park. This trail is not A-Line, but it also blows anything at Silverstar, Sun Peaks, Kicking Horse, Panorama etc. out of the water. It follows a super simple concept; build it to be ridden fast, and the rest is up to your imagination!"

Want to hit Calizzano soon? Get in touch with us and we'll make it happen. Otherwise hang tight and we'll have dates posted soon.

Ride this trail on our New Zealand trip

Maybe not quite this fast though! This is a fine trail in dreamy Wellington New Zealand. For our 2012 dates and details HERE.

Big Mountain working with Anthill Films

We're excited to announce that Big Mountain Adventures is working with Anthill Films (formerly The Collective) on their next film dubbed Strength in Numbers to be released in Spring 2012.  Our role is to help the crew with logistics, guiding, planning, locations, contacts and more on their international shoots. Read more on pinkbike.com.

Why do we ride?

Ride Alpenrock DH and get Chromag.

Dubbed by some as the ultimate downhill mountain bike trip on the planet, Big Mountain Adventures’ Swiss Alpenrock DH trip is a 9-day romp in the Alp’s highest peaks. From Verbier’s fast lifts and big descents, to barely-known backcountry blowout drops to the Rhone Valley, to fast and flowy Crans Montana and Zermatt’s mind-boggling lift network and ridiculous views and trails, this small-group DH holiday delivers on all fronts.

This year Big Mountain has teamed up with Whistler-based Chromag to offer all participants a Lynx DTsaddle and Fubar OSX bars. That’s right, you’ll bomb the Alps on Chromag, the quiet leader in innovative bike components for mountain bikers worldwide.

At the helm of Alpenrock in 2011 is Whistler-based guide Stephen Matthews who will be joined by global mountain bike explorer Seb Kemp. “Mountain biking is all about journey, adventure and exploration.” says Kemp, “Big Mountain has always been at the forefront of sharing the world with mountain bikers. To be given the opportunity to share these experiences with others is a privilege that I don't take lightly. What excites me is the golden moments on and off the trail: ripping down unfamiliar singletrack, stopping to take in the view and experiencing the details of other peoples lives and culture.”

Join Matthews and Kemp on Alpenrock 2011: August 12-20 and August 20-28.

Land cost is $2695.00 USD.

Joining in Geneva, Switzerland.

For more info on Alpenrock DH, CLICK HERE.

 

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.

Italian charge...Day 4 & 5 on the Ligurian coast

 You've never heard of Calizzano. It's a small town pretty much in the middle of nowhere and the riding is unreal. Seriously. The dirt is tacky, the terrain is a natural playground of half-pipes and wall rides and berms and the slope angle is just right where you can ride long sections off the brakes. Calizzano, you are beautiful, we'll be back one day to rail your sweet dirt.

 

 Sometimes a good day becomes a great day just because of lunch. We rolled into this remote «agritourismo» restaurant to a little slice of heaven on earth. A cute local girl greeted us upon arrival and served up a multi-course meal in a restored barn. Then came the espressos. Then came rose proseco in the sun and some random archery session. Here, Evan Schwartz feeds donkeys dandilions. Ah, the good life.

We're here with photographer Dan Barham, born in Manchester now living in North Vancouver. Barham is dedicated to his craft and his images translate - he's good at what he does. Here's a little behind the scenes action, Stephen Matthews roosting and Barham shooting. This is one of about seven takes of this berm being ridden. Don't tell anyone.

 

 Hmmm, cafe. There's something about the coffee in Italy that blows ours out of the water. 

This is Schwartz and Matthews riding another great trail Europe's biggest beach forest. Coming from the West Coast of British Columbia, the land of coniferous trees, it's a treat to travel through a deciduous forest at high-speeds on bikes.