For lunch we normally visit a village cafe and sample some local Tapas.
For an evening meal there are plenty of restaurants in Olvera (open from around 8pm), we can give you a lift to/from Olvera if you do not have a car. Or you can self cater in our (huge) kitchen - some times we take it in turn to cook so everyone eats together.
In a nutshell, five days out on the trails with a rest day in the middle.It is by no means set in stone and we try to be as flexible as possible; but an average week with us looks something like this:
Monday - Ride in the Sierra de las Nieves
Tuesday - Ride in the Sierra de Grazalema
Wednesday - Rest day*
Thursday - Ride in the Ardarles national park
Friday - Ride in the Genal Valley
Saturday - Change over day / Airport run*
Sunday - Ride in the Serrania de Ronda
* We try to be as flexible as possible with your arrival day and we try not to have a fixed change over day, this means you can get the cheapest / most convenient flight. However; if you need an airport transfer we may not be able to pick you up until late afternoon / early evening if we are out on the trails on the day you arrive. Rest days are not necessarily compulsory but will be non guided.
Like the weekly "itinerary" this is not set in stone. We try to be as flexible as possible and let each day unfold so that you make the most out of your trip. On average we ride 30km per day but we can ride much further if you want.A typical day would run some thing like this.
Breakfast
Load the van, fill camelbacks etc and set off
Ride for 2 or 3 hours, taking in the mountains, villages and scenery as we go
Have lunch in one of the many mountain villages
Carry on with the ride if its a big loop / do a shorter blast somewhere different / shuttle some of the mornings descents
Drive back to HQ (stopping along the way for a bit of sightseeing, photos etc)
Back at HQ, tinker with the bikes, swim in the pool, go up to Olvera, chill out and get ready for the following day
Transfer times to the ride venues vary from roughly 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. We cover a wide and interesting area and the transfers are worth it to explore such a fantastic area.
Your fitness will get you round the loops and that's the main thing. If there are sections that are too hard you don't have to ride them, it wont be holding anyone up to jump off the bike here and there.
We can also give you advise on how to ride certain trail "features" and improve your ability in a safe manner.
Either way you will go home a better more confident rider.
You need a reasonable level of fitness as this is a mountainous area and there will be climbing involved on all rides. We will ride at a pace that is comfortable for you and If you ride a couple of times per month you will be fine over here.
If you haven’t been able to do any cycling for a while we suggest doing a little training before coming. You can always email us for training advice.
Winter temperature in the daytime is between 10 - 15°C and it can get a bit chilly in the evenings.
During the spring and autumn the daytime temperature can be between 20 - 30°C and it usually remains warm throughout the evening.
Late July through August temperatures can be between 30 - 40°C and often exceed 40°C during the month of August. For this reason we close for the month of August since mountain biking in such heat is not recommended.
Yes! You must provide proof of your cover for mountain rescue and repatriation costs. It is essential you are fully covered for mountain biking so check the fine print of your policy as many standard holiday insurance policies do not cover sporting activities.
In addition to private insurance it is essential that you have the EHIC card. This allows you to access reduced cost medical services in the European Economic Area. The EHIC is available free at this website www.ehic.org.uk/Internet/home.do
The EHIC is NOT a substitute for travel insurance as it will not cover mountain rescue, repatriation costs, or losses due to crime or natural disasters. Remember no insurance, no riding.
In Spain any company operating in sports or tourism that does not have this license is operating illegally.
In order to get this license a company must provide documentary evidence of;
Proprietors residency in Spain
company address,
Company registration,
Payment of tax/fiscal registration
full insurance inc 3rd party
Emergency 1st aide qualification
Mountain bike guiding qualifications
Level of mountain/outdoor experience
The license costs nothing to obtain, takes ten minutes to apply for; and in our case took five days to process; so there is no decent reason not to have it.Our license number is AT/CA/00139
FAQ
Here is a list of frequently asked questions
What do I do for lunch and evening meal?
What is an average week like with you?
- Monday - Ride in the Sierra de las Nieves
- Tuesday - Ride in the Sierra de Grazalema
- Wednesday - Rest day*
- Thursday - Ride in the Ardarles national park
- Friday - Ride in the Genal Valley
- Saturday - Change over day / Airport run*
- Sunday - Ride in the Serrania de Ronda
* We try to be as flexible as possible with your arrival day and we try not to have a fixed change over day, this means you can get the cheapest / most convenient flight. However; if you need an airport transfer we may not be able to pick you up until late afternoon / early evening if we are out on the trails on the day you arrive. Rest days are not necessarily compulsory but will be non guided.What is an average day like with you?
- Breakfast
- Load the van, fill camelbacks etc and set off
- Ride for 2 or 3 hours, taking in the mountains, villages and scenery as we go
- Have lunch in one of the many mountain villages
- Carry on with the ride if its a big loop / do a shorter blast somewhere different / shuttle some of the mornings descents
- Drive back to HQ (stopping along the way for a bit of sightseeing, photos etc)
- Back at HQ, tinker with the bikes, swim in the pool, go up to Olvera, chill out and get ready for the following day
Transfer times to the ride venues vary from roughly 10 minutes to 1 hour 20 minutes. We cover a wide and interesting area and the transfers are worth it to explore such a fantastic area.I'm in pretty good shape but I'm worried its too technical?
- Your fitness will get you round the loops and that's the main thing. If there are sections that are too hard you don't have to ride them, it wont be holding anyone up to jump off the bike here and there.
- We can also give you advise on how to ride certain trail "features" and improve your ability in a safe manner.
Either way you will go home a better more confident rider.Do I need to be super fit to ride your routes?
Will my hardtail be ok?
What is the weather like?
Which airport do I fly to?
Do I need health insurance?
What is the Turismo Activo license?
- In order to get this license a company must provide documentary evidence of;
- Proprietors residency in Spain
- company address,
- Company registration,
- Payment of tax/fiscal registration
- full insurance inc 3rd party
- Emergency 1st aide qualification
- Mountain bike guiding qualifications
- Level of mountain/outdoor experience
The license costs nothing to obtain, takes ten minutes to apply for; and in our case took five days to process; so there is no decent reason not to have it.Our license number is AT/CA/00139Who comes?
- German
- Belgian
- Danish
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Latvian
- Lithuanian
One thing we all have in common is a MTB and a love of great single track.Do you have a change over day?