Going Downhill in die Alpen on Pinkbike.com

Calgary's Stephen Matthews joined us in Switzerland this summer on our Alpenrock DH trip. See his sweet vids and read the whole story here.

Here's a little sample following Joe Schwartz.

"...i lost count of the times i was whooping loudly..."

"The three Big Mountain trips I have been on have been incredible and the best trails I have ever ridden anywhere, I lost count of the times I was whooping loudly on this one and I look forward to doing more next year, I'm already dreaming of the Swiss DH trip." Daveid Phillips, UK.
 
View photos from Daveid's recent trip to Maroc....great photos Daveid, thanks!

2010 Dirt Merchant Morocco dates have been confirmed, Sept 19-28. See you in Marrakech!

 

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.

last week in Peru...

A group of friends went to Peru on a private trip last week. "The trip was fantastic. The guys enjoyed a lot the trip and we have just good memories," said head guide and mountain bike shinobe Wayo with a big smile from him home in Lima. Back at the office in Whistler and Vancouver we could not be happier. Thanks for joining us guys!

By the way, you have to come ride Peru with us soon...the riding is ridiculous, the culture unforgettable and being hosted by Wayo could not get any better. All-mountain or downhill?

 

 This photo was taken on one of the many Inca trails that was built centuries ago. This one drops into the beautiful Sacred Valley.

The group at our hotel in Lima.

 Cruisin' dawg. He knows who's boss.

earlier today somewhere in Morocco...

this photo just arrived from today's ride on our Moroccan Dirt Merchant cross-country trip. looks like the trip is going well!

safety first

a photo of Nathalie Grether, the backbone of Big Mountain, on the shores of the Georgia Straight in Vancouver last week during a wilderness first aid course. this is what we want to avoid at all costs, having to use a stretcher like this one. needless to say, safety is a high priority at Big Mountain - we keep it high on the list and revise and update our plans and education all the time. mountain biking is inherently dangerous and falling is part of the sport however... ride defensively when you're in a far away place.

Put bike in box, fly somewhere, unpack, ride.

It's that time of the year again. Yea, i know, time, it flies eh? But what can you do? I actually like fall. I know that it's not the best time to ride bikes, but when you do ride it's just good, really good. Fall is mellow; springtime is when you need to get in shape and it hurts more, summertime is when you are in shape and it still hurts so good, and falltime is just time to ride qualitytime. Riding is better when you have a dream trip to look forward to...
The grandpappy of freeride mountain biking, Wade Simmons, will be co-guiding our annual 9-day Costa Rica Pura Vida DH trips again this winter. Dates are Feb 19-27 and Feb 27-Mar 7, 2010. If you haven't heard, Wade is an unreal guy to get to know and an unreal rider. The chance to ride with him for 9 days does not come around very often....think about it, life is short afterall...
We're also offering a shorter version of this trip, the Pura Vida DH Junior which is 7-days from Mar 20-26. Unfortunately Wade won't be on this trip but you'll still be in supremely good hands with our man Paulo Valle.

Jill Kintner

Check out Jill's mtb site. Art and racing bikes. I like.

rolling worldwide this week...

Hey, how's it going? Is the riding season winding down in your neck of the woods? Same here really. Whistler's getting cold and the snow line is creeping down the mountains and it's getting wet on Vancouver's North Shore. The Big Mountain office is pumping though...we've got groups off to Marrakech tomorrow on our Dirt Merchant XC trip, a private group later this week heading to Lima Peru on our Incredible Andes all-mountain trip, another private group off to Johannesburg on November 2 for our Rhythm of Africa Safari...and to Copper Canyon Mexico with Ride Guide TV soon after. Talk about some action! Want in? Give us a shout!

Did you know? These Moroccan goats climb Argan trees with incredible ease to eat the nuts which they then leave in their turds that the locals pick out to make oil that is expensive and supposedly makes your skin glow and make ladies look younger. It's true, Argan oil makes you beautiful.

mountain bike safari in africa

Earlier this year sponsored Adidas riders visited South Africa and Botswana on our africa safari trip. If you dream of experiencing Africa and the safari, this is a great option...you get an intimate, hands-on experience and it's suitable to many levels of riding which is unique. Join us on our Rhythm of Africa trip in 2010...

