[Closed] Ainsa March 2022

I had to google where it was, however having looked at where it is, im following this.

It looks ace. Hopefully someone will be along shortly to shed some light.

Ian

Calling Spekkie of this parish....

Tony lives just outside Ainsa and aside from being a lovely guy, is also a guide. There's a thread on here all about his adventures.

We were out there a couple of years ago for the EWS, the trails and the locals are amazing. It is still on our plans to go back for longer and would have done if it wasn't for Covid.
We self guided and used the local trail map which is excellent. We would have used a guide but unfortunately they were all booked up.
We stayed on the campsite in the camper It has a pool and they also do lodges.
As above there is a long thread over on chat, its worth contacting him for ideas and a chat/meet up.
Cant comment on the time of year but it was still hot when we were there.

We were there in the summer but I was injured so We kept to easy trails. Going back at Easter can’t wait. There are loads of trials that are well marked and also there’s a great app check out Zona zero on the App Store. I suspect you’d want a guide or some local knowledge as there so many trails, to get the best if of your visit @Spekkie is the expert on the area.

Yes, Early spring is a good time to go to Ainsa. The trails are great, but there is limited options terms of uplifts to self guide. Your best bet is a week with BasqueMTB, they run fully managed trips to Ainsa in Early Spring and late Autumn. I recommend them highly.

I went for a week with Basque MTB in March 2019. Great trails, (mostly) uplifted, good food, great guiding. Would highly recommend. @doug_basqueMTB.com is the owner.

The only downside on to our trip was an abundance of caterpillars, which caused a mild allergic reaction in pretty much everyone.

As mentioned above Spekkie of this parish lives there and runs his own guiding business. Looks superb 👌.

The thread of his is titled "Buying and renovating a property in the Spanish Pyrenees", or something close to that. It's a great read!

great cheers all, much appreciated

We went before it got EWS famous, and it was great. Highly recommended and it only seems to have got better.

Went with Basque MTB too on the Backcountry Enduro week in 2019. It was fantastic. The caterpillars were out in force but didn’t get me (maybe I don’t ride fast enough).

March may be a little early to be absolutely free of snow on the higher level stuff. I live about 3 hours south and keep an eye on such things, pre Easter can still be cold over 1,000m. Tony(Spekkie) is in the States atm but I'm sure he'll reply when he sees this. I'd say mid-end of April is the optimum weather, dry but not too warm. The trails are very well maintained and marked thanks to the local team which includes Tony.

Basque MTB tour for us- last week in April 🙂 Very much looking forward to riding there (plus all the other amazing spots on that week)

Been there for the past 3 years normally go when its stupid hot in June/July for a month at a time There is loads to ride as above. If you stay in Ainsa there are a few guiding/uplift companies, but it can be a little hit & miss with availability.

The big one in Ainsa is the maxi avalanche, not sure how that will be at the top in march as its reasonably high, plus the road up to it is knackered now so the uplift companies are not keen on taking you up, so its a fair climb on steep scrabbly, loose fire road.

Download the z trails ap, it not only gives you access to download gpx files but also tells you where people are hunting (we strayed into a hunting area once on a trip in oct, little scary)

Do you have a vehicle? Some of the really good stuff is a bit out of town like Broto & Torla, in general there is a huge amount of riding the area also goes into france, checkout the website

Hi @howsyourdad1.....

We're just back from a trip to Denver, Colorado and jet-lag hasn't gone away yet - so thanks to my friend just over the border in France for alerting me to this thread! I may quite possibly have slept through it otherwise....

Zona Zero is an amazing place to ride - we now have something like 2000km of trails on a variety of terrain, covering a huge area. Ainsa and the surrounding towns are well set up to cater for everything you might need for a great visit.

There are several Guiding companies that come here, we have good local guides, uplift/shuttle services, bike & e-bike hire shops, a good bike workshop with a great mechanic - my friend Angel, a variety of hotels, campsites & B&B's and some great restaurants 🙂

If you need help with anything, drop me a message and I'll do my best to help you and as mentioned previously - have a look at our thread "https://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/buying-and-renovating-a-rural-property-on-the-spanish-side-of-the-pyrenees/?replies=1" for pics and more info on what it's like here....

Thanks to everyone above that mentioned me and is enjoying following our "Story" - I appreciate it. We're enjoying living it and writing it!

T.

Thanks for all the mention guys. We run week long trips there with dedicated shuttle vans and also exploring the areas around Ainsa a bit more. I don’t live there, I’m 2 hours away, but have been guiding there for 12 or 13 years, since before the “trail center” started. What we offer is not really the same as the uplift companies based in Ainsa are doing, no disrespect, it’s just different and one thing suits some people and another thing suits others! We don’t for example offer shorter trips, we do offer a much wider range of trails and uplifts over 6 days of riding. Like I say, for those who want that it’s great, for those that don’t there are other good options - horses for courses!

