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Holiday Advice - Spain

55 posts & 36 voices | Started 3 years ago by Mike_T | Latest reply from Trekster

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johni - Member

I'm a Switchbacks regular. I'm too lazy to do all the climbing (I can do that in the UK). I'd rather spend my holiday descending. The van up the hill suits me and a short pedal to the start of the descents gets you warmed up nicely.

The guides generally tailor the riding to the group. It's technical riding and fast/difficult at times but not DH. Switch-backsdh.com is for the "proper downhillers"

As far as I am aware, only Switchbacks and one other company are legally registered in Spain. Check the companies have a "Registro" and full insurance otherwise theoretically if you are riding in the national parks, the police can fine you and/or confiscate your bike (apparently).

Accomodation and food wise, the SB "casa" has been gradually upgraded over the past couple of years. It is basic but has everything you need. Some food is provided but it is intended as a starter pack for breakfast/lunches rather than food for the week.

Posted 3 years ago #
mastiles_fanylion - Member

Switchbacks have changed snce I was there with them 4 years ago then! He b!tched us up the hills - I remmember one 10k climb around Orgiva somewhere - I was going really well, spinning along then my chain jammed somehow and after a ten minute pitstop I just couldn't get the rhythmn again.

Saying that, the lazy guys in our group did get an uplift for the first two thirds - I just fancied the challenge

Posted 3 years ago #
BigEaredBiker - Member

As far as I am aware, only Switchbacks and one other company are legally registered in Spain. Check the companies have a "Registro" and full insurance otherwise theoretically if you are riding in the national parks, the police can fine you and/or confiscate your bike (apparently).

That seems to get mentioned quite a bit on this site and is unfair to some of the other companies. I think you will find most of the companies are legally registered Spainish compaines. From personal experience I know FreerideSpain and Joyriders both are.

However being a registered Spainish company does not automatically provide the right to guide groups in the 'National Parks', the outfits that don't use the Sierra Nevada don't need to bother jumping through the hoops to get permission as they ride in 'Natural Parks' which fall under different laws i.e. the Subettica for Joyriders.

If I were concerened about going with a different/new Spainish MTB company company I would just make sure of the following;

1. Spainish Company Registration.
2. Guides with first aid qualifications to at least REC level 2 or similar and preferably some form of mountain leadership qualification. It does not have to be mountain biking. Skiing, walking or climbing all cover the same basic areas of group management/saftey and emergency actions.
3. That your own holiday insurance is all sorted and you have an EHC or E111.

BigEars

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

johni - Member
I'm a Switchbacks regular. I'm too lazy to do all the climbing (I can do that in the UK). I'd rather spend my holiday descending. The van up the hill suits me and a short pedal to the start of the descents gets you warmed up nicely.

The guides generally tailor the riding to the group. It's technical riding and fast/difficult at times but not DH. Switch-backsdh.com is for the "proper downhillers"

As far as I am aware, only Switchbacks and one other company are legally registered in Spain. Check the companies have a "Registro" and full insurance otherwise theoretically if you are riding in the national parks, the police can fine you and/or confiscate your bike (apparently).

Accomodation and food wise, the SB "casa" has been gradually upgraded over the past couple of years. It is basic but has everything you need. Some food is provided but it is intended as a starter pack for breakfast/lunches rather than food for the week.

Just what I wanted to hear 3 weeks today and we'll be riding those trails with SWDH, can't flippin wait

Posted 3 years ago #
wl - Member

Are you definitely stuck on Spain? Bike Verbier's new holidays look mint, and I can vouch for the new backcountry trails they're riding away from the resort - they're amazing. Plus, the team behind them are seasoned pros at this game - famously good hosts. Check out http://www.bikeverbier.com. Just a thought........

Posted 3 years ago #
Trekster - Member

stop it wl!!!!

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

Just back from a long weekend with SwitchbacksDH in Spain, one word, WOW

Michael was great as not only a very experience guide through the day but also entertained at night, cool guy. And the riding, wow, the riding... natural DH at its best, some of the tracks are just hand crafted from god himself, others by the devil

Just need a weeks sleep now to recover, oh and my bike needs some serious TLC

Can't wait to go back, most highly recommended

Posted 3 years ago #
flamejob - Member

Any pics Bream?

Did you meat Mike H as well?

