Are there any Guiding companies running holidays in January. I was primarily thinking Spain but would happily consider other warm dry places.

Any you would specifically recommend?

Cheers, Al.

I went to Morocco at the end of last January…there should be some info posted about it on here. A lot will depend on what kind of riding you’re looking for too. I went with Freeride Morocco (it’s not a ‘freeride’ holiday though!?!).

EDIT: I’ve just seen they’re fully booked for Jan.

Mountainbikekerala.com

d45yth – how was that? The (Atlas?) Mountain ride there is something I’ve always wanted to do – was that the ride/bed down /beer – ride / bedown/beer for 5 days thing?

I’d be grateful for any feedback…

Kryton57 – YGM

Spain can be wet and messy in January. Last year I went to Tenerife in February, beautiful dry, sunny weather and dusty trails.

We at http://www.bikingandalucia.com are based on the south side of the Sierra Nevada, Andalucia, southern Spain, and probably have the best winter climate (ie dry and sunny) in mainland Europe. I am not going to make any outlandish claims, as you cannot 100% guarantee the weather in winter, but usually January is very good here. What I can say with certainty last January 1st the temperature was sunny and 24 C in the day and many of our clients over December, January and February went home with a suntan!!
sunnrider above says “Spain can be wet and messy in January.”
Spain is a big country, and there is a huge difference in the winter weather between the north of Spain (Galicia, Asturias and the Pyrenees)which is temperate and down here in Andalucia, where the climate is more African and they can grow citrus, olives and bananas!
Even the Canary Islands can be subject to storms and heavy rain, as they were in January 2010.

We have done Kerala Singletrack in January this year and it was phenomenal a holiday that is definately worth a trip.

http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/a-terrific-10-days-with-mountainbikekerala

we have also been to Morocco with http://www.cycleactive.com and it was also an awesome trip here’s a few Morocco pics. I spent ages reseraching all the different companies for Morocco and spoke to a friend who had done the trip with Exodus, they had a great time however it was mainly fireroads exploring in a great country. Cycle active was proper hard core brilliant MTBing. There was some insane descents, steep, techie rocky it was brilliant.

My 30th birthday

if you want any more info then feel free to drop me a line.

davidisaacs is right, Spain is a big place, the north and Pyrenees are probably not a good idea for a pre-booked holiday in January.

As for the south, well. I´m thinking about contacting http://www.bikingandalucia.com myself for early 2013…

I think that even in Andalucia it will be cold in January, try the the Canarias where it will be almost 20ºC for all year.

To be honest, please feel free to check it out, the Canary Islands have more rainfall than the Granada and Almeria provinces of Andalucia. A typical Andalucian winter is usually warm days (20-24 C in the day) and cool nights (2-6 C minimum air temp), the Canary Islands, because they are about 1200km further south and have the moderating effect of the Atlantic, have milder nights, but can suffer storms and high rainfall. It all depends on luck in winter, with Morocco, Canary Islands or Andalucia, normally you may go home with a tan, on the other hand you may get rained on. In conclusion, I think it is safe to say the weather in the above destinations (Morocco, Canary Islands or Andalucia) is better (less rain and warmer) than the UK in winter 95% of the time.

Some great food for thought there guys and awesome pictures Munqe-chick.
I’ll check out the recommendations.

Cheers, Al.

Climate statistics for southern Spain (Costa Del Sol).
Hope this helps.

http://www.sierracycling.com/weather.html

I’ve lived in Southern Spain for 9 years and NEVER seen average temps of 20 to 24 degrees during the day for January.Thats October temperatures.

Lolling at the 20-24 degrees.
http://www.yr.no/sted/Spania/Andaluc%C3%ADa/Riviera_del_Sol/statistikk.html

At the risk of sounding pedantic
http://www.yr.no/sted/Spania/Andaluc%C3%ADa/Riviera_del_Sol/statistikk.html
quotes only a daily average temperature at Malaga on the coast. Inland Andalucia ie Seville; Cordoba, and Granada can and do get over 40 C max in July and August, I am sure joeegg can verify that.
I wish 26 C was true, it would make our summer biking easier, instead if we do routes from Orgiva, our town, we have to set off at dawn, or do high level routes at over 2000 metres altitude to escape the heat.
http://www.bikingandalucia.com/summer.asp
refers
On January 1st 2012 outside Bar Santiago, in the square in the sun[/u] in Orgiva it reached 24 C max[u],mid afternoon, verified by 2 thermometers and 5 witnesses, as did other days over last winter, which was exceptionally dry and sunny (and hence the drought and fires last summer).
http://www.aemet.es is the definitive weather forcasting service in Spain, and most other bodies get there data from them.
Temperatures at met stations are taken in a ventilated box (Stephenson screen) and hence are a shade, ventilated temperature, the max temp in the sun can be much higher.

I always say canaries but I’m biased because my parents live there 😉 You get the odd storm passing through but you’d be unlucky to have a week of it. I mainly do road out there because I have a road bike in their garage but when I”ve hired a mtb it’s always seemed like there’s plenty of stuff to ride.

The Spanish media has shown some severe flooding in Tenerife this week

I spend every other Winter in the Canaries- I don’t recognise davidissacs description of the climate

We get the odd storm etc. But nothing to make you worry it’s set in
It was 26 last Boxing day and similar the weeks before and after, we had the family over for 3 weeks and they never saw so much as a shower

Im going Malaga in January ,im expecting 7-14c and im just gonna be glad of a bit of softshell riding ,im off to Bella medina so Marbs will be my playground,its an extended family trip so i reckon ill only get 2 days in but hey ,its all good though

Queenstown New Zealand, trails and lift assisted riding. Plus the best burgers in the world.

Is it Fergburgers down that way?

[list]had charliemort out here as a witness that on Dec 22 at 2.30 pm in Orgiva it was 28 C !! (in the sun )

It’s 33 degrees C here at the mo. Just on the beach but prob too hot to ride!

C (Sydney)

Daz @ Lavatrax in Tenerife. Great bloke , great trails. JFDI

yup – I’ll confirm 25 degrees in Orgive c per Garmin (and that was before the Brandy……………)

nice to come home to the continued monsoon…………