BM guide in Bike Magazine's BUZZ

Stephen Matthews, who co-guided our Swiss Alpenrock DH trips with Joe Schwartz and Wade Simmons this summer, is in the latest Bike Magazine. You'll see him railing a dreamy patch of long grass near Calgary, Alberta in the late afternoon sun. Congrats Stephen!

The Nov issue of Bike.

When im asked to go to a happy place where everything is perfect...i go to a place that looks like this.

Photo: Reuben Krabbe

Front lines report from Peru, Unforgettable Andes trip

Peruvian guide and partner Wayo just sent this email from Ollantaytambo, on our Unforgettable Andes trip: "Everything is going really well on this trip! Some serious characters in the group and they are having the best time on their bikes. Good riders too. Today the group is in Machu Picchu. Yesterday we went to Huchuy Cusco and it was an awesome day. The group is very happy and are starting to say, "best trip of my life." Every year this trip gets better, like wine!" Looking at these photos, it sure is drier than our spring departures. But look at the terrain...some of the trails are like a pump track, bmx track and A-line trail at the Whistler Bike Park - combined...and that go on for 50+ km. Seriously!

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Downhill Wurbauerkogel circa 1992!

Huffingtonpost.com features our African safari trip

We're elated that The Huffington Post, a well-respected and progressive American news website covered our Rhythm of Africa mountain bike safari yesterday. "Big Mountain Bike Adventures guides you on this incredible mountain bike journey through some of Africa’s top wild game parks. Combining easy-to-moderate biking with exceptional game viewing and beautiful wilderness camps offers a very unique take on the traditional African safari. This trip will combine park access in both South Africa and Botswana." Thanks Huffington Post. Indeed, this trip is a must do for all mountain bikers. What to know more...get in touch with us and we can give you the scoop.

this afternoon in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco

Oh how i wish i was in Morocco right now. It's sunny and warm and the trails are oh-so-super-fun. And then there's the clash of unique cultures, the epic accommodation, great food and very cool atmosphere. We'll have next year's Dirt Merchant XC trip details posted very soon. We do know that the next trip is April 10-19, 2011.

I travelled up this road, and I travelled down that,

What have I to show for it? Nothing flat.

All I brought were slippers which I took off and left by the door.

A silly calf ate them, soles and all.

Moroccan saying                                                                                             

Moroccan traffic jam: encountering a Berber on his way home with supplies.

Nancy mid-climb. Check out that singletrack on the left...sweet!

honey, can i go riding?

 I think that we've all had glimpses of this conversation...except perhaps "how about you take your bike and go f*ck that." ahh, life and love...now get out and ride!!
 

Earlier today near Lima, Peru...

Word just came in from our Peruvian partner and guide extraordinaire Wayo on day one of our Unforgettable Andes trip: "Hola Chris, Nat. First day of riding and the group's minds are blown away already. Was a good day, cought traffic to get out of Lima because the elections but we went on time. Finished our ride on the "playground" making some jumps. Group is doing very well! Tomorrow Olleros..."
Reading this I cannot help but reminice of my last time riding with Wayo in the Andes, a trip that i won't forget. I remember the first day on the bike on this trip - you've arrived in Lima the night before, a little tired, a little scattered in a big South American metropolis. The next day you drive out of the city in crazy traffic for the first ride, not really sure of what you're getting into. Then you get rolling on creamy singletrack in a surreal arid landscape followed by cold beers and laughs with new friends. Little do you know that this is just a slice of what's to come...the riding on this trip ramps up...and by day two you realize that you've never ridden such great trails, ever! Then each one trumps the other until your in a drunken daze of best rides ever...

Unloading the van for the first ride.

"Sun's setting quick, we'd better keep riding..."

Fuel for a big day ahead. The cuisine in Peru was surprisingly tasty.

Good wine & great singletrack

We mountain bikers are known to enjoy our post ride ales. In certain circles quality beer at the end of the ride is just as important as the singletrack ridden and it seems that everyone I meet is a burgeoning beer sommelier. I like beer too, but can a mountain biker drink wine and still be cool? Our Swiss all-mountain Cloudraker and downhill Alpenrock DH trips take place in the canton of Valais, which happens to be one of Switzerland's main wine producers. It's a spectacular region with sweeping vineyards that go from the shores of Lake Geneva up the mountainsides, and from the Rhone Valley up the steep slopes of the Alps. I can't think of another place in the world where you can descend 6000 feet of blissfull singletrack or ride 50 kms of unreal all-mountain trails that end in vineyards.
Last summer on a private trip, after a day of downhilling at the Crans Montana bike park we rolled down the long last descent of the day and stopped off at wine producers' "cave" for a tour of their production and a wine tasting, and then continued the last bit of riding down to Sierre and our hotel in the setting sun. What a great way to wrap up a day of riding. Ah, the good life...
Want to drink wine and ride your mountain bike in the Swiss Alps too? Get in touch with us and we'll make it happen.

Hmmmm, wine.

Descending down to the Rhone Valley post wine tasting. Eyes on the trail. Focus...

Photos: Taylor Holland. Thanks to the Holland family for a great trip!