Hans Ray rollin' with the antelope. Photo Sven Martin.

 

Photo: Sven Martin

signatures

sit back, relax, and be transported to a powder day in Hokkaido Japan where the snow is feather light and the trees spaced just right. this trailer is not your usual ski porn but instead just beautiful shots in a beauty place. winter is coming...

Start Here: Bike Magazine

Grab a copy of the latest Bike Magazine and see Big Mountain owner Chris Winter scoping a new trail in Switzerland in the Start Here column. "This section of trail is after a rediculously long and fun downhill," says Winter, " you feel like you're hanging from the cliff's ledge and then you pop around the last corner and ride past a shrine with a cross and mini-sized Jesus on it and lit candles all around. Did I just see that? It's kind of surreal."

A few of Bike Editor Lou Mazzante's words from Start Here: "As we head into winter and start looking for new gear and dreaming of new trails to ride, keep in mind that the act of riding a mountain bike is so much greater than its component parts. It is inherently fun, implicitly adventurous and often best enjoyed with good company."

Do you like the look of this trail? Want to ride it with Big Mountain in 2010? If you're an all-mountain rider click here, if you're a DH rider, clicker here. Why not join us in the Alps next summer?

chromag

from our good friends at Chromag in Whistler and the talented Jinja on his hard tail railing the Whistler Bike Park. hats off to the fine art of hard tail ripping...

yesterday

We just returned from a killer two-day jaunt to the beauty Chilcotin Range just up past Whistler. You've most probably heard us talk about this region in the past here at Big Mountain. It's pretty special. One of the rare places left where cell phones don't work, roads are gravel, there are more dogs around than humans, being outside means really being outside and where the trails are fine like fine red wine. Dale Douglas from Tyax Air bombed us up from Whistler in his Beaver which was very nice indeed...

PK riding in post-fire apocalyptic otherworldlyness.

 

Dale and Claire pondering the view and taking a break.

Paddy and the Beaver.

seasons

i saw a leaf fall today. it's coming. here's Teton Gravity's latest trailer from their upcoming movie "Session". The cast features Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, Seth Morrison, Kye Petersen, Ian McIntosh, Dana Flahr, Dylan Hood, Erik Roner, Wiley Miller, Dash Longe, Tanner Hall, Sammy Carlson and Callum Pettit. The movie was shot in Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Alagna, Italy; Poland; Slovakia; Haines, Alaska; Stevens Pass, Wash.; Colorado; Utah; Montana; and Pemberton, B.C. Want to see the film on the big screen? Click here to get the tour schedule.

More Danny MacAskill Riding His Bike

We're you one of the 10 million people who watched Danny MacAskill's ultraviral trails vid recently? You know the one. Here's another piece of Scottish trails action by MacAskill, an ad for a job recruiting firm. Impressive. Makes me want to get a job.

the way it used to be

I like this photo. It was taken three years ago on the top of a lift station on the top of a mountain in Switzerland. This is a private group of friends that joined us on a super Cloudraker all-mountain trip that i will not soon forget. We laughed and we rode a lot. Back then on Cloudraker we'd spend several nights sleeping in alpine huts which made the trip more exciting but also more challenging logistically and more tiring for all. Now we stay in two hotels for the 9 night duration - unpack your bags, saunter down to the bar after a day of riding - it's more of a holiday now then in years past. That's not to say that we don't enjoy the more adventurous itineraries...if you have a group and you'd like us to take you on an epic all-mountain trip where we stay in huts most of the time, just holler. What about a circumnavigation of Mont Blanc?

One of those experiences that sticks

It's been a few weeks now since i've returned from the Yukon, one of Canada's three northern Territories. I'd had several close friends who had been and some who'd even lived up there for a few summers. I'd heard good things, but I didn't go up expecting too much. Now that i'm home though and i've had some time to recover and reflect...it was a trip that i won't soon forget. I hope that you enjoy this video and I hope that you consider flying up to Whitehorse next summer to join Ray on a great trip. I'll be up there again in 2010....

Midnight Sun: Yukon Territory with Big Mountain from big mountain on Vimeo.

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

downhilling in switzerland slideshow...

great photos from Matthew Trudeau who joined us on an Alpenrock DH trip this summer...