March is a great time, although depending on local weather conditions you need to be careful with the caterpillars. There is a lack of advice for that, basically avoid south facing trails and check the app for warnings. Cover up, never touch your face with your gloves, wash carefully and if you get a reaction they will quickly make you comfortable in the local health center. February and March are worst, depending on how cold the winter is.

We usually guide in March there but next year will probably start in April as we have a couple of other commitments.

Non guided is also a good option, or doing a week where you just get a local guide some days and other days do your own thing. There are lots of locals guiding, nobody seems to be full time, and there is a range in what they offer in terms of levels and styles.

Trails are marked well although the state of the trails is pretty variable and at the moment some popular trails are quite beaten up and, for me, to be avoided. Angel or Oriol could advise on that maybe in Intersport. Shuttling in Ainsa is complicated because it doesn’t have massive options and elevation gains, it needs to be worked out carefully and a dedicated van is essential if you want more than a couple of days. Using the uplift taxi services is v. limited apart from the one or two uplifts which take half a day to ride back from. If you like to pedal or (shock!) ebike that works really well and the climbs are tough but interesting.

I wrote more than intended. Hope it’s useful!

Aaaaaaaand we are back.

@doug_basqueMTB.com wonderful info, really appreciated.

We are thinking of flying in to Barcelona (I presume...?)   Are there transfers available?

@spekkie thanks for the info,  great stuff! we are thinking of going down the air b and b route. Can you recommend anywhere to stay? Budget but cosy.

We are coming from the mountains in sweden so if anyone wants to stay here in exchange for tips they are welcome!

Went with the family back in summer 2020. Absolutely stunning area of Spain. We stayed further up the valley in a village called Plan, but I hired a bike from a place called TT Aventura in Ainsa itself and did a few of the trails rideable from there. I 100% recommend going for at least a week, although you could easily keep yourself busy for longer.

This is the Air B&B we stayed in (there was a group of 6 of us). https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/37267941?check_in=2022-04-10&check_out=2022-04-17&guests=1&adults=5&s=67&unique_share_id=c4d7292c-7207-4726-8e65-05cb90881cda

We've been 4 times. We like it a lot! Usually go October half term, and so far have been lucky with the weather. Although you loose the sun quickly drinking beer in the old town square!
We fly to Barcelona and then hire a van or two from Europcar. An nice 3 hour-ish drive.
This is great as you then have the flexibility to head out to different start points. Although for a first trip, there's SO much to do it's not really needed. We've never felt the need of a guide. The website is great. I tend to download trails to my Garmin, just a back up to the well marked trails. Beware the hunters!
I've only just heard about the CATERPILLARS!!!!

Place in the mountains in Sweden you say???

Definitely worth a stay in Aínsa, by all accounts (keep meaning to go riding there, it's only a couple of hours away)

If you're in the area for a little longer and fancy trying out a new trail centre, let me know and you can stay here - if you like it enough we can talk about accommodation swaps...

Ive just booked my ferry and campsite for 11 days around Easter.
Very excited!
Im planning on relying on the app on my phone and waymarkers for navigation.
Sensible?
Is there a book or anything to give more info on all the routes on the app or just a pick and hope for the best?

When we went there was an excellent route map which we obtained in the town. All the trails we did were waymarked very well.

Thanks Tracey, sounds perfect

As said above, we found uplifts a bit hit and miss. There were a few cabs / shops offering a service, but nothing joined up like, say, Finale. Doug's right, it would be perfect ebike territory, especially when it gets hot.

We used the app and printed map, it took the first day of riding to realise that the easy/green routes were fire roads mostly, scenic, but not what we were after. The maxi-avalanche was fun, nothing like the ones in Andorra or Allemond in terms of height gain or terrain, but still a good ride (if you can get a lift up there, and be prepared for a pedal after the drop off). Make sure you ride in the 'Badlands' area, that we pretty special, as was the nearby Path of the Dead trail (or something like that, obviously in Spanish'). A local guide called Jeroen was really helpful over email, but wasnt in town at the time. His website has loads of good tips.

Some of the Zonazero routes are a drive away from Ainsa, including some good ones up near Torla. But pretty sure that Ainsa (or the newer part of town below it, with the campsite) makes the best all round base. We camped just outside the town, decent site with a pool, bar and restaurant (doing very good bbq food). It also has a very good pumptrack.

There's a great craft beer bar in the old town, well worth the walk up and stagger back down.

We probably only scraped the surface of what is there over the course of 5 days, so would definitely go back (probably with Doug).

If you are flying to Barcelone, have a look at santa coloma. A lot closer and good riding.