Currently working on Sun Vallet after seeing the feature in STW .May or may not be a goer but a few other options have presented themselves .K.E. Adventures have 3 different trips to the Sates but they all work out over £2k including flights .Also looking at Cycleactive .2 trips jump out at me , Slovenia has been in the back of my mind for a while now .The only thing is thats around a grand for 1/2 the length of time than the States trips so about the same equivalent plus the exchange rate of the Euro .Finally Morocco with Cycleactive looks quite appealing as well .Looks really different .Anybody had any experience of any of these ? What did you think ?
Bike Forum
Help me decide where to MTB holiday next !
-
Posted 6 months ago #
-
Me and Mr MC did Cycle ACtive 2 years ago and it was one of the BEST holidays we've ever done. The organisation was brilliant, the guide Rich BARNARD was excellent. The culture in Morocco is outstanding and you certainly end up in the heart of it seeing sights you would not see on any other trip, you are completely back water. One of the lads on the trip who has not only lived all over the world but is also well travelled with his bike (oil money) reckons it was one of the best places he'd ever been as you ride everything from red slick rock, to craggy Alpine single track in the space of one hour. The riding is very technical too and much more technical than the Exodus Morocco trip.
That's ample pics to get you interested hopefully! Any more questions you can alwasy e-mail.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Looks damn good MC !
Posted 6 months ago # -
Oldfart I cannot say a bad thing about it!! It was worth the money, the professionalism was awesome! One day the guides took Mr MC's bike off the top of the 4X4 saw it had a puncture and tried to start fixing it! That's what they wanted to do so impressed. You also go to Ait el Benhaddou ... here
http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-photo/modernnomad67/3/1191703740/4-ait-benhaddoux-where-gladiator-was-filmed.jpg/tpod.htmlwhich is where Gladiator was filmed! You have breakfast on the terrace overlooking it! Man it brings back goose bumps thinking about that holiday and it was my 30th whilst I was away I got cake for breakfast then a special slice of apple tart!!!! Sighs at the memories!!
Posted 6 months ago # -
Cake AND Apple Tart !!!!!Dear god !
BTW what time of the year did you go ? Someone said it's really hot but if you go October November time it should be bearable ?Posted 6 months ago # -
april and it was cold at night but comfortable riding temps during the day, certainly not as hot as southern spain this september (got a gilet on in one pic!).
Posted 6 months ago # -
Oct/Nov would also be fine lovely and sunny in day but cold at night. Crashtestmonkey is Mr MC in case you hadn't realised.
Posted 6 months ago # -
Has to be The States IMHO. I've been there for the last couple of years and you can do it relatively cheaply. Arizona, Utah, Colorado depending on time of year. I don't think you need a guiding company if you go there, the areas are well known, serviced with gr8 maps and trail markers. The guide books include all the must do's and so you can plan a rough itinery in advance. To the cost if theres 3 or more it may pay to hire an RV and do a Road trip, we did that in our first year and went from Phoenix AZ, Flagstaff, Moab Ut,Fruita and Grand Junction CO. 2nd year and cheaper option was fly to Denver Colorado 500ish, Hire an SUV at airport $300 for 10 days with GPS! Stay at cheap and cheerful motel in Boulder approx 30$ per night between 2!
If you wana know more drop me a line and i'll fill you in. Mid July best for higher routes, June this year Plenty of snow about 9500ft, but you could mix it up with some end of season snowboarding at A Basin, 90min from Boulder!If we don't go again next year then I fancy Lake Garda, so if anyones been there would love to hear from u
Posted 6 months ago # -
our (me n MC) top 2 riding trips are morocco spring '09 and 2 weeks in colorado summer 2010, where we had the luxury of an ex-pat Boulder-based friend as ride guide. Colorado was awesome and purely from a riding perspective pipped morocco, and I am a big fan of the US (lived there for 2 years and would move there tomorrow) but Morocco tops it as an "experience" because of the different culture.
Agree with steve though you dont need guiding in the US, and the exchange rate is still favourable to make the US feel cheap once your there (when it was 2$/£1 it felt like taking advantage of a developing nation not a superpower, but even at $1.60/£1 most stuff is a bargain compared to UK).
At the risk of turning this thread into our holiday album (I'm lucky enough to have a better half who is as into riding as me, so most of our spare time and money goes on riding holidays which is why we might take the time to post reviews, some more positive than others...)
uplift day at winter park
crested butte (401 trail?)
cottonwood pass
monarch crest continental divide
Posted 6 months ago # -
Uv got some fabulous pics there m8. Can you remember the date in 2010 when those pics were taken of Continental divide and CB. I think summer 2011 the snow lingered around for a bit longer. About 3rd weak in June Winter Park was still a no go, the higher stuff which you did still had buckets of snow and so we mostly road around Boulder area, Nederlands, Elk Meadow Park, Bergen etc. Woulde love to do some of the higher stuff but last year CB wasn't open til July Aug time
Posted 6 months ago # -
I was going to say The Isle of Sheppy but after seeing those Morocco pics, I don't think I'll bother...
Munque Chik; how massive is that bloke on the end on the left in that pic?
Posted 6 months ago # -
Elfin..one day over dinner in Morocco we were all chatting about things we had learnt on the holiday, Mr MC said (in relation to said man on left in pic) "I've learnt that just because you are old and fat doesn't mean you are slow!" ..... initially he looked offended until his buddies (it was 6 of them then me and Mr MC) started laughing, then he luckily he took it in the jest it was meant! Can't remember his name, they called him Big Al! Lovely guys.
CB is actually the 403 trail and was taken on 16th July 2010.
Cottonwood pass pic was 19th July 2010. I LOVE That place! Crested Butte was phenomenal, in mid July they have the wild flower festival there as well (that's when we were there) and some of the scenary is awesome. Our mate who we visited, Nick was in Cardiff last weekend and he said the snow had lingered this year in WP! We have snow boarded in Winter Park too and it's fab. Have you done a DH morning/day there? It's crazy as it's unlike Morzine in that all the descents are 30 mins.Oldfart .. sorry for the Colorado hijack! I would say though if you are looking for a holiday on your own in Oct/Nov then Morocco, the snow is beginning to fall in Boulder/CO now so not advisable unless you potentially want to skate ski.
Posted 6 months ago #
Reply
You must log in to post.
