As we were having our summer holiday in the area, I managed to slip out for the day and hooked up with Doug at Basque MTB.
Did an uplift day in the hills behind Lezo (near Irun). Great trails with mostly fast flowy sections then into rock gardens and more technical bits. Perfect.
Doug was an excellent guide and I'm now looking at doing a whole week there next year.
[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8182/7920090270_6805e330b1.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/13146208@N08/7920090270/ ]BasqueMTB-2[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/13146208@N08/ ]jh_buchanan[/url], on Flickr[/img]
[img][url= http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8296/7920091644_45884dd54f.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/13146208@N08/7920091644/ ]IMG_0751[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/13146208@N08/ ]jh_buchanan[/url], on Flickr[/img]
Ace. Can you speakos de lingos yet ?
Si.
Pues... un poco.
Hey Leku,
I´m glad you enjoyed it. I really enjoyed the day too and it was very nice to ride with you. Sorry for perving on your bike so much, it´s just too pretty I think 😉 It would be greatto have [s]your bike[/s] you out again next year!
btw, we did just under 30km, and 2000m of descending. Not huge but big enough!
I got lost in Irun in July. In a car. wouldn't have expected MTB opportunities judging by the industrial estates and roundabouts but it just goes to show you!
Lots of the Basque country is odd like that, you can be in a nice village with a lovely old church, well-preserved farm houses, a nice bar, mountains in the background, go round the corner and find an Aluminium plant belching out crap.
MussEd, did you look up? Irun is surrounded by quite big hills! Like Mackem says, there isn´t much flat space so the towns are packed into the valleys but in about 30 seconds you are in the mountains again! You can ride from Irun in 4 directions and be in the mountains very quickly.
Mind you, we wouldn´t recommend Irun as a base for holidays, even if it is where Amaia, (Mrs BasqueMTB) is from and the site of one of the best fiestas around!
The Basque Country is one of my favourite places in Europe. The surfing is excellent, great wine and some good riding by the looks of it. Also you got the super cool city of San Sabastian to party the night away.
"Teeth grind" - AND Bilbao... bloody Guipuccis.
and I forgot to mention the squid in ink for lunch....
mmmm
get everywhere don't you Leku?! last spotted in San Sebastien with Mrs Leku and 2 little Leku's
also lusting after your bike
great day vastly improved with hooge lunch - fish soup, beans, squid, pudding, coffee, half bottle of red for 11 euros...... afternoon improved after that, got a lot braver. Alan hasn't forgiven Sally for the accidental snakebite though.....
First proper outing on the Reverb - blardy brilliant
Nice riding with you again too Charlie! Sorry I didn't get more photos of you all.
here's one to cut out and keep...[img][url= http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5451/7406986030_5f3ec86ae7.jp g" target="_blank">
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/13146208@N08/7406986030/ ]IMG_0453[/url] by [url= http://www.flickr.com/people/13146208@N08/ ]jh_buchanan[/url], on Flickr[/img]
bloody Guipuccis
[img] 
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Nice bike, Leku . With that username you could quite easily go native 😉
Indeed, however, I don't think I would suit a mullet.
don't see so many mullets these days, the haircut du jour in the provincial towns is the mushroom head, looks like they put a pudding basin over wet hair, then blowdry around the edges. ANyway I digress...
I wish I could grow a mullet! Also the hot alternative chicks with tattoos and their hair shaved up one side... like!!