Bikes, lights & desert heat...Vegas...

Last week was the Interbike show in Vegas where the North American bike scene meets up annually. The main purpose of the event is to showcase next year's cool bike stuff; retailers place orders, shake some hands, bro down - you name it, it was there. I'm sorry to say that i didn't take one single photo from the event which upon retrospect was lame. I connected with lots of friends who work in the bike industry and met some great people. Actually, there's one photo in here from the show - of Wade Simmons, Brett Tippie and Richey Schley getting inducted into the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame. You'll recognize them from the fros...remember the Fro Riders?? Then you step out into the hot desert air and get swept up in the lights and action of the other world that is the sad world of the Vegas strip...


Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

old school

There's something cool about old black and white photographs from the 50's of stylee people and their bikes.

Bogart

G.Kelly

“Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.” Ralph Waldo Emerson.

Trim the fat

This video rules. The only word spoken is "whoooo" and there's no music needed. Rumour has it that this trail is in Revelstoke. It's in BC for sure. Who cares really? That's the beauty of it. It's straight up riding goodtimes with some innovative shots by Freeride Entertainment and solid riding by Matt Hunter.

Matt Hunter Descends 5000 feet of singletrack from NSMB.com on Vimeo.

today

woke up this morning to a steady drizzle and intermittent showers off the Pacific. ride was planned for 9am, no worries though, it's Saturday. pour a fresh cup of strong coffee from my french press, go for a walk with the baby and see what the day will bring. 11 am text comes in, "it's clearing, let's go." drive across the bridge and the showers return, start the climb in the rain. bummer, but im on my bike so im happy. the forest is beautiful, full of mist and soul. the rain stops and the roots are greasy like bacon grease. pop out of the forest into bright sunshine. great ride, great friends...riding rules!

 Climbing.

Joe and Jonny, top of the climb.

Joe.

Jordan Manley

I just went for a great ride on the North Shore's Dark Side trails with the very talented man behind the lens, Jordan Manley. Do you like photography as much as i do? Jordan has talent, and man can he ride a bike too - he's like a sword-wielding ninja attacking the forest with me chasing him down the mountain! Check out this slideshow of his that appeared in the 2009 Pro Photographer Showdown:


And while we're at it, sit back and enjoy this little ski travel doc created by Jordan.

The one?

Could you answer the question "what was your best ride of all time?" Is it possible to accurately respond? Was it the group that you were with? The fresh bike between your legs? The epic location? Or the conditions perhaps? Tough call eh? It must be a combination of all these things and more, the perfect storm of mountain biking good times. It's like skiing, where numerous times over a season you nail a morning, or a perfect powder line in the trees and catch yourself saying to someone..."that was the best day ever!"
A ride that sticks out for me in recent years and has to be one of the best...if not the one...is a ride i did in Peru with Wayo Stein and a group of animals from BC in April 2009. This one was mostly downhill, 56 kms long, with sections of the juiciest singletrack you could imagine. It was a burly approach, a way to long, way to crazy road in the Andes, but of so very worth it. I will go back and ride this trail again. OMG! Trust me on this one. Anyway, here's a photo of some of the crew that day nearing the shores of the Pacific and the end of the ride. Soon after this photo was taken i took a pretty big header too....I was punched!

YT & AK: that's a wrap!

A big thanks to the group who joined us on our first official Midnight Sun trip recently in the Yukon Territory and Alaska. From all reports and looking at the photos...it was a total success despite some fiesty fall weather. And more thanks to guides Ray Warner and Devo, the owner of Icycle Sports in Whitehorse, for leading the group up and down the mountains and across the landscape...cheers!!
Stay tuned for next year's dates and details...

 Top of the world!

Fall colours...

Silver Fern: a New Zealand road trip

11 nights & 12 days. What can be packed into this limited time? In the country of New Zealand as it turns out, a whole lot. This new trip promises to ride a good chunk of NZ, undoubtedly one of the planet's most beautiful places. From the rugged, high snowy peaks of the Southern Alps, to the Canterbury Plains and seaside singletrack near Christchurch, to beautiful Nelson, then over to the capital Wellington and it's rolling green hills, to Lake Taupo's geothermal landscape of volcanos, to Rotorua's vibrant Maori culture and lush old-growth singletrack and finally into Auckland for final night festivities and the flight home. A road trip from one end to the other, are you in? It's XC with a little all-mountain sprinkled in and in the heart of the southern summertime. Silver Fern, come join us next March!

photo: Derek Frankowski

This week on the front lines, Midnight Sun...Yukon Territory & Alaska

Internet has been sporadic at best on our Midnight Sun trip, but guide Ray Warner has squeaked out a few update images from the high north...

 The group approaching the Samuel Glacier.

 Setting sun in Kluane National Park...red sky at night, mountain bikers delight...

What's in the bag?

Yukon and Alaska trip...next week

This year's highly anticipated Midnight Sun trip starts this Sunday in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. Missed this year's trip? Here are some pics to get you dreaming about joining us next year in the pristine and beautiful high north with great fall colours....

Lifecycles teaser...whoa!