Posted 3 years ago #
johni - Member

I got an email from Switchbacks today with a special offer for May and June of 395euros for a week of riding too. If I could get time off then I'd be going.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

Stacks and stacks of pics, just need to shrink them and upload, takes forever.

I'm writing a full report to share our experience so I'll post it up when finished.

We rode Malaga DH only with Michael S and possibly the coolist van driver in Spain, Lucky. However the stories of Bubion has me longing to go there now as well with a smaller bike, so many places to ride and not enough time off work to do it!

Only pic uploaded so far, me at the start of 911:

Posted 3 years ago #
simonralli2 - Member

Bream

Hi - are those tracks ridable from a XC perspective would you say? I know there are xc tracks in the same location, (and have the maps in the Bikefax book) but is the DH ridable by a XC HT rider? I was thinking of spending a day there over Easter.

Si

Posted 3 years ago #
alan-sierracycling - Member

We have up to half price Special Offers on currently & free holidays to club organizers!
Great singletrack rides during the day & lively night life on the coast at night.
Check us out on http://www.sierracycling.com.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

Si,

There are so many trails out here its almost unbelievable, we focused on the DH side but I saw plenty of normal HT XC guys riding about. I would say there is also excellent XC out here IF you know where to find it!

About half the stuff we rode could be rode by a HT XC rider with upper average skills and about a quarter of the trails could be rode by anyone. Most of the really techy, jumpy and gnarly hard sections had chicken runs but I'm sure there are better trails here suitable for pure XC. Hence why I would love to come back on my smaller bike. Also worth considering the Bubion option as that sound like XC heaven.

Cheers,

Jeff (already planning his next trip back )

Posted 3 years ago #
simonralli2 - Member

Yeah - I booked a week off work last week and a hotel in Sierra Nevada a couple of months ago. But then I had a virus and didnt feel I was fit enough to justify the holiday so cancelled.

Roper and I are going to try the big "All Mountain" Sierra de las Nieves route in a few weeks time.

I have discovered the area around Casares and am quite enjoying that and also exploring Sierra de los Barrios which is pretty unchartered XC as far as I am aware. But it's pretty chilled riding around there.

Posted 3 years ago #
Bream - Member

PS - I'd also recommend stronger tyres and thicker tubes than the normal Racing Ralph type, don't think those sidewalls would last long out there, very rocky everywhere. Maybe a single walled 2.35 High Roller type would be best on an XC bike.

Posted 3 years ago #
stilltortoise - Member

Why oh why did I read this. Memories now flooding back of a great trip with Ride Sierra Nevada last year and the 4 weeks until I go back just cannot go quick enough. Now, must shake myself out of this daydream and do some work...

Posted 3 years ago #
simonralli2 - Member

Yep - am currently running 2.4" Michelin Reinforced tyres!

Posted 3 years ago #
stilltortoise - Member

Oooh, is this turning into another tyre thread?? I had Halo Choir Masters when I rode in the Sierra Nevada. Light enough to go up the hills, cheap enough to trash, sticky enough to...er...stick. In a week of hard riding (OK, I'm not a downhiller but I don't hang around) the tyres survived and I only got one pinch flat on the last descent of the last day...on Mavic 717 rims too!

Posted 3 years ago #
simonralli2 - Member

Actually I feel I have missed out on 18 months of what tyres threads as no one ever seems to discuss West Andalucia (it's all Lake District/ Stainburn/ Glentress etc isn't it) so if you want to talk about tyre choice for anywhere between Malaga and say Estepona/ Algeciras this is the thread : )

Posted 3 years ago #
Trekster - Member
Just back from Spain http://www.aeadventure.com/holidays.html
pics http://s95.photobucket.com/albums/l145/bigjohnskona/Spain09/

would certainly go back without hesitation.

would also go back and ride with alan @ siera above and Jim in Alora @ seasonnalyunadjusted.

I prefer the rocky, tree lined riding as opposed to the stuff up in Bubion. My(our)experience of the Bubion trip maybe was
nt know how to adjust them!!!!

I should really go back and have another shot, the riding was good but I may have been holding back due to the above.

Now that the exchange rate has taken a dip re the euro food and drink are not the cheap buy they used to be. Just as expensive eating out there as home. That also makes the fridge filled with ham and cheese at switchbacks seem a bit less inviting, having had the choice of a proper breakfast, evening meals, wine and beer included in my recent trip
Posted 3 years ago #